Structuring System

Process Requirements
Chapter 5
Learning Objectives

 Understand the logical modeling of processes by studying

examples of data flow diagrams (DFDs).
 Draw data flow diagrams following specific rules and
guidelines that lead to accurate and well-structured
process models.
 Decompose data flow diagrams into lower-level diagrams.
 Balance higher-level and lower-level data flow diagrams
 Use data flow diagrams as a tool to support the analysis of
information systems.
Process Modeling

Systems development life cycle with the

analysis phase highlighted
Comparison of DeMarco and Yourdon
and Gane and Sarson DFD symbol sets
DFD Hierarchy

Context Diagram decomposes

into Level 0 diagram

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DFD Elements
 Process
o An activity or function performed for a specific
business reason
o Computerized process
o Includes the following:
• A number
• A name (verb phrase)
• A description
• At least one output data flow
• At least one input data flow

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DFD Elements, con’t.
 Process, con’t.
o Logical process models omit any processes that simply move or
route data and leave the data unchanged.
o You do include logical processes that:
• Perform computations (e.g., calculate grade point average)
• Make decisions (e.g., determine availability of ordered products)
• Sort, filter or otherwise summarize data (e.g., identify overdue
invoices)
• Organize data into useful information (e.g., generate a report or
answer a question)
• Trigger other processes (e.g., turn on the furnace or instruct a
robot)
• Use stored data (create, read, update or delete a record)
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DFD Elements, con’t.
 Data flow
o A single piece of data or a logical collection of data
o Data Flow names describe the content of the data
flow but not how it is implemented
o Always starts or ends at a process
o Includes the following:
• A name (noun)
• Description
• One or more connections to a process
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DFD Elements, con’t.
 Data flow, con’t.
o A data flow is data in motion.
• an input of data to a process, or the output of data (or
information) from a process.
• the creation, deletion, or update of data in a file or database
(called a data store on the DFD).
• A data flow is depicted as a solid-line with arrow.

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DFD Elements, con’t.
 Data Store
o Most information systems capture data for later use.
o A data store is a collection of data that is stored in some
way
o Include the following:
• A number
• A name (noun)
• Description
• One or more input data flows (somewhere in process
model)
• One or more output data flows (somewhere in process
model)
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DFD Elements, con’t.
 Data Store, con’t.
o If data flows are data in motion, think of data
stores as data at rest.
o Data stores should describe “things” about which
the business wants to store data.
o Data flows leaving the data store are data
retrievals
o Data flows entering the data store are updates or
new data added

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DFD Elements, con’t.
 External entity
o A person, organization, or system that
is external to the system
o Has interactions with the system (adds
data to system or recieves data from
system)
o Include the following:
• A name (noun)
• Description
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Reading a Data
Flow Diagram

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Depicting Business Processes with DFDs
 Business processes are too complex to be shown on a single DFD
 A deliberate hierarchy is created with multiple “levels” of DFDs
 To build the hierarchy, use Decomposition
o Child diagrams show a portion of the parent diagram in greater
detail
DFD Hierarchy
 Processes on Level 0 diagram each
decompose into separate Level 1
diagrams
 Processes on Level 1 diagrams may
or may not be decomposed into
separate Level 2 diagrams.
 Processes are decomposed until
each process is a single-purpose,
primitive process.

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Balancing
 Ensures that information presented at one level of a DFD is
accurately represented in the next level DFD.
 Data flows on parent diagram are carried down to child diagram.
 Child diagram adds new processes and new data flows

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Level O Diagram

 Shows all the major processes that comprise the overall

system – the internal components of process 0
 Shows how the major processes are interrelated by data
flows
 Shows external entities and the major processes with
which they interact
 Adds stored data via the data stores

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Level 1 Diagrams
 Create one level 1 diagram for every major process on the
level 0 diagram
 Shows the internal processes that comprise a single
process on the level 0 diagram
 Shows how information moves to and from each of these
processes
 If a parent process is decomposed into, say, three child
processes, the these three child processes wholly and
completely make up the parent process
Level 2 Diagrams
 Shows all processes that comprise a single process on the level
1 diagram
 Shows how information moves to and from each of these
processes
 Level 2 diagrams may not be needed for all level 1 processes
 Correctly numbering each process helps the user understand
where the process fits into the overall system
Diagram Numbering
 Correctly numbering each process helps the user understand
where the process fits into the overall hierarchy
o Context Diagram is always “Process 0”
o Level 0 processes are always numbered with integer value
(1, 2, 3, etc.)
o Level 1 processes always have one “dot”: parent number
“dot” unique number (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.)
o Level 2 processes always have two “dots”: parent number
“dot” unique number (1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, etc.)
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