Internal Guide:
Ms.
Benymol Jose, MSc.
External Guide:
Mr.Praveen, B.Tech (Faculty, SSI-Kollam)
Foreign
Guides:
E-friends (from U.S.A.& U.K.)
I articulate my sincere thanks to all, who helped me in making this,
venture a grand success. Although Prof. Sunny Joseph
(Principal, Marian College), Ms. Rajimol A.
(HOD, Computer Applications) are not directly involved in the development
of the software I thank them for their kind cooperation.
Ms. Benymol Jose, M.Sc & Mr.
Sajimon, MCA (Lecturers, Marian College, Kuttikanam.)
facilitated me a lot at the documentation part of my endeavor.
Mr. Sanjay Menon (Centre Manager, SSI-Kollam)
is the person who has given permission to do the project on SSI’s Students’
Information System. Mr. Sathya (Staff, SSI)
has provided the information about the organization. I extend my heartfelt
thanks to them.
Mr. Praveen, B.Tech (Faculty (Java), SSI-Kollam) has assisted in the development of the software.
He also helped me in finishing the project in record time.
The International Network of Computers (Internet) has given me friends from around the world (E-friends). They helped me a lot in the design of the manifestation of the software.
Technology
has been advancing at an incredible pace and as organizations worldwide fight to
keep with this change, there has been an enormous demand for skilled
professionals thrown up that has far exceeded its supply.
Solution Software
Integrated Limited (SSI) is the India’s #1 software education company
specialized in high-ended training. SSI has a number of firsts in offering
cutting edge education in Oracle, Microsoft and Java product lines. SSI
education presently has over 500 centres across India graduating over 1,30,000
students each year.
This venture,
tiled Project@SSI, computerizes the Students’
Information System (SIS) of the SSI’s Kollam centre. Presently, the details
are stored manually using the getting on techniques. By the implementation of
this system, the SIS becomes simple and automatic. The details are stored in the
database. Java is used as the front end. Using Oracle as the back end the
database is handled very efficiently.
Java is an object oriented, multi thread programming language developed
by Sun Microsystems in 1991. It is designed to be small, simple and portable
across different platforms as well as operating systems. The popularity of Java
is due to its unique technology that is designed on the basis of three key
elements. They are the usage of applets, powerful programming language
constructs and a rich set of significant object classes.
The editor (i.e., where the programs are being written) can be Notepad,
WordPad, MS-DOS editor, etc…). This provides system input and output
capabilities and other utility functions in addition to classes that support
networking, common Internet protocols and user interface toolkit functions.
Why Java is selected?
Java was designed to meet all the real world requirements with its key
features, which are explained in the following paragraphs:
Simple and powerful.
Java was designed to be easy for the professional programmers to learn
and use efficiently. Java makes itself simple by not having surprising features.
Since it exposes the internal working of the machine, the programmers can
perform his desired action without fear. Unlike other programming systems that
provide dozens of complicated ways to perform a simple task, Java provides a
small number of clear ways to achieve a given task.
Today everyone is worried about safety and security. Using Java
Compatible Browser, anyone can safety download applets without fear of viral
infections or malicious intent. Java achieves this protection by confining a
Java program to Java execution environment and by making it inaccessible to
other parts of the computer.
Portable.
In Java, the same mechanism that gives security helps in portability.
Many types of computers and operating systems are used throughout the world and
are connected to the Internet. For downloading programs through different
platforms connected o the Internet, some portable, executable ode is needed.
Java’s answer to these problems is its well-designed architecture.
Object-oriented.
Java was not designed to be source code compatible with any other
language. Java team gave a clean, usable, realistic approach to objects. The
object model in Java is simple and easy to extend, while simple types, such as
integers, are kept as high-performance non-objects.
Most programs in use nowadays fail of the two reasons: memory management
or exceptional conditions. Java forces the user to find mistakes in the early
stages of the program development. At the same time, Java frees the user from
having to worry about the most common causes of the programming errors. Java
virtually rectifies the problem of memory management by managing memory
allocation and automatic memory reallocation by providing garbage collection for
unused objects.
Multithreaded.
