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Week 12

sud33p — Fri, 30 May 2008 05:50:06 +0000

1: What was the most difficult assessment item you completed in COIS20025 this term (not counting the examination which is not until the examination period)?

The academic essay section of Assessment 2 was the most difficult one.

2: What was difficult about it and how would you suggest it could be improved?

The required length of the essay was too long. Students should not be dictated about the number of references to be made.

3: Name three (3) things you learnt this term in COIS20025.

Wrirting annotated bibliography, creating DFD and doing system analysis on case studies

4: What career are you working towards?

Web Development/Engineering

5: How will you be able to use the knowledge and skills learnt in this course in your future career?

Doing thorough overiew of the systems involved, designing data flow diagrams and data structure

Week 8

sud33p — Fri, 30 May 2008 05:35:12 +0000

http://portal.newman.wa.edu.au/technology/12infsys/html/KWH2003/TpDnBtUpIS10.htm

The traditional approach to system development can be termed as the “top down” approach. This is also known as functional decomposition or stepwise refinement. In this method, the whole problem domain is broken down into its components. Similarly, each of these components is further broken down into smaller subcomponents. This process of decomposition continues until each of the decomposed components is in its simplest form for implementation. Hence, the single information system is seen to be refined to small subsystems.

On the contrary, the object oriented mechanism is termed as a “bottom up” approach. This is the reverse process of the traditional approach of system development. In this approach, the lowest level components or entities are identified first. The integration of these low level components and modules builds the whole information system.

IBM Journal: http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/sj/453/balmelli.html

Traditional systems development methods are based on a static and predictable set of requirements, which also happens to be its weakness. An IBM journal describes that the traditional methods are designed to create a “point solution”. Traditional approach is based on the supposition that system requirements have been detailed well in advance and will not require any more changes. This makes the traditional approach inflexible to changes. The traditional approach to system development is not suitable to meet evolving business requirements. This approach is not capable of adapting to new technology demands. While meeting technology demands may not be entirely impossible, it certainly becomes difficult and expensive. While the current business systems are increasingly demanding, the modular approach to system building such as the object oriented approach is best suited to address this need.

Shelly, Cashman, Rosenblatt, System Analysis and Design, Thompson Course Technology, 7^th Edition, 2008

In the traditional model, a complete product results only after all the phases of system analysis, design, implementation, testing and required documentation in each phase has been successfully completed. Hence it can be said to follow a liner system development life cycle. Any new requirements will have to be added only after all the phases have been completed, the life cycle returns to the planning phase of the next cycle. This makes the development very expensive to manage as well.

The object oriented approach follows more of a shorter iterative method. Usually, the first product developed in this approach does not have all the requirements as specified. Instead, the business requirements which are implemented as features of the product are added module wise. This makes the development easier and more flexible. Prototypes are created after planning, analysis and design of each feature or the requirement rather than the whole system. The prototypes then move to the testing and implementation phase, while other features have already the new iterative life cycle.

Week 10

sud33p — Sat, 24 May 2008 16:05:45 +0000

Corrective Maintenance

When sending data to the server, only the changed records to be sent rather than uploading the whole database.

Adaptive Maintenance

Data sent to the server to be encrypted to ensure security.

Perfective Maintenance

Backup of the child record to be created at a different location.

Preventive Maintenance

The data at the health centre will be auto synchronized to the main server each day.

Week 9

sud33p — Sat, 24 May 2008 15:09:15 +0000

Implications of using the Direct Cutover method:

Since in this method, the old paper based method is completely replaced by the new computerized CHIS, the risk of not having a back up of is the main problem. Hence, even a single error in the system may cause loss of entire data. While this changeover method has this risk, it totally eliminates the overhead of maintaining records manually in paper. The transition from paper based to computerized system does not take time.

Implications of using Parallel Operation on CHIS:

The main disadvantage of this changeover method is the overhead of maintain records in both the paper based and computerized method. This increases the processing time of each record. For example, every update on a child record will need to be repeated twice. This also increases the probability of occurrence of human error.

While it has the disadvantage of having to maintain two copies f the same record, it also creates a back up of the record. This serves as a disaster recovery mechanism in case the new computerized system fails.

Implications of using Pilot Operation on CHIS:

The main disadvantages seen in the implementation of this mechanism depends on what changeover method is used in the single health centre where the system is tested. Secondly, if a quality check on the CHIS deployed in one health centre is successful, the same system may not pass the quality check on other health centres due to many reasons such as the volume of data handled by a health centre may be double than that it was tested upon.

Since the new computerized system is put to test only in one of the health centres, the risk of system failure or any other kind of problem caused by the CHIS is concentrated only at that particular health centre. This is by far, the main advantage of implementing this system.

Implications of using Phased Operation on CHIS:

The main disadvantage is that the deployment of the entire CHIS is time consuming as the whole system is broken down into smaller subsystems and deployed one by one. Unpredicted errors may arise when integrating one subsystem with the other. Despite the disadvantages of changing the system phase wise, it becomes easier to pin point the source of error when they occur and hence solution is developed quickly.

Week 7

sud33p — Sat, 24 May 2008 15:02:20 +0000

The main difference between traditional and Object Oriented approach to system design is that while the first follows a top down approach that latter follows the bottom up approach. In the top down approach, the tasks are broken down into smaller modules and the integration of these modules and communication between them builds the information system.

In the bottom up approach, the main actors involved in the system are identified which are represented as Objects. Data and processes that access and modify the data are encapsulated into the Objects. The OO analysis then uses the objects models to develop reusable components that aids in faster system implementation.

The main similarity between the traditional and OO approach to system development is that both of them require the steps of analysis, design and planning. Once the system has been developed, rigorous testing is performed on it.

Week 4

sud33p — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 11:06:40 +0000

Week 3

sud33p — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 11:06:11 +0000

For analyzing the traditional approach to system development, the Observation approach could be applied. A current system following the traditional approach could be analyzed in this case.

Non of the fact finding techniques can be applied to answer what is object oriented approach. Instead, a study or research on this topic can be found out from available books or related websites.

For comparing and contrasting the traditional and object oriented approaches to system development, a research/study could be conducted. This will help in identifying the text books, journals and/or websites that will answer these questions.

Week 2

sud33p — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 13:00:09 +0000

What are the current problems with the Child Health Information System?

The Health Department does not have an efficient system to collect and manage health information of children. The Health Department collects and monitors the health of country’s children through its Health Centres. But due to the lack of a common system for collecting data, the information collected are inaccurate, inconsistent and incomplete. Records on the number of children who have been immunized and the type of vaccines they have received are not accurate. Underweight children cannot be monitored as there is no system for tracking children’s weights. Moreover, the child’s medical history of past diseases is inconsistent.

All these issues need to be resolved in the new launched ‘Child Health Information System’ project.

What information do you need to find out about the Child Health Information System to develop a detailed understanding of the current system?

The following information needs to be collected and analyzed carefully:

Information of health centres:

Name of the health centre
Identity number and contact details (fax and telephone)
Total population served by the health centre

Information of child:

Personal details of child such as name, age, gender, education details etc.
Unique identity number

Information of child vaccination:

Type of vaccine given to the child on a given visit to the health centre

Information of vaccines:

Different types of vaccines used

Information of child medical visit:

Weight of child
Disease of the child and its severity level on a given visit to the health centre

Information of Diseases:

Types of diseases commonly found in children

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sud33p — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:16:07 +0000

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