Wednesday 23 January 2013

Chapter 14: OOSAD Implementation and Operation




True-False Questions


1.      JavaDocs is a utility that generates program documentation based on Java source code.

Answer:    True                 Page Reference:  406             Difficulty:  Easy


2.      Development cycles involving analysis, design, and implementation occur repeatedly throughout the system maintenance phase.

Answer:    True                 Page Reference:  408-409                  Difficulty:  Moderate


3.      eXtreme programming is characterized by long cycles and comprehensive, up-front planning.

Answer:    False                Page Reference:  410                         Difficulty:  Moderate


4.      Adhoc reuse strategies lead to heavy reliance on reusable components.

Answer:    False                Page Reference:  411-412                  Difficulty:  Moderate


5.      Object frameworks support the reuse of entire application designs.

Answer:    True                 Page Reference:  413                         Difficulty:  Moderate



6.      Integration, unit, and system test plans are usually generated during the system design phase of the SDC.

Answer:    True                 Page Reference:  413                         Difficulty:  Moderate


7.      Code walkthroughs should be held less frequently before program testing than after.

Answer:    False                Page Reference:  414                         Difficulty:  Moderate



8.      A single test case may be used many times during the testing and maintenance of a system.

Answer:    True                 Page Reference:  415                         Difficulty:  Moderate


9.      Alpha testing entails more user involvement than beta testing.

Answer:    False                Page Reference:  416                         Difficulty:  Moderate



10.  The lowest cost installation approach is direct installation.

Answer:    True                 Page Reference:  419                         Difficulty:  Moderate


11.  New system installation requiring lapse in system support generally takes place during off-hours.

Answer:    True                 Page Reference:  418                         Difficulty:  Moderate


12.  EPSS systems often include use of expert system technology.

Answer:    True                 Page Reference:  423                         Difficulty:  Moderate


13.  The design of support materials and jobs should begin after installation of the system has been completed.

Answer:    True                 Page Reference:  424                         Difficulty:  Moderate


14.  A help desk is an automated online help system.

Answer:    False                Page Reference:  425                         Difficulty:  Moderate


15.  Political factors should NOT be considered when designing and implementing information systems.

Answer:    False                Page Reference:  426                         Difficulty:  Moderate


16.  System audits are often performed shortly after implementation.

Answer:    True                 Page Reference:  427                          Difficulty:  Moderate



17.  Adaptive maintenance is generally more frequent than corrective maintenance.

Answer:    False                Page Reference:  428                         Difficulty:  Moderate


18.  Latent defects are the errors that are uncovered during the system testing process.

Answer:    False                Page Reference:  429                         Difficulty:  Moderate


19.  MTBF values should increase significantly during the first few months after a system has been installed.

Answer:    True                 Page Reference:  430                         Difficulty:  Moderate


20.  Maintenance requests for system enhancement are more likely to be rejected than requests for adaptation or correction.

Answer:    True                 Page Reference:  430-431                  Difficulty:  Moderate



Multiple-Choice Questions


21.  The most expensive and time consuming phase of systems development is:

a.       analysis.
b.      planning .
c.       design.
d.      Implementation and operation.

Answer: d                         Page Reference:  404                         Difficulty:  Easy


22.  Collection of test data should begin:

a.       after coding is complete.
b.      at the beginning of the implementation phase.
c.       during the analysis phase.
d.      during installation and conversion.

Answer: c                          Page Reference:  406                         Difficulty:  Moderate


23.  Well-documented code is most important for:

a.       users.
b.      maintenance programmers.
c.       vendor companies.
d.      top management.

Answer: b                         Page Reference:  406                         Difficulty:  Moderate


24.  The maintenance phase is best characterized as:

a.       repeating the development steps of the SDC.
b.      generation of test plans and documents.
c.       periodic review of the project’s original feasibility assessments.
d.      ad hoc coding changes.

Answer: a                          Page Reference:  408                         Difficulty:  Moderate


25.  Which of the following SDC activities is most analogous to obtaining a maintenance request?

a.       Project management and planning
b.      Systems analysis
c.       System design
d.      Systems implementation and operation

Answer: a                          Page Reference:  408-409                  Difficulty:  Moderate


26.  Which of the following is a maintenance characteristic that differentiates maintenance from new development?

a.       Triggered by fundamental change to business processes
b.      Uses most pre-existing system components
c.       Involves iterated development process
d.      Includes overhaul of hardware and software platform

Answer: b                         Page Reference:  409                         Difficulty:  Moderate


27.  In OOSAD development most coding involves:

a.       developing full application code from scratch.
b.      finding and using pre-existing classes and components.
c.       translating COBOL code into C++.
d.      translating source code into executable code.