Java was designed to meet the real-world requirements of creating
interactive, networked programs. To achieve this, Java supports multithreaded
programming, which allows user to write programs that perform many function
simultaneously. The Java run-time system enables the user to construct smoothly
running interactive systems. Java’s easy-to-use approach to multithreading
allows the user to think about the specific behavior of his own program, not the
multitasking subsystem.
The Java designers worked hard in attaining their goal “ write once;
run anywhere, anytime, forever” and as a result the Java Virtual Machine was
developed.
A main issue for the designers was that of code longevity and
portability. One of the main problems is the execution speed of the program.
Since Java is architecture-neutral it generates bytecode that resembles machine
code, and are not specific to any processor.
About
the Organization.
As India’s #1 software education company specializing in high-end
training, SSI Education has been designing and delivering need-based products in
emerging technologies. SSI has a
number of firsts in offering cutting edge education in Oracle, Microsoft and
Java product lines. SSI Education
presently has over 500 centers across graduating over 1,30,000 students each
year.
The training system at SSI is customized to varied learning curves and
uses learner-friendly education tools that maximize comprehension under
different learning environments.
Retail Education
Affiliated Training
Enterprise Education
Content Development Group
SSI delivers cutting-edge education on emerging technologies to a diverse
learner base through its dedicated education centers across the country. These education centers are equipped with state-of-the-art
infrastructure that library facilities. Programmes
are offered under base and emerging product lines and include offerings in
Oracle, Microsoft, Java and e-commerce. SSI’s ISO 9001 certified Content Development Group that
researches globally current technologies designs the curriculum and trends
develops Knowledge ware that can be delivered on media of choice.
In an effort to bring new age technologies directly from the technology
providers, SSI Education has been affiliating with IT leaders like Microsoft and
Oracle to offer certified programs through its authorized training centers
located at select cities in the country with facilities for online testing and
academic institutions to deliver distance education programs.
These programs will incorporate an industry relevant curriculum designed
by SSI’s Content Development Group, with the added advantage of an University
recognition/certification. SSI
currently offers a Master’s degree program in Software Application certified
by Bharathiar University, and an Advanced Diploma in Internet Programming in
association with the University of Mysore.
IDC analysts point out that technology base education is predicted to
grow at a compounded annual growth rate of over 50% into the year 2002.
To reach out its researched knowledge base to a wider new-generation
learning audience, SSI’s education is extending its expertise into CD-ROM
Based Training (CBT) and the Internet. The first technology based learning
center “Cyber School” has gone operational at Chennai and the network will
be extended across the country very soon. SSI
is also in the process of setting up a cyber-varsity to deliver net-based
education.
Enterprise
Education.
SSI offers corporate organizations a diverse portfolio of training
solutions through Power drive, its enterprise education division.
Power drive offers a comprehensive multi-level, multi-platform and
multi-location training, both on-site and off-site to a nationwide clientele,
the like of whom include Department of Telecommunications, Madras Fertilizers
Ltd., Life Insurance Corporation, Southern Railway, Complete Business Solutions
India, CMC, BHEL, Andhra Pradesh Government, Citibank and ICICI.
Content
Development Group.
Even as you read this communication, the world is changing drastically
with new technologies emerging every second.
It is essential that organizations like yours should respond keenly to
these dynamics by keeping pace with these technologies.
The need of the nanosecond for your organization is to race the
technological age with knowledge and continuous skill up gradation.
The Content Development Group of SSI, one of India’s leading content
solutions provider, address this critical need by offering you learning content
that is highly customized people across different Business Domains.
As a single-stop content resource, the Content Development Group offers
customized content for corporate. By
relying on the Group’s knowledge warehouse your organization can conquer the
challenges of change effectively and effortlessly.
The Content Development Group’s customized learning content comes to
you in a variety of media. You can
choose from computer-based learning through interactive CD-ROMs, instructor-led
support through informative books or opt for the speedy and convenient Web-based
learning. All the methods enhance
the efficiency of the personnel and equip your organization with a competitive
edge that increases productivity and profitability.
The content Development Group extends its expertise to Websites by
offering content-based solutions for portals.
