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Data flow modeling

The document outlines data flow modeling within the information system design process, emphasizing structured design methods that break down systems into functional parts for better understanding and communication among stakeholders. It details the components and purposes of data flow diagrams (DFDs), including processes, data storage, and external entities, as well as the hierarchy and numbering conventions for these diagrams. Additionally, it provides examples and assignments related to creating DFDs for practical applications.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
7 views21 pages

Data flow modeling

The document outlines data flow modeling within the information system design process, emphasizing structured design methods that break down systems into functional parts for better understanding and communication among stakeholders. It details the components and purposes of data flow diagrams (DFDs), including processes, data storage, and external entities, as well as the hierarchy and numbering conventions for these diagrams. Additionally, it provides examples and assignments related to creating DFDs for practical applications.

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MA7ESTIC
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Data flow modeling

Information System Design Process


Teppo Saarenpää
Structural design methods
• The main idea of structured design methods is to examine the object of design, the information
system, breaking it down into parts in terms of its functions.
• The same approach applies to the analysis of an existing information system and the design of a
new system.
• The main purpose of modelling is also to increase understanding of the selected problem area, i.e.
how operations take place in the real world.
• This is necessary so that the various parties involved in the design of the information system, such
as users, IT professionals and managers, are better able to communicate with each other and
jointly formulate the objectives and requirements for the system to be developed.
Dataflow diagrams
• Flowchart techniques are commonly used to model automated, manual, or a combination of these
systems.
• In structured analysis, the aim is to break down the object to be described into smaller more
accurate and useful partial descriptions.
• Instead of a description placed in a single diagram, a set of interconnected and refinement
descriptions of the system is made.
• Logical data flow diagram (DFD), also called a data flow diagram, is the most commonly used
flowchart technique.
Dataflow diagrams
• The aim is to provide a simplified description of the operation of the system to be modelled.
• A logical dataflow diagram illustrates:
• Actions (processes) performed on the object being modeled
• The flow of data processed in the execution of operations
• Data repositories used for data storage
• External objects outside the system being modelled, but interacting with it
• The purpose is to explain what things are done in the object of modelling, not how or with what
tools these things are done.
• The logical descriptions obtained as a result of the analysis will serve as the basis for later
planning how to implement various data processing operations and how to store information in
different data warehouses.
Basic component types (Gane &
Sarson)
• External object/entity
dataflow source or destination
• rectangle

• Dataflow, data stream


• Arrow

• The process that changes data flow’s content


• rounded square or circle

• Data storage
• open rectangle
Process
• In dataflow diagrams, a process refers to an action performed by either a machine or a human in
the system under consideration.
• The process involves both incoming (inputs) and outgoing data streams (outputs).
• The process transforms the contents of incoming data streams into outgoing data streams either
by changing the data it receives as input or by generating new information from it.

External
Process Data storage
object
The process can be Identifier

divided into three Action description

areas: Place of performance, Physical location

• An identifier is a number assigned to a process. Usually, processes are numbered sequentially from
number one through the flowchart from left to right.
• The description of the action includes the name of the process. When naming processes, the
simplest possible names in instruction form or descriptions of the purpose of the process are
used, e.g. 'Record a study attainment' or 'Visit a barbershop'.
• The physical location of the performance site is optional. In the logical description, attention is
often not paid to who performs the action or in what place the execution takes place. However, if
desired, the location can be indicated, for example, the name of the department or the role of the
employee.
Data storage T1 | Customer information

• A logical dataflow diagram doesn't commit to any physical implementation, so a data storage
doesn't mean a physical location or file.
• Processes can store or retrieve data in a data storage.
• Tietovarastossa tiedot eivät muutu ilman prosesseja.
• Data storage can be named CUSTOMER INFORMATION or ORDER INFORMATION, so that the
name can be used to deduce what kind of data the storage contains.
• Data storage is identified T and a number, to make it easier to refer to.
• The t and number are inside the data storage symbol on the left side and separated by a vertical
line from the data storage name.
External entity TUAS

• An external entity refers to things or people found outside the system under consideration.
• Examples of external entities can be a customer, a supplier or even a university of applied
sciences.
• External entities are called the source or object of information in relation to the system under
consideration.
• When the data flow begins with an external object, this external object is called the source.
• Similarly, when a data stream ends in an external object, that object is called an object.
Dataflow

• Dataflows are directional relationships between dataflow diagram components.