Answer: b                         Page Reference:  409-410                  Difficulty:  Moderate


28.  eXtreme programming is uniquely characterized by:

a.       heavy emphasis on formal validation techniques.
b.      use of traditional coding practices.
c.       involvement of two-programmers teams.
d.      simultaneous coding and analysis.

Answer: c                          Page Reference:  410                         Difficulty:  Moderate


29.  Which of the following is NOT an advantage of code reuse?

a.       Decreased development time
b.      Lower defect rates
c.       Ease of maintenance
d.      Replication of algorithm code

Answer: d                         Page Reference:  410-411                  Difficulty:  Moderate


30.  Abstraction, storage, and recontextualization are three steps for the process of:

a.       reuse.
b.      conversion.
c.       maintenance.
d.      test planning.

Answer: a                          Page Reference:  411                         Difficulty:  Moderate


31.  The highest typical reuse level is obtained when practicing ___________ reuse.

a.       ad hoc
b.      managed
c.       designed
d.      facilitated

Answer: c                          Page Reference:  411-412                  Difficulty:  Moderate


32.  A company practicing design reuse will be more likely to have ____________ than companies practicing the other forms of reuse.

a.       low reuse cost
b.      programming teams.
c.       evangelists
d.      component developers

Answer: d                         Page Reference:  412                         Difficulty:  Moderate


33.  The Microsoft Foundation Class library is an example of an object:

a.       model.
b.      framework.
c.       package.
d.      collection.

Answer: b                         Page Reference:  413                         Difficulty:  Moderate


34.  ____________ is a manual software testing method involving code execution.

a.       Inspection
b.      Unit testing
c.       Walk-through
d.      Syntax checking

Answer: c                          Page Reference:  414                         Difficulty:  Moderate


35.  Integration testing involves testing:

a.       program logic traces via pencil and paper.
b.      the programs that make up an entire system.
c.       a module or component in isolation.
d.      combinations of objects and components.

Answer: d                         Page Reference:  415                         Difficulty:  Moderate


36.  A specific scenario of transactions, queries or navigation paths that represents a typical, abnormal, or critical use of a system is called a(n):

a.       use case.
b.      test case.
c.       unit test.
d.      acceptance test.

Answer: b                         Page Reference:  415                         Difficulty:  Moderate


37.  Alpha and beta are two forms of ____________ tests.

a.       acceptance
b.      integration
c.       system
d.      unit

Answer: a                          Page Reference:  416                         Difficulty:  Moderate


38.  ____________ installation involves gradually replacing components of the old system with components of the new one.

a.       Direct
b.      Phased
c.       Single location
d.      Component

Answer: b                         Page Reference:  417                         Difficulty:  Moderate



39.  ____________ installation places the heaviest demand on system resources.

a.       Direct
b.      Phased
c.       Parallel
d.      Single location

Answer: c                          Page Reference:  418-419                  Difficulty:  Moderate


40.  To which category of documentation do UML diagrams such as use case and analysis class diagrams belong?

a.       Internal user documentation
b.      External user documentation
c.       Internal system documentation
d.      External system documentation

Answer: d                         Page Reference:  420                         Difficulty:  Moderate


41.  Most current user documentation is delivered:

a.       on paper in hypertext format.
b.      online in hypertext format.
c.       on paper in flowchart format.
d.      online in narrative text format.

Answer: b                         Page Reference:  421                         Difficulty:  Moderate


42.  Which of the following is an IS department function?

a.       Help desk
b.      Online help
c.       Performance support system
d.      Maintenance request generation

Answer: a                          Page Reference:  425                         Difficulty:  Moderate




43.  The highest priority change requests should be those addressing:

a.       documentation requirements.
b.      adaptations.
c.       system enhancements.
d.      severe errors.

Answer: d                         Page Reference:  431                         Difficulty:  Moderate



44.  When using a CASE tool, code can be automatically generated by making changes to the:

a.       design document.
b.      source file.
c.       performance support system.
d.      adaptation system.