ISO 9001 certified by KPMG and accredited as a Microsoft Independent
Courseware Vendor, the Group enjoys an affiliation with Tata McGraw Hill for
publishing. Leading concerns like Citibank and Southern Railways have
relied on CDG’s expertise and taken their business to greater levels.
Introduction:
Technology has been advancing at an incredible pace and as organizations
worldwide fight to keep pace with this change, there has been an enormous demand
for a skilled professional thrown up that has far exceeded it supply. With
increasing levels of automation cutting across industry barriers, recruiters
today look for computer qualification as a minimum skill set to effectively
manage change in this fiercely competitive environment.
The major, in fact the only functioning area of Kollam SSI in
that
high quality computer training. As India’s #1 software education company
specializing in high-end training, SSI education has been designing and
delivering need-based products in emerging technologies.
The training system at SSI is customized to varied learning curves and
uses learner-friendly education tools that maximize comprehension under
different learning environments
Disadvantages
of existing system:
At present in Students’ Information System of Kollam SSI is maintained
manually. Big registers are
maintained to enter the students’ information.
Staffs are specially employed for entering the full details and
afterwards updating the students’ information in his/her due course.
Updating in the sense, entering his/her feedback given in his/her Client
Perception Quality (CPQ) form (CPQ is given by the student every month),
entering the students’ test score, which is conducted after the completion of
each module of a particular course.
The
students’ details include his/her details from the application for admission
and the enquiry form.
Since the above said works are done manually it is time consuming.
In case the head wants to know about a particular student the staff has
to rush through all the pages of the heavy registers. This consumes much time of each one waiting for the
information.
The
existing system, which consists of big registers, also consumes vast storing
space. Special shelves are
maintained for the same. Since the details of a student, who has completed or doing
the course at present are to be referred the old registers cannot be discarded.
So, as the years go by the number of registers increases and separate
rooms itself the shelves containing these registers.
The registers that are handled manually are made up of paper. As the center grows older, the odder registers are likely to
be destroyed. It is also possible
for white ants to “read” all the information. As the time goes the ink used
fades and is impossible to detect the correct details. And also, if the Strategic Business Manager (SBM) [See the
Organization Chart] needs any clarification regarding any students the center
must carry all these registers to him.
Need
for Computerization:
After the installation of the proposed system the big registers are
replaced by microchips and 3 1/2 floppies.
Separate staffs need not be employed and the existing staffs can be
utilized in some other field of the center.
By the introduction of the proposed software the updating process becomes
very simple and easy.
Since the students’ details are converted to magnetic particles (i.e.
stored in floppies), the access to the details of any student (former or
present) is very fast and easy. The center head can easily walks to the supreme
head with this floppy in hand for any clarification.
The vast storing space now used for storing registers can be easily
converted to a training room after the proposed system had been installed.
The storage space of the proposed system is too less compared with the
present environment.
In the proposed system the datas are to be stored in the hard disk or in
the floppies. The datas are sure
not to be lost if it is not roughly handled and tampered with.
Proposed
System Proposal:
As described earlier the proposed system in the Students’ Information
System at Kollam SSI. The project
is the computerization of Students’ Information System.
The entry of the students’ details begins right at the time he comes
for enquiry. An enquiry Form is
issued and the entries are noted.
If the student is willing to joining, the Application for Admission is
given. All the entries in the application are entered into the SIS.
[Entries are detailed in the exhibit].
For each subject separate course materials are issued.
The course material for each subject includes a Handbook and a Lab book.
These are issued at the commencement of each subject.
The
Kollam SSI has two types of fee-structure:
(1)
Lump sum (2) Installments
In Lump sum mode of payment the student has to pay the full course fee at
the time of admission itself.
It the student is choosing the other mode is installment, he/she has to
pay the half of the total at the time of admission and the remaining in equally
divided installments. It is to he
noted that if the student chooses this mode the amount will be more compared
with the lump sum mode.
Once the student had paid the fees a hatch is assigned (it is to he
entered in the SIS) and is admitted.
Once the student is admitted an Identity Card is issued.
