Modeling Data Flow Diagrams

Introduction

Information Systems (IS) help in managing and updating the vast

business-related information. Before designing such an IS, it is helpful
to identify the various stakeholders, and the information that they
would be exchanging with the system. An IS, however, is a large
software comprised of several modules, which, in turn, share the
process the available data. These data are often stored in databases for
further references. A Data Flow Diagram (DFD) is used to pictorially
represent the functionalities of the ISs by focusing on the sources and
destinations of the data flowing in the system.

Objectives

After completing this experiment you will be able to:

 Identify external entities and functionalities of any system

 Identify the flow of data across the system

 Represent the flow with Data Flow Diagrams

Time Required

Around 3.00 hours

Data Flow Diagram

DFD provides the functional overview of a system. The graphical

representation easily overcomes any gap between ’user and system
analyst’ and ‘analyst and system designer’ in understanding a system.
Starting from an overview of the system it explores detailed design of a
system through a hierarchy. DFD shows the external entities from
which data flows into the process and also the other flows of data
within a system. It also includes the transformations of data flow by the
process and the data stores to read or write a data.

Graphical notations for Data Flow Diagram

Term Notation Remarks

External
Name of the external entity is written inside the
entity

Process Name of the process is written inside the circle

A left-right open rectangle is denoted as data st

Data store
data store is written inside the shape

Data flow Data flow is represented by a directed arc with i

Explanation of Symbols used in DFD

 Process: Processes are represented by circle. The name of the

process is written into the circle. The name of the process is
usually given in such a way that represents the functionality of the
process. More detailed functionalities can be shown in the next
Level if it is required. Usually it is better to keep the number of
 processes less than 7 [i]. If we see that the number of processes
becomes more than 7 then we should combine some the
processes to a single one to reduce the number of processes and
further decompose it to the next level [2] .

 External entity: External entities are only appear in context

diagram[2]. External entities are represented by a rectangle and
the name of the external entity is written into the shape. These
send data to be processed and again receive the processed data.

 Data store: Data stares are represented by a left-right open

rectangle. Name of the data store is written in between two
horizontal lines of the open rectangle. Data stores are used as
repositories from which data can be flown in or flown out to or
from a process.

 Data flow: Data flows are shown as a directed edge between two
components of a Data Flow Diagram. Data can flow from external
entity to process, data store to process, in between two processes
and vice-versa.

Context diagram and leveling DFD

We start with a broad overview of a system represented in level 0

diagram. It is known as context diagram of the system. The entire
system is shown as single process and also the interactions of external
entities with the system are represented in context diagram.
Further we split the process in next levels into several numbers of
processes to represent the detailed functionalities performed by the
system. Data stores may appear in higher level DFDs.
Numbering of processes : If process ‘p’ in context diagram is split into 3
processes ‘p1’, ‘p2’and ‘p3’ in next level then these are labeled as 0.1,
0.2 and 0.3 in level 1 respectively. Let the process ‘p3’ is again split into
three processes ‘p31’, ‘p32’ and ‘p33’ in level 2, so, these are labeled as
0.3.1, 0.3.2 and 0.3.3 respectively and so on.
Balancing DFD: The data that flow into the process and the data that
flow out to the process need to be match when the process is split into
in the next level[2]. This is known as balancing a DFD.

See simulation[ii] and case study[iii] of the experiment to understand

data flow diagram in more real context.

Note :

1. External entities only appear in context diagram[2] i.e, only at

level 0.

2. Keep number of processes at each level less than 7[i].

3. Data flow is not possible in between two external entities and in

between two data stores[i].

4. Data cannot flow from an External entity to a data store and vice-
versa[i].

A DFD provides an easy mechanism to identify the flow of data in any

information system. The adjoining simulation illustrates the generic
steps to draw a DFD, and some thumb rules to keep in mind while
drawing it.
Figure 1 shows the context-level DFD for LIS. The entire system is represented
with a single circle (process). The external entities interacting with this system
are members of LIS, library staff, librarian, and non-members of LIS. Two
database are used to keep track of member information and details of books in
the library.
Let us focus on the external entity, Member. In order to issue or return books a
member has to login to the system. The data flow labeled with "Login credentials"
indicate the step when a member authenticates himself by providing required
information (user ID, password). The system in turn verifies the user credentials
using information stored in the members database. If all information are not
provided correctly, the user is shown a login failure message. Otherwise, the
user can continue with his operation. Note that a DFD does not show conditional
flows. It can only summarize the information flowing in and out of the system.
The data flow with the label "Requested book details" identify the information that
the user has to provide in order to issue a book. LIS checks with the books
database whether the given book is available. After a book has been issued, the
transaction details is provided to the member.

Figure 1: Context-level DFD for Library Information System

The level-1 DFD is shown in figure 2. Here, we split the top-level view of the
system into multiple logical components. Each process has a name, and a
dotted-decimal number in the form 1.x. For example, the process "Issue book"
has the number 1.2, which indicates that in the level 1 DFD the concerned
process is numbered 2. Other processes are numbered in a similar way.
Figure 2: Level 1 DFD for Library Information System
Comparing figures 1 and 2 one might observe that the information flow in and out
of LIS has been preserved. We observe in figure 2 that the sub-processes
themselves exchange information among themselves. These information flows
would be, in turn, preserved if we decompose the system into a level 2 DFD.
Finally, in order to eliminate intersecting lines and make the DFD complex, the
Member external entity has been duplicated in figure 2. This is indicated by a *
mark near the right-bottom corner of the entity box.