Data Resource Management 165

Process and Data Integration

Course Introduction

Overview

The Data Resource Management certificate program is all about data. So you might be asking, "Why do I need to learn about process? Isn't that what programmers do? I don't want to be a programmer!"

While it is not my intent to cover process to the level of programming skills, a treatment of process is an essential aspect of a DRM program. In this course, we will cover two aspects of process critical to the DRM professional:

1. analyzing and specifying the behavior of the data entities to ensure that the values stored (and changed over time) are "valid values"
2. ensuring that the information outputs of the information system are those that satisfy the business's critical information requirements

Process and Data Integration is the second course in the analysis and design techniques for the information system (I/S) perspective of the Zachman Framework—informally referred to as "row 3" of the Framework. This course complements the Data Modeling course (which specifies what the system entities need to know) by specifying how those system entities must behave in the information system.

In this course, our focus will be on the analysis and specification of computer processes that update or refer to the database, as represented by the data model. We will conduct this analysis and the follow-on design of the information system processes, in a way that is independent of any particular programming language or implementation technology.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to

• identify and define information requirements that support business processes;
• analyze information requirements to ensure they are supported by the data model;
• create behavior models that describe the basic, simple life patterns of each data entity according to the business rules expressed by the business;
• recognize when and how to extend the simple behavior life pattern of an entity to cover the typical, exception cases the business needs to handle;
• describe complex behavior patterns that involve the collaboration of several entity types;
• define pseudocode process outlines from the behavior models;
• ensure the operation-level detail of a process complies with the stated business rules;
• analyze the dialog flow of the information system external design, using scenarios that illustrate typical flows;
• explain the basic concepts of user interface design; and
• use the logical process specification in the follow-on implementation design environment.

Completing This Course

To successfully complete this course you must

• read the lesson commentary;
• read the assigned sections of all texts and reference materials;
• complete each lesson's self-assessment exercise; and
• complete and submit all written assignments.

How Is This Course Organized?

This course provides a mix of lesson commentary, assigned readings, self-assessment exercises, and a set of case study assignments. You will apply and reinforce concepts that you learn by continuing to work with the Captain Video, Inc. case study.

The course consists of the following eight lessons:

• Lesson One: Introduction to Modeling Process
• Lesson Two: Satisfying Business-Critical Information Requirements
• Lesson Three: Behavior Analysis—Behavior Modeling Basics
• Lesson Four: Behavior Analysis—Modeling the Normal Life
• Lesson Five: Behavior Analysis—Beyond the Basics
• Lesson Six: Event Responses—Multi-Entity Collaborations
• Lesson Seven: Process Specification—Defining the Logical Process Outlines
• Lesson Eight: A Context for Process

Each lesson may introduce terminology that is new to you. As an aid, I have listed key terms at the beginning of each lesson. You may find it useful to record the definitions of these terms in a glossary as you come across them in the commentary and in the readings.

At the end of each lesson, you will have a set of self-assessment exercises to complete. On your course syllabus, you will find links to solution sets for these exercises. I will not grade these exercises; they are intended to help strengthen your understanding of the material we cover and to provide a means for you to assess how well you have grasped the material in each lesson.

In addition, you will have four graded assignments based on the case study. For each assignment, there is a case study update beginning with CVI Update 11. Once you have submitted an assignment, I will send you its solution by e-mail—you will want to have a correct answer handy for reference as you work through the next lesson's material (and its assignment, if one is given).

Reference Materials

Required

• Online Readings

Recommended

• Martin Fowler. UML Distilled — Second Edition. Addison-Wesley, (c)2000.

  [This book has many revisions; be sure you have, at least, the (c)2000 version, documenting UML 1.3.]

  Do not be mislead by the title of this text! For our use, we will be focusing on neither things "object-oriented" nor the implementation-level details of the Unified Modeling Language (UML). This book is a highly regarded, introductory reference for the graphical language we will be using in this course, and the author understands that the language needs to be applied to analysis problems—not just to the "coding tasks" of a system.

• Ron Ross. Business Rule Concepts. Business Rule Solutions Inc., (c)1998.

  One valuable premise of the Zachman Framework is that each of the different aspects of a system can be the focus of its own kind of analysis—in other words, treated as an "independent variable" which can be factored out from all the rest of the system's detail. This book challenges the analyst to be conscious of these three of these system aspects—the "data," the "process," and the "rules." With a better understanding that each of these essential aspects is specialized, the analyst can specify more adaptable (and "intelligent") systems.

• David A. Ruble. Practical Analysis & Design for Client/Server & GUI Systems. Prentice Hall, (c) 1997.

  While this text does not use the graphical language of this course, it does provide a comprehensive treatment to a wide range of systems analysis topics. Its event-focused approach to process analysis makes it a good complement to the course.

How Are You Expected to Participate?

You are expected to read each lesson's commentary and all of the assigned readings associated with each lesson. If material in a reading reference is not mandatory for basic understanding, then it will be clearly marked as either recommended or optional.