It contains the students’ photo, unique ID number, Batch No. and
admission number (It is to be entered in the SIS)
Another important entry made in the SIS is the assignment of the faculty member to a batch. The same facility continues until the course of that hatch is completed. It is the responsibility of the assigned facility to take the attendance and submit the same to the Center Manager on or before 7 pm every day of taking the class of the particular batch
Examinations:
At the end of each module of the particular course the Head Office at
Chennai conducts exams. Certificates
are issued according to the marks obtained in the objective type examination
conducted. These marks and the
grades are also to be entered into the SIS.
Benefits
of the Proposed System:
Once the proposed system is implemented, the big, huge registers are
replaced with small floppies. It
makes the transactions faster and more effective.
The access to any details of the student is fast and accurate.
By the installation of the proposed software vast storage space used for
huge files are reduced. Unlike in
the present system where the white ants annihilate the data, the proposed helps
to preserve the most valuable document of the center.
The
Summary of Data collected:
The
Enquiry Card:
An enquiry card is issued to very one comes to Kollam SSI for the course
enquiry. This card contains some general information, which helps in the
marketing of SSI. The entries are
detailed in Exhibit #2 – Enquiry Card. This
card collects the details regarding the student’s interests, educational
qualification, etc.
Application
for admission:
This form is given when one choose Kollam ssi for his/her computer
education. This form collects the students’ resume.
This form asks for his/her Name, Permanent address, Date of Birth, List
of colleges and universities they have attended and other Extra Curricular
activities. There are also columns
for office use. The entries for the
application for admission are detailed.
Client
Perception Qualification Form:
Kollam SSI stands for good quality computer education.
The management cannot improve the quality unless the students respond to
its educational strategy. In order
the get feedback from the students’ side, a client Perception Quality form is
issued to every student at the end of every month.
This form also contains the students name, course, Batch Start Date (BSD)
etc. But this form gives much
importance to the students’ response about the SSI education.
Invoice:
In spite of the students’ name the invoice of Kollam ssi details the
students’ Registration No., Commencement Date of the course, the course to
which the student in admitted, the Payment Options (i.e. Lump sum or installment
[detailed in the Initial Report]).
The actual course fee is the main entry in the invoice. The discount (if
any) is also entered. And finally the net payable fee is calculated.
If the made of payment chosen is installment, the amount payable at each
installment and the due dates is also noted in the invoice of Kollam ssi.
The primary key of the invoice of Kollam SSI is the invoice number. This number will always be unique. Exhibit #5 shows a sample invoice
Receipt:
A receipt is given when the student pays each installment of fees.
The receipt mainly contains the registration number of the student and
his invoice number.
The other details in the receipt are of course the students’ name,
amount received, course timing, etc. The
entries are detailed in Exhibit #6
Presently the record to of Kollam SSI is maintained manually. Each course
offered by Kollam SSI has a separate record, which contains the details of the
students studying the particular course.
Each page of the record is allotted to each hatch and the following details are
entered into the record. The sample
record layout is shown through Exhibit #7.
Common
entries for a batch:
Batch
Start Date (BSD):
This specifies the date on which the Batch has started the course.
Time:
This filed specifies the timing of the hatch.
This can be 10 am to 1.00 pm, 1.00 pm to 4.00 pm etc.
End
Date:
This date specifies the date expected to terminate the course after
completing the syllabus
Faculty:
The teacher assigned to ace particular hatch is the contents of this
field.
Batch
Code:
Each hatch is distinguished by the hatch code.
The hatch code of each hatch is unique
Individual
entries:
Serial
Number:
To number each student the serial number is provided at the beginning of
the table of each record page.
Name:
Under this field the name of each student is entered.
Inv.
No & Date:
An invoice is given to every student at the time of admission [Exhibit
#5]. The number of this invoice is entered here.
The date of the invoice is also entered.
Registration
Number:
Each and every student is provided with a registration number.
The registration number is an important field. An example of a Reg. No.
is KLM/Java/0900/075
ID
Card Number:
Each student wild he issued an ID Card.
The number of this Identify Card is entered under this field.