Answer: a                          Page Reference:  432                         Difficulty:  Moderate




Essay and Problem-Solving Questions


45.  What is reuse, and what are its advantages? How does object-orientation support reuse? List and compare four different approaches organizations take toward reuse.

Answer:

 Reuse is the use of previously written software resources, especially objects and components, in new applications. Reuse can result in great savings of both development time and cost. Reused components and objects are typically well-tested and reliable. Object-orientation facilitates reuse because it results in components and modules with well-defined interfaces that can be plugged into a wide variety of systems applications. Organizations vary in their approaches to reuse, particularly in terms of commitment and control. The loosest and lowest-commitment form is ad hoc reuse, in which individuals find assets on their own, sharing them with selected colleagues. A slightly more formal approach is facilitated reuse, in which a Web master or some centralized repository is set up to keep track of reusable components assist developers with their use. With managed reuse, the organization establishes formal policies and procedures, and provides more resources for working with reusable components. Some organizations go so far as to embrace design reuse, in which components are created on site, and others are purchased and modified to fit within the organization’s overall architecture. 

                                          Page Reference:  410-413                  Difficulty:  Moderate


46.  Discuss the process of generating test plans. What is the purpose of a test plan, and at which stages of the development process does test planning occur? Include in your discussion an explanation of test cases and how they are used.

Answer:

The purpose of a test plan is to improve communication among all people involved with software testing, and to provide a checklist identifying each of the circumstances that should be tested for. Test planning begins in the analysis phase, and is refined during design.  An important activity in test planning is the generation of several test cases. A test case is a specific scenario of transactions, interactions, or navigation paths that represent typical, critical, or abnormal use of the system. A test case is a description of the scenario as well as the test data to be used. Test cases can be recorded and reused every time revisions are made to the system.

                                          Page Reference:  413-416                  Difficulty:  Moderate



47.  List, categorize, and describe seven types of software application tests.

Answer:

The eight types of software tests can be categorized into manual and automated methods, and further categorized tests that do or do not involve code execution. Inspection is a manual type of test not involving code execution. This is a group-oriented activity in which participants examine code in search of predictable, language-specific errors. Syntax checks are automatic, performed by compilers, but do not involve code execution; these search for all syntactical errors and take place as the compiler is translating source code to machine language. Manual approaches that involve code execution include walkthroughs and desk checking. Structured walkthroughs and desk checking involve a group of analysts and programmers or an individual programmer stepping through the code tracing the logic and attempting to discover errors in the code. The four automated techniques involving code execution are unit tests, integrated tests, system tests, and acceptance tests. Unit testing involves executing an individual component or module to determine if it works as expected in isolation. Integration testing involves testing multiple components, up to the entire application, to make sure they work well as a whole. System testing involves testing the entire application in a realistic environment to ensure that performance of the system is in keeping with the organization’s objectives and does not interfere with other applications. Acceptance tests involve executing the application in the actual operational environment, with groups of real users involved in the process. Alpha testing involves simulated data and checks for recovery, security, stress, and performance. Beta testing involves real data and a subset of users and focuses on user satisfaction and ease of use.


                                          Page Reference:  413-415                  Difficulty:  Moderate


48.  Compare and contrast four different approaches to systems installation. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?

Answer:

The four main approaches to system installation are direct, parallel, single-location, and phased installation. Direct installation is a “cold turkey” approach, and is characterized as being abrupt and relatively high-risk. With the parallel approach, old and new systems coexist for a period of time, so users can choose which to use at any given time. Single-location installation involves a direct installation on only one site at a time, so that different populations of users switch to the new systems at different times; this is sometimes called pilot installation. With phased installation, individual components of the old system are gradually replaced with individual components of the new system. Direct installation has the advantage of low cost, but system errors will quickly impact all users and restoration to the old system in the case of failure will be difficult. Parallel installation is safe because the old system is still available for use, and also provides the opportunity for comparison of old vs. new system performance and features. But, duplicate systems add considerable strain to resources and maintenance personnel, and the use of two systems simultaneously may be confusing to users. Single-location installation permits developers to catch errors before they affect the entire user community, and allows early adopters to participate in convincing other users of the benefits of the new system. But, duplication of effort is a strain to maintenance staff, and data sharing requirements may force bridges to be constructed between old and new systems. The phased approach coincides nicely with phased system development, and allows for a more seamless integration with risk spread out over time. But phased installation requires that components of old and new systems are interoperable, which may not always be feasible. In addition, phased installation is time-consuming and can therefore cause frustration and confusion to users.