Each lesson begins with a statement of its learning objectives. After you have completed reading the lesson material, you will be expected to work through that lesson's self-study exercises. This material has been designed to let you check that you have mastered the main points (objectives) of the lesson. You should grade your responses using the solutions provided. Then, if you find that you are unable to complete some portion of an exercise, you should go back to the commentary and readings to review these points, before moving on to the assignment.

Once you feel you have mastered the material, you will demonstrate what you have learned by completing an assignment that you then turn in to me for grading. The assignments are based on the case study you have been using throughout the program.

What Are the Assignments?

Below is an overview of the lesson-timing of the assignments of this course.

Lesson	Assignment Description
Two	Assignment 1: Information Requirements
Four	Assignment 2: Modeling the Normal Life
Six	Assignment 3: Collaborations
Seven	Assignment 4: Process Specifications

Submitting Assignments

You will send me each completed case study assignment, via e-mail. Once I have reviewed your submission and deemed it acceptible, I will send you a copy of the standard solution ("baseline") files. You will need to refer to these files when you work the next assignment, so please do not begin an assignment until you have received, and reviewed, the baseline solution set for the assignment just completed. When I have graded your assignment, I will return your grade and any relevant comments to you.

With each assignment that you submit, please include your name.

How Will You Be Evaluated?

I will assess each written assignment according to a four-point rubric. This is not intended to be equivalent to the 0-4.0 grading system used by the University of Washington in graded courses. Since this is a noncredit course, its final grade is designated as simply Successful Completion (SC) or Unsuccessful Completion (USC).

The rubric below is an array of descriptions of different levels of performance, with a numerical representation (score) for each level. I will assign a rubric score to your assignment or graded activity by matching your performance to the description of the performance level. A rubric score indicates a benchmark of progress, thus providing an opportunity to meet the required standard of performance.

The values by which I assess your written assignments have the following meanings:

Assessment	Interpretive Statement
4.0	Excellent and exceptional work. Work at this level is unusually thorough, well-reasoned, sophisticated, and well-written. Learner approaches work with insight, creativity, and professional quality.
3.5	Strong work. Work at this level shows signs of creativity, is thorough and well-reasoned, and demonstrates clear recognition and good understanding of process modeling issues.
3.0	Competent work. Work at this level is adequate even though some weaknesses are evident. Shows understanding of process modeling issues and problems. Shows neither unusual strengths nor exceptional weaknesses.
2.0	Substandard performance. Understanding of major issues is incomplete. Revision is needed.
1.0	Lowest assessment. Indicates that while learning may have occurred, the minimum requirements for the course were not met. Work is not adequately developed and/or has flaws or omissions. It is considered borderline and needs major revision.

Evaluations of "3," "3.5," or "4" indicate that I have accepted the assignment as complete. You need not resubmit revisions that I suggest with an assessment of "3" or higher. Assessments of "1" or "2" indicate that I have not accepted the assignment as complete. You must resubmit revisions to me so that the assignment can be recorded as complete and you can receive Successful Completion as a grade for the course.

Your cumulative average must be 3.0 or higher to receive a final course grade of Successful Completion (SC). Your assignments will be weighted as follows:

Assignment	Percent of Final Grade
Written Assignment 1	25
Written Assignment 2	25
Written Assignment 3	25
Written Assignment 4	25

I reserve the right to adjust the weights of the written assignments (no more than 5 percent each) to meet the assessment needs of the particular class. You will be notified by the fourth lesson if there will be such an adjustment.

Study Tips

The following study tips may help you work on the material in this course:

• Plan ahead. Give yourself extra time to complete the readings and assignments.
• Do not get bogged down in trying to absorb all the detail of process analysis. Remember that the main goal of process analysis for a DRM professional is to have a solid understanding of the objectives and content of a logical specification of the information system processes, i.e., one that is independent of any specific implementation (programming) language. While you may never need to do the techniques presented here, you must be able to understand why each of the aspects of a logical process specification is needed. Try to evaluate what you are learning by asking, "Can I evaluate a process specification package for completeness and correctness?"
• Work through the self-assessment exercises before you attempt an assignment. Many of the questions in the exercises build on the examples in the lesson commentary. They are specifically designed to give you some "training wheel" practice before you attempt to go "solo" on the case study assignments.
• Use the learning objectives to assess your growing knowledge of the material.
• The assignments are cumulative solutions of a case study problem. Be sure you understand the correct solution for one assignment before you attempt the next. Even though you may have submitted a variation that is not wrong, you will need to use the solution provided as the baseline for the following assignments.
• Always keep in mind that the notation in this course (both graphics and text) must serve you, first and foremost, as a thinking tool. You may find it helpful to think of a diagram as a concept map—a way in which you can sketch and rearrange your ideas as you progress through the discovery process that is analysis. Do not let the notation of any graphic get in the way of your freedom to think about and explore various views of your evolving understanding!
• Contact me if any special problem arises that may affect your successful completion of the class. Together we can work out a solution.
• Work with me if you feel that you are not "getting" it. This is a skill-building course and little things that are unclear at the beginning of the class will not just go away.

How Do You Ask Questions, Pose Issues, or Make Suggestions?

You should direct private discussions about your development, specialized concerns, or focused coaching to me through e-mail. Please see About Your Instructor on the online syllabus for my e-mail address and other contact information.

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