Total
Fees:
Some students are admitted with some discount and others are not. The
details of the discount (if any) and hence the net payable fees is detailed
under this field.
Fee
Structure
This field details the mode of payment of fees and how many installments
was paid by each student.
Receipt
No. & Date.
When a student pays an installment of the fee he/she is given a receipt -
a record of his payment of the fees. The
number of this receipt and the date is entered in this field.
Transfer
Batch No. & Date.
Kollam SSI offers the facility to transfer from a batch to another in the
same center or a student can transfer to another center of SSI.
This
Transfer batch No. and the date of transfer is entered here.
Remarks:
The
remarks field explains whether the student
1.
is
a drop out
2.
has
completed, or
3.
Transferred.
“It always wise to look ahead but it is difficult to
further than you can see.”
Planning future endeavors though difficult is important in managing
operations. System development is no exception. Identifying the need for a new
information system and launching an investigation and a feasibility study must
be based on an MIS plan that has management support. Planning cut across, all
phases of the system life cycle. Understanding MIS planning functioning and
their relationship to system analysis and design, then, is crucial to
successful, computer installations.
Planning information systems in business has become increasingly
important during the last few decades. First, information is now recognized as a
vital resource and must be managed. It is equal to cash, physical, facilities
and personnel. Second, more and more financial resources are committed to
information systems. As computer systems are becoming integral to business
operations, top management is pay more attention to their development. Third,
there is a growing need for formal long-range plan for information systems that
are complex, require months or years to build, use common databases, or have a
greater competitive edge. The objectives are to map out the development of major
systems and reduce the number of small, isolated systems to be developed and
maintained. Proper planning for information systems ensures hat he role played
by the system will be congruent with that of the organization
Planning for information system development must be done within the
framework of the organization’s overall MIS plan. Strategic planning is an
orderly approach that determines the basic objectives, for the user to achieve
the objectives, and the tactical plans to implement the strategies. The first
task in strategic planning is to set the MIS objectives and the results
expected. Consideration of these objectives must deal with their fit with the
organization’s strategic plan, the types of systems and services to be
offered, the role of users in system development, and the technology to be used.
Once the MIS objectives are set, MIS policies are defined as a guideline to be
used in carrying out strategy. MIS policies, in turn, are translated into
long-range, medium-range, and short-range plans for implementation.
The goal of system development is to deliver systems in line with the
user’s requirements. Analysis is
the heart of the process. It is the
key component of the first two phases of the cycle.
In phase one, we focused on problem definition and the initial
investigation, where analysis helps us understand the present system. Phase two,
the feasibility study, goes into detail studying the present system and
determining potential solutions. The outcome is system specifications that
initiate system design.
In analyzing the present system, the analyst collects a great deal of
relatively unstructured data through interviews, questionnaires, on-site
observations, procedures manuals, and the like. The traditional approach is to
organize and convert the data through system flowcharts, which support future
developments of the system and simplify communication with the user.
But the system flowchart represents a physical rather than a logical
system. It makes it difficult to distinguish between what happens and how it
happens in the system.
There are other problems with the
traditional approach:
1.
The
system life cycle provides very little quality control to ensure accurate
communication from user to analyst. They have no language in common.
2.
The
analyst is quickly overwhelmed with the business and technical details of the
system. Much of the time is spent gathering information. The details are needed
and must be available, but the analyst does not have the tools to structure and
control the details.
3.
Present
analytical tools have limitations.
a.
English
narrative descriptions of a system are often too vague and make it difficult for
the user to grasp how the parts fit together. Furthermore, English is inherently
difficult to use where precision is needed.
b.
System
and program flowcharts commit to a physical implementation of its logical
requirements.
4.
Problems
also relate to system specifications:
a.
System
specifications are difficult to maintain or modify. A simple change in the
user’s requirements necessitates changes in several parts of the document.
b.
They
describe user requirements in terms of physical hardware that will implement the
system rather than what the user wants the system to do.
c.
They
are monolithic and redundant; that is, to find out information about a
particular part of the system, the user has to search the entire document.
Furthermore, the same information is found in numerous locations with no
cross-reference.
d.