• A dataflow refers to the transfer of data between external objects, processes, and
data warehouses.
• Dataflow does not indicate the physical state in which the data is transferred, but
only what data is transferred in that dataflow.
• When a process stores data in a data storage, the arrow in the dataflow is from the
process to the storage and is named according to the data being stored.
• When data is read from the storage to a process, the arrow points in the opposite
direction and is named after the group of data that is returned from the storage.
• When the dataflow is bidirectional, it can be represented by a double-headed arrow.
Example of listing a reserved book

Customer
Official T1 I Reservations

Arrival notification
Material ID Booking details
3.2
Material
3.1 Check
ID
Mark loan Reservations
returned

Material information
Loan information
T3 I Material register
T2 I Loans
Important
• Data flows cannot be modelled directly between external objects, because the operation of these
objects is not at the discretion of the system designer.
• Data flows cannot be modelled between data storages, because they are so-called. passive
components, whose data is processed only through processes.
• In a dataflow diagram, data flows can occur only between processes, between processes and data
storages, and between processes and external objects.
• If something goes into a data storage or process, something must also come from there, and vice
versa.
• If a data storage is used by only one specific process, the storage belongs within the process. This
data storage is not visibly modeled on parent charts.
Data flow diagram hierarchy
• Top level (0): context diagram
• External objects (ei ulkoisten olioiden välisiä liittymiä)
• External interfaces of the system to people, organizations, other systems as data flows
• The system is described as a single process
• The system is refined with Level 1 data flow diagrams
• Each process becomes either a new diagram or a mini-specification
• Interfaces to the lower level description come from the upper level
• Yields a more detailed and structured description of the system
• If necessary, continue to levels 2, 3, etc.
Different levels of dataflow diagram
Data flow diagram numbering convention

• Processes are numbered consecutively


• In the more detailed description, level numbering is used so that lower-level processes receive
the first part of the numbering from the father process (prefix) and a sequential number is added
to this
• 2.1 = process number 2, of which process 1 of the detailed description
• When performing the description of process 2.1 at the next level of description, its
components are consecutively identified 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, etc.
General principles of the description
• Consistency between other descriptions and levels
• alemman tason on käsiteltävä kaikki tarkennettavaan prosessiin ylemmällä tasolla tulevat
tietovirrat sekä tuotettava kaikki tarkennettavassa prosessissa ylemmällä kuvaustasolla
syntyvät tietovirrat

• External entities usually appear only in the context diagram (level 0) and up to the level 1
diagram.

• Data storages are drawn into view


• at a level where they are used by at least two processes
• at the latest at the lowest level.
Example: ordering system level 0

payment
Customer

claim

invoice

delivery

order
Ordering system

(The ordering system is described as a process that processes data)


Example: ordering system level 1

Customer
payment

order
claim
delivery
invoice

1. Receiving 2. Assembly of 3. Billing


order delivery

T1 I Orders to be shipped T2 I Billing information


Lesson assignment 6
• The bottle return system receives bottles from the customer, identifies
them and calculates the refund based on the identification. Once the
customer has finished entering their batch of bottles into the machine,
they will request a refund for the bottles by pressing the 'pay refund'
button. With the refund the machine issues a receipt and records the
refund and information about the bottle batch in its internal register.

• The operator of the vending machine can enter bottle identification


criteria and bottle types into the machine. He can also determine the
amount of compensation for bottles. The operator of the vending
machine occasionally replenishes the receipt roll of the vending
machine and takes statistics from the vending machine.

• Create a data flow diagram to illustrate the operation of the automated


software at levels 0 and 1.
Weekly assignment 6
• Explore documents
• 6. Data flow modeling.pptx
• 7. Conceptual modeling.pptx

• Answer the questions of the weekly assignment in It’s. Individual assignment.



Templates and modeling examples
Luukkonen, I., Mykkänen, J., Itälä, T., Savolainen, S. & Tamminen, M. 2012. Toiminnan ja prosessien mallintaminen - Tasot,
näkökulmat ja esimerkit. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-61-0697-7

• Valtiovarainministeriö. 2016. JHS 179 Kokonaisarkkitehtuurin suunnittelu ja kehittäminen. Liite 6. KA-kuvausten


visualisointi. https://www.suomidigi.fi/sites/default/files/2020-07/JHS179_liite6.pdf

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