ITAN 344 Flashcards

What's the difference between "being agile" and "doing agile"?

"Being agile" is about the mindset/approach; "doing agile" is about how somebody actually executes it in practice.

What characteristic of knowledge work does Agile respond to?

Things change — you have to be able to incorporate change.

What's the difference between a macro manager and a micro manager?

A macro manager sets expectations and trusts the team to deliver; a micro manager closely monitors every step ("breathes down your neck").

What does "high touch" mean in this context?

Unless you can see the work, it's hard to make the connection/build trust.

What Agile principle relates to "small increments"?

Work in small increments (derived from the spiral technique) with a constant feedback process so you can learn from what you did.

What does the Agile Manifesto prioritize over comprehensive documentation?

Working software.

What does Agile prioritize over following a strict plan?

Responding to change.

What does Agile prioritize over contract negotiation (per the example given)?

Customer collaboration.

Name two Agile principles from the notes.

(1) Highest priority is satisfying the customer through early [and continuous delivery]; (2) Welcome change; also: work with all stakeholders, get motivated people on the team, keep it simple.

Who counts as a "stakeholder"?

Anyone affected by the information/project.

How does Waterfall differ from Agile in terms of feedback?

Waterfall has no feedback process; Agile has constant feedback loops.

What are the predictive and adaptive methods spinoffs of?

The spiral technique.

What is a "backlog" in Scrum?

A list of things that have to be done — the list of functional requirements.

What happens in the Sprint meeting?

The team decides how many backlog items can be completed in that particular iteration.

What is the daily "scrum" meeting?

A repeating (daily) check-in meeting.

What happens in the sprint review meeting?

It creates a prototype.

What happens in the retrospective meeting?

The team reviews whether everything that was supposed to get done in that scrum was actually completed.

How long does a sprint take?

1–4 weeks, using a scrum process.

How does Extreme Programming (XP) differ from Scrum?

XP's core approach is two people working on the same piece of code at the same time (pair programming); Scrum allows more flexibility.

Why don't traditional interview-based methods work well for identifying functional requirements?

Interviewing people genuinely doesn't work.

In the Login/Registration example, what comes first — overview or detailed description?

Overview description first (Phase 1), then detailed description.

Which SDLC phase does identifying operational characteristics / detailed description belong to?

The analysis phase (Phase 2).

Why is using "etc." discouraged when writing software requirements?

Software requirements need to be extremely specific; "etc." leaves things undefined.

What's an example of information that must be explicitly specified, per the notes?

Demographic information — it must be defined somewhere, not left implied.

What must a Data Flow Diagram match?

The detailed description.

What does the 60/40 rule say?

60% of the project is planning, 40% is implementing.

What are the three parts of the "triple constraint"?

What it's supposed to do (scope), how much time it will take, and the cost.

Give examples of a "software artifact."

A piece of code, a database, an actual working prototype.

What functional requirement example is used repeatedly in the notes?

Login/Registration.

What is a DFD used to do?

Graphically illustrate the movement of data between external entities and the processes and data stores within a system.

What does Process Modeling represent?

The processes that capture, manipulate, store, and distribute data between a system and its environment, and among system components.

Who developed the DFD notation elements used in class?

Gane and Sarson.

What data elements are used as the d2l example?

User/password.

True or False: A "data store" in a DFD is itself a database.

False — it's not a database itself; it just represents data at rest (which could be a file or a database).

What does Data Flow represent, and how is it drawn?

Data in motion, moving as a unit from one place to another; drawn as an arrow. It needs a meaningful name.

What does Data Store represent, and how is it drawn?

Data at rest (may represent a file or database); drawn as a rectangle with the right vertical line missing. Label includes the store's name and its number.

What does Process represent, and how is it drawn?

Work or actions performed on data so it's transformed, stored, or distributed; drawn as a rectangle with rounded corners. Labeled with a number and a name (a verb that acts on the data — data goes in, info comes out).

What does Source/Sink/External Entity represent, and how is it drawn?

The origin and/or destination of data (also called an external entity); drawn as a square symbol, labeled with what the external agent is.

Why aren't many characteristics of a Source/Sink of interest to the system designer?

Because they are external to the system.

How should a Source/Sink/External Entity be named?

As a noun.

How should a Data Flow be named?

With the name(s) of the data it carries.

How should a Process be named?

As a verb phrase (can also be a system or subsystem name).

How should a Data Store be named?

As a noun.

List the DFD hierarchy levels in order.

Context Diagram → Level 0 Diagram → Level 1 Diagram → Level 2 Diagram → Level 3, 4...

Which level was specifically emphasized (starred) in the notes?

Level 1 Diagram.

What is the "miracle condition," and is it allowed?

A process that has only an output and no input — not allowed. Every process must also have input.

What is the "black hole condition," and is it allowed?

A process that has data only going in, with no output — not allowed.

What naming requirement applies to every process?

It must have a name (a verb that acts on the data).

Where does the data in a data store NOT exist?

In the application program (it exists in a file or database, e.g., a .docx file).

Can data move directly from one data store to another?

No — data cannot move from one data store to the next; all data must be moved by a process.

Can data move directly from a data store to an interface?

No — all data must be moved by a process.

Can an interface connect directly to another interface?

No — interface cannot move to interface.

In how many directions can a single data flow move?

Only one direction.

What four (five) basic data operations are listed at the end of the 9/9 notes?

Select, Insert, Update, Delete, Modify.

what is Agile, according to the notes — a methodology or something else?

A mindset. Scrum and Extreme Programming (XP) are methodologies that were created from the Agile mindset.