Because
of these drawbacks, the needs something analogous to the architect’s blueprint
as a starting point for system design. It is a way to focus on functions rather
than physical implementation. One such tool is the data flow diagram (DFD)
Detailed
analysis of various I/O forms:
Existing
I/O forms:
As indicated this form should be filled into order to obtain an admission
to any course at Kollam SSI.
Besides, Name, Address, Sex, age and
qualification this form also seeks details about the co-curricular activities
and the timing the student wish to take
2.
Enquiry:
Well, the enquiry form is issued to every one for enquiry at Kollam SSI.
This is a part of the SSI’s marketing survey.
This form contain details from where did you came to know about Kollam
SSI, your feedback and so on.
3.
Candidate Perception Quality (CPQ) Form:
As discussed, this form is issued to every student at the end of each
month. These are issued to get the
feedback of the students. With
this, the management can improve the faculty by making them change his or her
teaching methods. These also
improve the students’ observing power.
4.
Invoice:
The Invoice is given at the time of admission.
Then the student is ready for admission the invoice is given giving the
full details about the fee structure, concession, discount & offers (if
any), amount payable at each installment with due date marked in the Invoice
that the student must pay fee installments.
5. Fees Receipt:
The fees receipt is given to every student who pays the
fee
installment. This receipt contains the student name, course, Invoice No. with
Date, paid amount, code No. etc…
The
samples of the forms discussed above are attached in the Detailed Study Report
as Exhibits.
Proposed
I/O forms:
While analyzing the system of students’ information of Kollam SSI, it
was found that it would he more perfect if the following forms are also
included.
There
is no record in the Students’ Master Register to record the number of classes
(which includes the Lab class) a student has attended.
By
the introduction of this the management can give a clear-cut explanation about
the student academic records.
(ii)
Grade (Mark) Form:
This is the second thing that was noted at the Kollam SSI.
There is no record of the mark obtained by the student in the Students’
Master Register.
Examinations are held in regular intervals.
But, there is no specific field or form in the Students’ Master
Register to record the marks.
(iii) Lab Report:
This is also a type of Attendance Form.
Because there are no theory classes in the day of Lab day, the student
who has done the lab cannot be determined.
In order to how this problem, a Lab
Report From is proposed to the Lab coordinators, who must enter the name of
students which the time attended and should be entered into the Master Register.
The Data Flow Diagram (DFD
The first step is to draw a data flow diagram (DFD). The DFD developed by
Larry Constantine as a way of expressing system requirements in a graphical
form; this led to modular design.
A DFD, also known as a “bubble chart” has the purpose of clarifying
system requirements and identifying major transformations that will become
programs in system design. So it is the starting point of the design phase that
functionally decomposes the requirements specifications down to the lowest of
detail. A DFD consists of a series
of bubbles joined by lines. The bubbles represent data transformations and the
lines represent data flows in the system
DFD Symbols.
In the DFD, there are four symbols:
1.
A
Square defines a source (originator) or destination of system data.
2.
An
arrow identifies data flow-data in motion. It is a pipeline through which
information flows.
3.
A
circle or a “bubble’’ (or an oval bubble) represents a process that
transforms incoming data flow(s) into outgoing data flow(s).
4.
An
open rectangle is a data store-data at rest, or a temporary repository of data.
A DFD describe what data flow (logical) rather than how they are
processed, so it does not depend on hardware, software, data structure, or file
organization. The key question that we are trying to answer is: What major
transformations must occur for input to be correctly transformed into output.
Constructing a DFD.
Several rules thumb was used in
drawing DFDs:
Processes
was named and numbered for easy reference. Each name should be representative of
the process.
The direction of flow is from top to bottom and from left to right. Data
traditionally flow from is from top to bottom and from left to right. Data
traditionally flow from the source (upper left corner) to the destination (lower
right corner), although they may flow back to a source. One way to indicate this
is to draw a long flow line flow back to the source. An alternative way is to
repeat the source symbol as a destination. Since it is used more that once in
the DFD, it is marked with a short diagonal in the lower right corner
When a process is exploded into lower-level details, they are numbered.
