System-Specifications-ISS



System Specifications for Catalyst: A Corporate Enterprise Portal

Walt Scacchi

(Wscacchi@ics.uci.edu)

GSM271/FEMBA271

Latest Revision: 24 February 2003

Spring 2003

 

 

People roles: who uses or supports Catalyst, and what concerns do they have

Processes: what do they do

Inputs: what information do they put into Catalyst

Outputs: what information can they get out of Catalyst

System Components: what are the major software components of Catalyst

 

 

Note: What follows represents a high-level view of the specifications of Catalyst. It does NOT specify mid-level or low-level system features or operations. Thus, this is not a complete specification of the implementation of Catalyst. As such, when examining this system specification document, if you identify any system-related items that are missing or mis-stated, please bring them to the attention of the author.  

 

People (stakeholders, actors, agents/ etc.) roles for Catalyst

Guidelines/Notes:

-- Identify roles as named objects (in boldface) and organize roles in a hierarchical abstraction.

-- Provide a brief narrative description of what people do in each role.

-- Identify concerns/issues for people in each role.

UCI GSM: One or more institutions (e.g., a business enterprise, a government agency, a university) provides the overall enterprise setting and workplace associated with the development, use, and evolution of Catalyst. The Dean's Office serves as the Executive that has committed resources to support Catalyst and to encourage its routine usage among the other people at the UCI GSM.

Concern: The institution operates either as a for-profit or non-profit enterprise. The institution seeks to offer products or services consistent with its mission and strategic objectives, while at the same time adhering to all applicable laws and community values. The institution may disconnect, terminate, or disassociate itself from activities or operations found to be in conflict with its mission, objectives, applicable laws and community values.

MBA Students:

1. Download authored content and other UCI GSM event information from Catalyst

2. Create and upload (asynchronous or synchronous) messages and (user) information

Concerns:

3. MBA Students are encouraged by Dean's Office to use Catalyst to download content, communicate and discuss content with other MBA Students and Faculty as a way to learn more about the content. End-users may include other users previously affiliated with the UCI GSM, such as "alumni".

Faculty:

4. Create content for course(s), then send it to GSM administrative staff for edit and upload into Catalyst

5. Create content for course(s), then upload it into Catalyst

6. Download existing content for course(s) from Catalyst, edit it, then upload edited content back into Catalyst

Concerns:

7. Faculty are encouraged by Dean's Office to use Catalyst to provide high-quality course content by creating, uploading, editing and downloading content for UCI GSM courses.

8. Faculty communicate concepts and discuss course problems and assignments with Students, as part of how they teach and do their research.

Dean's Office:

9. Promote usage of Catalyst by Faculty, MBA Students, GSM administrative staff.

10. Create/edit content guidelines for Faculty or MBA Students

Concerns:

11. Fund the development, usage and maintenance of Catalyst at UCI GSM.

12. Delegate responsibility to manage Catalyst operations to UCI GSM GSM IT Systems support staff.

13. Promote the existence and capabilities of Catalyst to other institutions and users to bring more recognition, funding, and end-users to UCI GSM.

GSM administrative staff:

14. Receive content from Faculty (via email, fax or paper), edit if needed, then upload content into Catalyst

15. Check content to see if minimum content object(s) has been entered.

Concern:

• Communicate with Faculty and Students about the status and availability of course content

• Support and assist Faculty in getting content into Catalyst

GSM IT Systems Support staff

Develop, operate and maintain the Catalyst system hardware, software and (data) network services. Develop, operate and maintain the logical and physical data models and repository that organize, store and retrieve content as part of Catalyst.

Concerns:

• Centralize, organize and provide IT Systems support and manage online content services for all Catalyst users.

• Help support Faculty, MBA Students, GSM administrative staff and Dean's Office in their use of Catalyst and its components.

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Processes for Catalyst

Guidelines/Notes

■ Insert information for your project between the associated with each item

■ Identify processes as named objects (in boldface) and organize processes in a hierarchical abstraction.

■ Provide a brief narrative description of how the process is performed.

■ Name of the person who created the first/original version of the process specification

■ A timestamp in the form, year/month/day/hour/minute (e.g., 2003/05/19/21:00), to designate when the process specification was last updated.

■ Name of the person who last created or modified the version of the process specification associated with the timestamp value.

■ Identify the People roles associated with the Process

■ Identify the Objects (using name of object class) that are manipulated by the Process

■ Input Objects

■ Output Objects

■ Specify the Process in steps that associate what People perform what actions (relations/verbs) on what Objects using what System Components.

■ Describe the Normal scenarios.

■ Check for and handle Exception scenarios.

