Assignment: System Design Specification (SDS)

This is a mandatory assignment that you are supposed to solve groupwise.

Introduction

In this assignment, you should write a system design specification (or report) describing the architecture of the web application you are building.

Requirements

The design report should describe the system structure chosen for the web application. A pictorial representation (using a UML component diagram?) of the architecture should be presented (showing the major subsystems and data repositories and their interconnections).

Develop a modular system structure and explain the relationships between the modules to achieve the complete functionality of the system. This is a high-level overview of how the responsibilities of the system were partitioned and then assigned to subsystems.

Identify each high-level subsystem and the roles or responsibilities assigned to it. Describe how these subsystems collaborate with each other in order to achieve the desired functionality. Don’t go into too much detail about the individual subsystems. The main purpose is to gain a general understanding of how and why the system was decomposed and how the individual parts work together.

Don’t throw away alternative design ideas. Write a description of design alternatives not chosen.

The document “System Design Specification” should have a nice “wrapper”, meaning a proper front page, table of content and references. Make it look like a real document that you are proud of.

Get going

You may create the document by using the Wiki in the repo you are using for the system. You may then link to the Wiki first page.

You may also create the document in any other type of tool and create a pdf that you submit.

Extra features

Do it real good and provide more to make it look real nice.

Use references to enhance your document. Choose a proper reference system. Refer to sources that can further explain the architecture and techniques you have chosen. Add the references as its own chapter in the document.

Produce more pictures of you overall architecture, the architecture for the subsystems, the techniques chosen and how the system interact with each other. Stay on the higher level, class diagrams are to low level. Use text around the images to enhance the reason for the images. Use figure text at each picture to further enhance the meaning of the picture.

Be extra verbose on your investigation in different techniques and explain the pros and cons between them, to make it more obvious for the reader on why you selected the architecture you did.

Ensure that you are providing both pictures and writings when you produce the design spec.

Think like you are writing the document for someone that has lesser knowledge than you. Your project manager should be able to read the document and your manager and the customers manager who will pay the invoice for the project.

Grading

This assignment is graded as G. However, if you are aiming at a higher grade at the course, then you should consider that the report will help you reach that goal. These are a few notes on how your submission is graded, when it is used to set the final grade on the course.

Grade E, D

Fulfill all mandatory features and requirements to a satisfactory level where they work as expected.

You might have tried to implement some of the optional features.

Grade D, C

Your documentation and presentation has a high level of quality and readability.

The outcome has a proper structure, are visual appealing and has a high level of usability. You have implemented the majority of the optional features with a high level of result.

Grade B, A

Your documentation and presentation has an excellent level of quality, readability. usability and fulfillment of all the features and their requirements.

The outcome is both well structured and truly visual appealing. You have implemented and explained all optional features with an excellent level of quality.

How to submit

This is how you submit your work.

1. Create a PDF of the document and upload it on Canvas, or provide a link to the Wiki first page.

2. If you tried to enhance your document by implementing some extra features, make a short note on what you did to make it obvious during the grading process.

3. Write a few sentences on each optional features you plan to implemented in your system, or what subsystems you aim to enhance (compare to the requirement specification). This will make it clear what your level of ambition is.

4. Write a final groupwise reflection on your TIL.

Examination

The teacher will grade your submission and provide feedback on Canvas and though optional oral sessions in Zoom.

#Revision history