The names data stores, sources, and destinations are written in capital
letters. Process and data flow names have the first letter of each word
capitalized.
The DFD is designed to aid communication.
If it contains dozens of processes and data stores, it gets too unwieldy.
The rule of thumb is to explode the DFD to a functional level, so that
the next sublevel does not exceed 10 processes.
Beyond that, it is best to take each function separately and expand it to
show the explosion of the single process, than the detailed explosion of that
process may be shown.
A DFD typically shows the minimum contents of data stores. Each data
store should contain all the data elements that flow in and out.
Questionnaires can be used to provide information for a first cut.
All discrepancies, missing interfaces, redundancies, and the like are
than accounted for often through interviews.
The DFD methodology is quite effective, especially when the required design is
unclear and the user and the analyst need a national language for communication.
The DFD is easy to understand after a brief orientation. The main
problem, however, is the large number of interactions that often are required to
arrive at the most accurate and complete solution.
Introduction
No system design is ever perfect. Communication
problems, programmers’ negligence, or time constraints create errors that must
be eliminated before the system is ready for user acceptance testing.
A system is tested for online response, volume of transactions, stress,
recovery from failure, and usability. Then comes system testing, which verifies
that the whole set of programs hangs together, Following system testing is
acceptance testing, or running the system with live data by the actual user.
System testing requires a test plan that consists of several key
activities and steps for program, string, system, and user acceptance testing.
The system performance criteria deal with turnaround time, backup, file
protection, and the human factor.
For systems to be viable, controls have to be developed to ensure a
quality product. Quality assurance cuts across the system life cycle, and is
especially involved in implementation. Quality
assurance specialists go through system testing and validation before they grant
certification. Quality assurance and the DP audit go hand in hand.
The role or the auditor is to make sure that adequate controls are built
into the system for integrity and reliability.
No program or system design is perfect; communication between the user
and the designer is not always complete or clear, and time is usually short. The
result is errors and more errors. The
number and nature of errors in a new design depend on several factors:
1.
Communications between the user and the designer.
2.
The programmer’s ability to generate a code that reflects exactly the system
specifications.
3.
The time frame for the design.
Theoretically, a newly designed system should have all the pieces in
working order, but in really, each piece works independently. Now is the time to
put all the pieces into one system and test it to determine whether it meets the
user’s requirements. This is the last chance to detect and correct errors
before the system is installed for user acceptance testing. The purpose of
system testing is to consider all the likely variations to which it will be
subjected and then push the system to its limits. It is a tedious but necessary
step in system development.
The chapter reviews the process of system testing and the steps taken to
validate and prepare a system for final implementation. First, we need to be
familiar with the following basic terms:
Unit testing
is testing changes made in an existing or a new program.
Sequential or series testing
is done by checking the logic of one or more programs in the candidate system,
where the output of one program will affect the processing done by another
program.
System testing
is done by executing a program to check logic changes made in it and with the
intention of finding errors—making the program fail. Effective testing does
not guarantee reliability. Reliability is a design consideration.
Positive testing is making sure
that the new programs do in fact process certain transactions according to
specifications.
Acceptance testing
is running the system with the data by the actual user.
Testing is vital to the success of the system. System testing makes a
logical assumption that if all the parts of the system are correct, the goal
will be successfully achieved. Inadequate testing or non-testing leads to errors
that may not appear until months later. This creates two problems:
(1) the time lag between the cause and the appearance of the problem (the
longer the time interval, the more complicated the problem has become), and
(2) the effects of system errors on files and records within the system.
A small system error can conceivably explode into a much larger problem.
Effective testing early in the process translates directly into long-term cost
savings from a reduced number of errors.
Another reason for conducting system testing is its utility as a
user-oriented vehicle before implementation. The best program is worthless if it
does not meet user needs. Unfortunately, the user’s demands are often
compromised by efforts to facilitate program or design efficiency in terms of
processing time or memory utilization. Often the computer technician and the
user have communication barriers due to different backgrounds, interests, or
priorities, and perhaps languages. The system tester (designer, programmer, or
user) who has developed some computer mastery can bridge this barrier.
Types
of System Test Conducted.
