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BACHELOR

A306KMAdvanced Information Systems

TERM 3, 2010FINAL EXAMINATION

Examination Date: 19th January 2011Examination Time: 19:00 to 22:00

Time Allowed: 3 hours only

DIRECTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. Answer any FOUR (4) questions from the following SIX (6) QUESTIONS.

2. This is a CLOSED BOOK examination.

3. This examination represents 50% of the total assessment for this module.

4. Print your student number on each booklet.

THE EXAMINATION PAPER MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM THEEXAMINATION ROOM

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Faculty of Engineering and Computing

Answer any FOUR (4) out of SIX (6) questions. Each question is worth 25 marks.

Question 1 [25 marks]

Clyde Clerk is reviewing his firm’s expense reimbursement policies with the new salesperson, Trav Farr. “Our reimbursement policies depend on the situation. You see, first we determine if it is a local trip. If it is, we only pay mileage of 18.5 cents a mile. If the trip is a one-day trip, we pay mileage and then check the times of departure and return. To be reimbursed for breakfast, you must leave by 7:00 A.M., lunch by 11:00 A.M., and have dinner by 5:00 P.M. To receive reimbursement for breakfast, you must return later than 10:00 A.M., lunch later than 2:00 P.M., and have dinner by 7:00 P.M. On a trip lasting more than one day, we allow hotel, taxi, and airfare, as well as meal allowances. The same times apply for meal expenses.”

a) In which of the situations described should you use structured English? [2

marks]

b) In what situations do decision tables work best? [3 marks]

c) Draw a decision tree depicting Clyde’s narrative of the reimbursement policies. [10 marks]

d) Draw a decision table depicting Clyde’s narrative of the reimbursement policies. [10 marks]

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2a) What is a context-level data flow diagram? Contrast it to a level 0 DFD. [4 marks]

2b) Why is labelling data flow diagrams so important? What can effective labels on data flow diagrams accomplish for those unfamiliar with the system? [4 marks]

2c) A common experience that students in every college and university share is enrolling in a college course:

i. Draw a level 1 data flow diagram of data movement for enrolment in a college course. Use a single sheet and label each data item clearly.

[15 marks]ii. List the parts of the enrolment process that are “hidden” to the outside

observer and about which you have had to make assumptions to complete a second-level diagram. [2 marks]

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3a) Critically review the differences between object-oriented modeling and Unified Modeling Language (UML). [7 marks]

3b) What is the difference between object-oriented languages and Modelling Language (UML)? [3 marks]

3c) Discuss the exact involvement of UML in the process of software development?[7 marks]

3d) Draw Use Case diagrams to represent the interactions between: a user, a web browser; and an administrator and the server it contacts. [8 marks]

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4a) Critically analyze Soft System Methodology and comment on its influence in terms of system development ideas. [5 marks]

4b) Suggest ways to protect information security in an application. [5 marks]

4c) Create a domain dictionary for an ATM system noting that there could be processes and functions with the same name, but different descriptions e.g., money withdrawal is a function that ATM performs for all banks. Withdrawing money is a process that describes steps for withdrawing money using ATM and that could vary for different banks. [10 marks]

4d) Suppose that monetary value is the only relevant consideration in this case. You must decide whether or not to allow your friend, Delilah, to cut off your hair. You know that if she cuts your hair, there is a 75% chance you will lose your kingdom, which you reckon you could sell for $2 million. If she doesn’t cut your hair, you have a 95% chance of holding on to power. Unfortunately, because your long hair hangs in your eyes you cannot guard the crown jewels and you know that the head of the Praetorian Guard will steal them, while if your hair is cut, he won’t be able to steal them. They are worth $200,000.

Use standard decision theory methods to decide what the rational course of action is in this case. [5 marks]

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5a) Discuss the difference between a throwaway and an evolutionary prototype.[10 marks]

5b) Mary is a manager of a gadget factory. Her factory has been quite successful the past three years. She is wondering whether or not it is a good idea to expand her factory this year. The cost to expand her factory is $1.5M. If she does nothing and the economy stays good and people continue to buy lots of gadgets she expects $3M in revenue; while only $1M if the economy is bad. If she expands the factory, she expects to receive $6M if economy is good and $2M if economy is bad. She also assumes that there is a 40% chance of a good economy and a 60% chance of a bad economy.

A few days later she was told that if she expands, she can opt to either (a) expand the factory further if the economy is good which costs 1.5M, but will yield an additional $2M in profit when economy is good but only $1M when economy is bad, (b) abandon the project and sell the equipment she originally bought for $1.3M, or (c) do nothing.

Before Mary takes this to her boss, she wants to account for the time value of money. The gadget company uses a 10% discount rate. The cost of expanding the factory is borne in year zero but the revenue streams are in year one.

i. Draw a Decision Tree showing the choices and compute the NPV for the

expansion. Next justify whether it is worth for Mary to expand the factory referring to the NPV derived. [5 marks]

ii. Draw a decision tree to show the three options for each possible outcome, and compute the NPV for the expansion. Justify your answer with valid explanation. [5 marks]

iii. Compute the NPV in part (a) again, this time account the time value of money in your analysis. Should she expand the factory? [5 marks]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Question 6 [25 marks]

6a) Draw an entity-relationship diagram for the following situation: A commercial bakery makes many different products. These products include breads, desserts, specialty cakes and many other baked goods. Ingredients such as flour, spices and milk are purchased from vendors. Sometimes an ingredient is purchased from a single vendor and other times an ingredient is purchased from many vendors. The bakery has commercial customers, such as schools and restaurants, that regularly place orders for baked goods. Each baked good has a specialist that oversees the setup of the bakery operation and inspects the finished product. [20 marks]

6b) Discuss the limitations of entity-relationship diagram. [5 marks]

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***End of Examination***

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