■ Check for Errors as the first step in a process.

■ Identify the System Components that support the Process

■ A generic specification process template follows on the next page. Copy and reuse (specialize--fill in the blanks) it for each specification process in your project.

System Process Specification Template: Copy and reuse as needed; then insert your project-specific information between the beginning and ending .

System Specification of the following Catalyst Processes

■ Use Catalyst to Manage UCI GSM Content

■ Create Content, Edit and Upload it into Catalyst

■ Edit, Upload and Check Content for Faculty

■ Download Content for Examination or Review

■ Upload messages or personal information

■ Do Email

■ Do User Messaging

■ Access other Web Content via Catalyst

■ Manage Catalyst Content

■ Develop and Test Catalyst

Use Catalyst to Manage UCI GSM Content

UCI GSM MBA Students, Faculty, GSM administrative staff, and GSM IT Systems support staff use Catalyst to access, browse/download, edit/update content associated with UCI GSM courses.

Walt Scacchi

2003/05/19/22:00

Walt Scacchi

UCI GSM, MBA Students, Faculty, GSM administrative staff, and GSM IT Systems support staff, Dean's Office

content objects

views (copies) of content objects

All users (people) use Catalyst to organize, store and retrieve content object types approved by users and implemented by GSM IT Systems support staff

■ (Exception): Only users who are authorized to access (login) to Catalyst can access or manage its contents

■ User error: Users identities (at login) that are not recognized or authorized do not get to access content managed by Catalyst

■ System error: If Catalyst server is not available, authorized users cannot access its content

All Catalyst system components in operation.

Return to System Process Specifications

Create Content, Edit and Upload it into Catalyst

Faculty create high-quality content that they edit/upload into Catalyst for access by MBA Students or others at UCI GSM.

Walt Scacchi

2003/05/19/22:00

Walt Scacchi

Faculty

content objects

views (copies) of content objects

1. Faculty create (insert) new content into content representation (created by GSM IT Systems support staff) or edit (update) existing content already created by Faculty.

2. Faculty can transmit the content they create to GSM administrative staff for edit and upload into Catalyst, else Faculty upload their content into Catalyst

3. Faculty/staff can only upload one type of content at a time into Catalyst

1. (Exception) Catalyst will allow existing content to be copied from one content object to another without upload.

4. Faculty can only edit (update) content they have individually created

2. (Exception) Faculty may copy and paste content created by other Faculty from one part of Catalyst into their content.

5. User error: Catalyst cannot verify if content uploaded is correct. User is responsible for correctness of content

6. System error: Catalyst will not allow content edit/upload if the Catalyst DBMS is not available.

Faculty can select any tools available to them to create content. Faculty can edit content entered and stored within a Database Management System or Network File Server incorporated within Catalyst via an Input Object content form accessed with a Web (client) Browser, by directly editing the content in the form.

Return to System Process Specifications

Edit, Upload and Check Content for Faculty

GSM administrative staff edit and upload content that Faculty have created and forwarded to them to post in Catalyst.

Walt Scacchi

2003/05/19/22:00

Walt Scacchi

GSM administrative staff, Faculty

content objects

views (copies) of content objects

1. Faculty can transmit the content they create to GSM administrative staff for edit and upload into Catalyst

2. GSM administrative staff can upload one type of content at a time into Catalyst

1. (Exception) Catalyst will allow existing content to be copied from one content object to another without upload.

3. User error: Catalyst cannot verify if content uploaded is correct. Users are responsible for correctness of content

4. System error: Catalyst will not allow content edit/upload if the Catalyst DBMS is not available

GSM administrative staff can select any tools available to them to edit content created by Faculty. GSM administrative staff can edit content entered and stored within a Database Management System or Network File Server incorporated within Catalyst via an Input Object content form accessed with a Web (client) Browser, by directly editing the content in the form.

Return to System Process Specifications

Download Content for Examination or Review

MBA Students, GSM administrative staff>, and Faculty regularly browse/download content for courses posted in Catalyst. The Dean's Office and GSM IT Systems support staff may less frequently download content from Catalyst.

Walt Scacchi

2003/05/19/22:00

Walt Scacchi

MBA Students, GSM administrative staff, Faculty, Dean's Office and GSM IT Systems support staff

Content navigation selection commands (e.g., mouse clicks on hyperlinked content, pull-down menu item selection, check box selection)

views (copies) of selected content objects

• Users (Faculty and MBA Students) can search and download course content:

2. for content Faculty have created; or

3. for messages or personal info. entered by MBA Students; or

4. (Exception) from content designated for sharing by all Faculty (content and linked materials)

• User error: Catalyst will not allow access to content except as allowed by the Dean's Office policy

System error: Catalyst will not allow search or download of Catalyst content if the Catalyst DBMS is unavailable.