After
a test plan has been developed, system testing begins by testing program modules
separately, followed by testing “bundled” modules as a unit. A program
module may function perfectly in isolation but fail when interfaced with other
modules. The approach is to test each entity with successively larger ones, up
to the system test level.
System
testing consists of the following steps:
Program(s) testing.
String testing.
System testing.
System documentation.
User acceptance testing.
Each
step is briefly explained here.
Program
Testing.
A program represents the logical elements of a system.
For a program to run satisfactory, it must compile and test data
correctly and tie in properly with other programs. Achieving an error-free
program is the responsibility of the programs. Program testing checks for two
types of errors: syntax and logic.
A syntax error is a program statement that violates one or more
rules of the language in which it is written. An improperly defined field
dimension or omitted key words are common syntax errors.
These errors are shown through error messages generated by the computer.
A logic error, on the other hand, deals with incorrect data
fields, out-of-range items, and invalid combinations. Since diagnostics do not
detect logic errors, the programmer must examine the output carefully for them.
When the program was tested, the actual output was compared with the
expected output. When there is a discrepancy, the sequence of instructions must
be traced to determine the problem. Breaking the program down into
self-contained portions, each of which can be checked at certain key points,
facilitates the process. The idea to compare program values against
desk-calculated value to isolate the problem.
String
Testing.
Programs are invariably related to one another and interact in a total
system. Each program is tested to see whether it conforms to related programs in
the system. Each portion of the system is tested against is ready to be tested.
System
Testing.
System testing is designed to uncover weaknesses that were not found in
earlier tests. This includes forced
system failure and validation of the total system, as its user(s) in the
operational environment will implement it. Generally, it begins with low volumes
of transactions based on live data. The volume is increased until the maximum
level for each transaction type is reached. The total system is also tested for
recovery and fallback after various major failures to ensure that no data are
lost during the emergency. All this
is done with the old system still in operation. After the candidate system
passes the test, the old system is discontinued
System
Documentation.
All design and test documentation should be finalized and entered in the
library for future reference. The library is the central location for
maintenance of the new system. The format, organization, and language of each
documentation should be in line with system standards.
User
Acceptance Testing.
An acceptance test has the objective of selling the user on the validity
and reliability of the system. It verifies that the system’s procedures
operate to system specifications and that the integrity of vital data is
maintained. Performance of an acceptance test is actually the user’s show. User motivation and knowledge are critical for the successful
performance of the system. Then a comprehensive test report is prepared. The
report indicates the system’s tolerance, performance range, error rate, and
accuracy.
Post-Implementation
Review
Operational systems are quickly taken for granted. Every system requires
periodic evaluation after implementation. A post implementation review was
conducted to measure the system’s performance against predefined requirements.
Unlike system testing, which determines where the system fails so that the
necessary adjustments can be made, a post implementation review determines how
well the system continues to meet performance specifications. It is after the
fact- after design and conversion are complete. It also provided with
information to determine whether major redesign is necessary.
A post implementation review is an evaluation of a system in terms of the
extent to which the system accomplishes stated objectives and actual project
cost exceed initial estimates. It is usually a review of major problems that
need converting and those that surfaced during the implementation phase. The
primary responsibility for initialing the review lied in the user organization,
which assigned special staffs for this purpose.
A major element in building systems is selecting compatible hardware
and software. The systems analyst has to determine what
software package is best for the candidate system and, where software is not an
issue, the kind of hardware and peripherals needed for the final conversion. To
do the job well, the analyst must be familiar with the computer industry in
general, what various computers can and cannot do, whether to purchase or lease
a system, the vendors and their outlets, and the selection procedure.
Hardware/software selection begins with requirements analysis, followed by a
request and vendor evaluation. The final system selection initiates contract
negotiations. It includes purchase price, maintenance agreements, and the amount
of updating or enhancements to be available by the vendor over the life of the
system. Contract negotiations,
seemingly too legal for an analyst, require finesse and strategies designed to
get the best deal for the user and protect the user’s interests in the
acquired system. This chapter focuses on these elements and provides background
on the makeup and ramifications of software and hardware selection.