                                          Page Reference:  416-419                  Difficulty:  Moderate



49.  List and describe four different categories of documentation for an implemented information system. Discuss the most common formats and media for presenting documentation.

Answer:

Documentation can be divided into four categories. User documentation is written or other visual information about an application system, how it works, and how to use it. System documentation consists of a system’s design specifications, its internal workings and functionality. System documentation can be further subdivided into internal and external documentation. Internal documentation consists of comments that are included as part of the program source code, or generated by automated documentation systems based on source code. External system documentation consists of all the documentation generated during analysis and design, including UML diagrams, object relation descriptions, decision trees, dialogue diagrams, and use case descriptions. The most common format for presenting user documentation is hypertext-based online help. System documentation is most often presented via word processing and diagramming or CASE software.

                                          Page Reference:  419-420                  Difficulty:  Moderate


50.  List seven common user training methods, and rank them based on frequency of use. How have advances in information technology impacted the way training is done? What is the most effective strategy to use in disseminating training throughout the organization?

Answer:

The most frequent training method is informal training from a resident expert. After this, computer-aided instruction, formal coursework, and software help components are the most widely used. These are followed by tutorials, interactive training materials, and external sources such as vendors. Information technology has allowed individualized training to be more cost effective, through the use of videos, interactive television, multimedia presentations, and electronic performance support systems. Organizationally, an effective training strategy is to first train a few key users, and then organize training programs in which the first key users become trainers for other users in the organization.

                                          Page Reference:  422-423                  Difficulty:  Moderate




51.  What are the determining characteristics of “successful” system implementations? Which factors should be considered to maximize the likelihood of implementation success?

Answer:

System implementation is generally deemed to be successful if (a) the users indeed use the system, and (b) user satisfaction is sufficiently high. These will be true if the system is relevant to user’s work tasks, it is easy, flexible and reliable to use, and the expertise of users coincides with the system’s underlying technology. Top management support and user involvement in the development process are key factors to consider. In addition, risk management, commitment to change and to the project, thorough project management and planning, and realistic user expectations are all factors that can enhance the likelihood of success.

                                          Page Reference:  425-426                  Difficulty:  Moderate

52.  What is system maintenance? Discuss four different types of system maintenance, indicating the percentage of maintenance requests that fall into each category. Identify the three most significant factors affecting the maintainability of a system. Then describe some techniques that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of maintenance efforts.

Answer:

System maintenance involves changes made to an existing information system to fix errors or enhance functionality. Maintenance falls into four categories: corrective, adaptive, perfective, and preventive. Corrective maintenance, which makes up about 70% of all maintenance efforts, involves repair of design and programming errors. Another 10% of maintenance involves adaptive changes, in which the system is modified in response to environmental changes. Fifteen percent of maintenance is perfective, with a focus on evolving the system to solve new problems or take advantage of new opportunities. The remaining 5% of maintenance changes are preventive, with the goal of safeguarding the system from future problems. The most influential factors affecting maintainability are the number of latent defects, the number of customers, and the quality of documentation. Maintenance effectiveness can be evaluated by measuring the mean time between failures (MTBF) and studying the log of errors to identify patterns of the most common error types to occur.

                                          Page Reference:  427-430                  Difficulty:  Moderate

53.  Given a number of maintenance requests, how does an analyst prioritize requests and decide which requests should be fulfilled? Describe a common decision sequence used for controlling maintenance requests.

Answer:

Analysts must use a systematic approach to evaluating the many maintenance requests that are submitted. Not all requests can or should be fulfilled, and time constraints necessitate prioritization of the requests that are possible and prudent. A common decision sequence is to proceed as follows. If the request is due to an error, evaluate the severity of the problem. If it is a severe error, give this change request top priority, otherwise evaluate, categorize, and prioritize this request with all the others. If the request is due to something other than an error, then determine whether it is for an adaptation to changes in technology or business requirements, or simply an enhancement of current functionality.  If it is an adaptation, evaluate, categorize, and prioritize this request with the others. If the request is for an enhancement, check to verify that the enhancement is in alignment with future business and IS plans, and if not, reject the request. For those enhancement requests that are well aligned with business objectives, evaluate and prioritize these with all the other requests.

                                          Page Reference:  430-431                  Difficulty:  Moderate

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