Web (client) Browser, Catalyst Web server, Database Management System, Network File Server.

Return to System Process Specifications

Upload messages or personal information

MBA Students are encouraged to upload/post messages using Discussion Forum or JChat that can be browsed/downloaded by other users of Catalyst. Faculty may also upload personal information for storage within and dissemination from Catalyst.

Walt Scacchi

2003/05/19/22:00

Walt Scacchi

MBA Students, Faculty

Messages (text), file attachments, input submission selection commands (e.g., mouse clicks on button)

views (copies) of message content, file attachments in client display

5. MBA Students can download, update, then upload personal information for sharing with other users.

6. MBA Students (end-users) can upload messages for sharing with other MBA Students at any time.

5. (Exception): MBA Students can send and receive messages from other MBA Students via Catalyst, without uploading these messages into Catalyst

7. User error: Catalyst cannot verify if content uploaded is correct in any sense. User is responsible for correctness of content

• System error: Catalyst will not allow content edit/upload if the Catalyst DBMS is not available

Separate or embedded Discussion Forum, JChat client (peer).

Return to System Process Specifications

Do Email

All users can send and receive Email content and file attachments, either from within or external to Catalyst.

MBA Students, GSM administrative staff, Faculty, Dean's Office and GSM IT Systems support staff

Walt Scacchi

2003/05/19/22:00

Walt Scacchi

Email content, email file attachments

copies (views) of Email content, email file attachments

8. Any registered user can access internal or external email systems via Catalyst to create, upload, download, update then upload messages for other users at any time.

9. Catalyst does not manage or store email messages or message services

6. (Exception): Users can create, upload, download, update then upload email messages via Catalyst, without uploading these messages into Catalyst.

10. User error: Users cannot use Catalyst to manage or keep track of personal/private email messages or message content

11. System error: An email server may fail to send or receive email messages with or without notifying email users

7. (Exception) Email servers will notify users if sent mail cannot be delivered

An Email system external to, or accessed from within, Catalyst, and an Email client for reading, writing and sending Email content.

Return to System Process Specifications

Do User Messaging

Faculty can request MBA Students to engage in sending and receiving message between one another in order to conduct a shared discussion or review of some designated content topic.

MBA Students, Faculty

Walt Scacchi

2003/05/19/22:00

Walt Scacchi

Messages (text), file attachments, messaging input submission selection commands (e.g., mouse clicks on button)

views (copies) of message content, file attachments in client display

12. Faculty can request MBA Students in their courses to download or upload messages via a Discussion Forumor JChat

13. Faculty or MBA Students can download/upload messages for sharing with other MBA Students at any time.

8. (Exception) Faculty can remove messages from their Discussion Forum

14. User error: Messages that are deleted from a Discussion Forum cannot be retrieved

15. User error: JChat message content is usually not saved by Catalyst

16. System error: Discussion Forum message content managed by the Catalyst may be lost if the Catalyst Database is not backed-up.

Separate or embedded Discussion Forum, JChat client (peer).

Return to System Process Specifications

Access other Web Content via Catalyst

Any user of Catalyst can navigate from managed content to access any Web content object through its Web Browser.

MBA Students, GSM administrative staff, Faculty, Dean's Office and GSM IT Systems support staff

Walt Scacchi

2003/05/19/22:00

Walt Scacchi

Web Browser navigation selection commands (e.g., mouse clicks on hyperlinked content objects).

Views (copies) of Web content objects, Applets downloaded into Web Browser

17. Faculty can create content that contains Web hyperlinks

18. Any user of Catalyst can select hyperlinked items within the content managed by Catalyst to access objects on the Web

9. A selected item is downloaded into the User’s client if the Web server can retrieve the item.

10. (Exception) Users that select hyperlinked content will be disconnected from Catalyst after a certain elapsed time, unless they return to Catalyst

19. User error: Catalyst will not allow access to Catalyst managed content directly from the Web. Access to content within Catalyst requires a user login.

System error: Catalyst may unexpectedly terminate a user session if a user accesses Web items that attempt to upload information into Catalyst, or launch applications unknown to Catalyst.

Web (client) Browser, (Optional: Browser plug-ins and Helper applications), Catalyst Web server

Return to System Process Specifications

Manage Catalyst Content

GSM IT Systems support staff create, test, and modify (i.e., insert, update, delete) logical data models and physical data storage representations (e.g., Database schemas specified in SQL. Files and directories for organizing content stored in a networked file server) that other users employ to insert, update, delete, select or browse content of interest.

Walt Scacchi

2003/05/19/22:00

Walt Scacchi

GSM IT Systems support staff

logical data models, physical data storage representations, repository source code, Web Server servlets (e.g., CGI programs or scripts), content test cases, and updates to same.

versions of Catalyst content repository suitable for either further development, testing, production, or archiving; also result displays from content test cases or repository error messages.

20. GSM IT Systems support Staff create the representations, relations, and system components that provide users access to content managed by Catalyst.

21. Catalyst is used to organize, store, query, retrieve or update content that is managed by Catalyst

22. Catalyst uses a (relational) database management system to organize, query, retrieve or update content that is stored in its database

11. (Exception) Catalyst stores data that identifies content, and controls access to content, stored as files in a networked file server, or as Web-based content accessed via the Web.

23. User error: Catalyst cannot be used to store arbitrary files for end-users.

• System error: Catalyst cannot control updates to external content accessed via the Web.

Catalyst content repository, including a Database Management System, Network File Server, and Web Server.

Return to System Process Specifications

Develop and Test Catalyst

The Catalyst GSM IT Systems support staff are responsible for developing, testing, and investigating reports of system anomalies from users of Catalyst at UCI GSM.

Walt Scacchi

2003/05/19/22:00

Walt Scacchi

GSM IT Systems support staff

logical data models, physical data storage representations, Catalyst application and repository source code, Web Server servlets (e.g., CGI programs or scripts), content test cases, Browser client Applets, and updates to same.

versions of all Catalyst system components suitable for either further development, testing, production, or archiving; also result displays from content test cases or repository error messages.

24. GSM IT Systems support Staff create the representations that other users utilize to create, insert, update or delete their content.

25. GSM IT Systems support Staff create, insert, update and delete content stored in Catalyst representations to test its proper operations

12. (Exception) GSM IT Systems support Staff cannot guarantee that all functions supported by Catalyst have been tested.

13. (Exception) GSM IT Systems support Staff cannot guarantee that all functions supported by Catalyst are re-tested every time any Catalyst function or operation is modified (updated).

26. User error: GSM IT Systems support Staff expect that users will notify them if users encounter anomalies in Catalyst usage.

27. System error: Catalyst system components may fail to operate correctly even though they have been tested.

Development, test, operational and archived versions of all Catalyst system components; also all system development and testing tools available to the GSM IT Systems support staff.

Return to System Process Specifications

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Inputs for Catalyst

Guidelines/Notes:

-- Identify type of Input as named objects (in boldface)

-- There are many types and kinds of information content managed by Catalyst. I identify those Inputs/Outputs that I have created, used, or seen. Subsequently, there may be other Inputs/Outputs for Catalyst that are unknown or unfamiliar to me, so let me know ϑ .

17. Course content (Learning Resources) -- Syllabi, Case Studies, Research Papers, Business Plans, Exam Questions and Answers, and other kinds of learning content.

18. Messages -- MBA Students and Faculty can engage in asynchronous or synchronous communication through Catalyst. Asynchronous messaging is supported through a service called, Discussion Forum. The Discussion Forum supports the upload, posting, and download/browsing of messages in the order they are received, along message threads. Synchronous messaging is supported through a JChat service similar to Internet Relay Chat.

19. MBA students personal information -- MBA Students can enter and update a designated set of personal information about them (e.g., enrollments, phone number, URL hyperlinks to personal Web pages) that is managed by Catalyst. Items like personal web pages or work-related web pages are not stored within Catalyst, but can be accessed on the Web via Catalyst.

20. User navigation commands -- Users navigate through by selecting (e.g., "mouse-clicking") items visible as hyperlinks or pull-down selection menus displayed in client program's user interface.

21. GSM IT Systems support staff inputs -- Catalyst developers can enter information that create, insert, update or delete schemas or content from the Catalyst Repository, or its internal database. Similarly, they can create, insert, update or delete data entry forms (described in HTML or XML), data presentation displays (using one or more of Active Server Pages (ASP), HTML, XML, Javascript, etc.) visible through a client program user interface, or downloadable application programs ("applets"). Last, developers also input, upload and install application programs (e.g., Common Gateway Interface/CGI programs ("servlets") on the Apache Web server, SQL programs on the Repository database management system, and Java applets that are downloaded to a user client from the Web server on demand).

Outputs for Catalyst

Guidelines/Notes:

-- Identify types of Output as named objects (in boldface)

22. View or copies of any Input object is generally available to users as Outputs, though access may be restricted by user role.

23. Outputs are always formatted and presented in a manner that is consistent with the look-and-feel associated with Catalyst, and its participation in reinforcing the UCI GSM brand.

24. Client program invocations -- Catalyst can respond to a user input or navigational selection by invoking an application program on the user's computer. For example, Discussion Forum, JChat, or applets can be invoked as outputs from Catalyst.

Any program invocation may fail and produce an error message or failure signal. Thus anywhere a client-side program is invoked, an system error message/signal may be produced as output. For example, if an system error is detected, the process may need to only output the error message, rather than a potentially erroneous process output, so a post-condition may be used to check/prevent this.

Catalyst Object Hierarchy

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Catalyst User Navigation Sub-Hierarchy

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System components for Catalyst

Guidelines/Notes:

-- Identify components as named objects (in boldface) and organize in a hierarchical abstraction.

-- We will limit our attention here to the main software components of the operational system. Software tools, programs or platforms employed to support ongoing development, testing and maintenance of Catalyst are not included. Furthermore, there exists some hardware configuration that operates the Catalyst server and content repository, but those are unknown to me, at this time. User clients generally operate on a user's PC, laptop, or workstation, whether running at home, work or at UCI.

-- Optional: a brief description of each component is included.

User Clients

26. Web browser -- generally Internet Explorer, Version 4.0 or later (there are some known usage bugs at present in using Catalyst with either IE Version 5.0 and 5.5)

Browser plug-ins: perhaps the most common plug-in is that associated with the Adobe Acrobat .pdf file reader. When you download a Web object with a .pdf extension, it generally should invoke the Adobe Acrobat within your browser window.

External Helper Applications that are invoked by the Browser downloading of a registered MIME object type -- for example, if you access a Web object with the URL, note the object ends with a ".ppt" extension. On MS Windows-based Web Browsers, such an object triggers the browser to invoke an external program (the "helper" application) for which objects of this MIME type. "ppt" is usually registered to invoke the MS PowerPoint application, either within the browser window (when using Internet Explorer) or external to the browser (when using Netscape Navigator).

Discussion Forum -- Catalyst allows users to select another known individual user or group identified (e.g., all MBA Students registered in a UCI GSM course) to send email. Once selected, Catalyst can invoke the email program registered with the Web browser as the one to launch (invoke) to subsequently send/receive email. Discussion Forum thus runs as in a separate window (aka, a "control thread"). Catalyst does not directly import or manage user email messages.

Applets: application programs that are stored on a Web server then downloaded and invoked when a user selects a content object via their client program (e.g., Web Browser) that requires the processing or results from a separate application program.

31. JChat -- Catalyst invokes an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) type of program (e.g., operating as an applet) that provides its own window user interface, outside of the Web browser. Jchat operates as a synchronous messaging system.

32. Email: Catalyst allows a user to invoke the user's email program of choice by selecting a content item that includes a mailto:user-id@mail-server (for example, mailto:wscacchi@uci.edu) or other information that enables invocation of the user's email program.

Content Server

33. A Web Server (e.g., Apache, an open source web server available for use on Windows, Unix, Linux, MacOS, and other operating systems on networked computers), replies to requests from a user client for content through Catalyst by accessing a content repository, or by accessing content external to Catalyst via the Web. UCI GSM IT Systems support staff have custom-coded common gateway interface (CGI) programs that co-operate with Apache to determine whether to access the database manager within the Content Repository. Otherwise, the request goes to the Web for accessing remote Web content (e.g., following a URL hyperlink that displays the ISBN number for a textbook that in turn retrieves a Web page from for the selected book). When Catalyst retrieves content from the Web, it drops its connection to the user client. The user must then go back and refresh/reload the last page served by Catalyst to resume their Catalyst session. If a sufficient delay before refresh occurs, Catalyst times out the connection to the user client, and must then establish a new user session with Catalyst.

34. Application Servlets: these are often small application programs or Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts that encapsulate and invoke computational processing functions in external applications. These applications rely on servlets to provide transactions processing services between user (client) applications (e.g., Web Browser with content input forms) and the external application (e.g., a legacy DBMS application).

Content Repository

35. Database Management System: This repository encapsulates a SQL database when the primary content for courses and information about MBA Students, Faculty and staff is kept. An ER data model describes the database schemas that define and logically structure this content.

36. Network File Server: Exceptional or unusual content (e.g., large software application programs used in a class that must be downloaded by MBA Students) are not necessarily stored within the database, but instead may be stored on a network file server that is visible only to the Catalyst Content Server. Thus the content repository incorporates one/more databases, and one/more file systems (not including the Web or remote networked file servers).

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