You Have Been Called Upon To Put Together Some Reference Mat
You Have Been Called Upon To Put Together Some Reference Materials For
You have been called upon to put together some reference materials for other groups to follow, since up until now they have not created any formal architectural documents. As a continuation from Week Two, continue to create a System Reference Guide for your employer. For this week's assignment, create several software architecture diagrams for your company's online sales website. The website is to present a shopping cart system with which users can browse an online catalog and place orders for merchandise. The system also allows users to view previous orders, which is useful for tracking shipping for recent orders and for re-ordering items in the future.
Produce the following three diagrams: To present a static model of the system, create a diagram for a layered architecture view of the system. Using the components you identified in your layered view of the system, create an activity diagram that shows how a customer would place an order. Create a client/server diagram to model the physical view of the system. Incorporate the three diagrams into a single document in Microsoft ® Word. As this document is intended for a technical team, APA formatting is not required.
Paper For Above instruction
You Have Been Called Upon To Put Together Some Reference Materials For
In modern software engineering, documenting the architecture of systems is crucial for ensuring clarity, maintainability, and effective collaboration among development teams. The assignment at hand involves creating comprehensive architectural diagrams for an online sales website that facilitates browsing a catalog, shopping cart management, order placement, and previous order viewing. These diagrams serve as a visual language to communicate the structure, behavior, and physical deployment of the system, forming an essential part of the system reference guide.
Layered Architecture Diagram
The layered architecture pattern divides the system into logical tiers, each with distinct responsibilities. For the online sales platform, a typical layered architecture comprises the presentation layer, business logic layer, data access layer, and data storage layer. The presentation layer includes user interfaces such as web pages and mobile apps that facilitate interaction with customers. The business logic layer handles processes such as browsing, shopping cart management, order processing, and history retrieval. The data access layer provides abstractions for database queries and updates, ensuring data integrity and security. Finally, the data storage layer encompasses databases or other storage solutions where product details, customer data, orders, and transaction history are persisted.
This layered approach enhances separation of concerns, making the system more modular, scalable, and easier to maintain. In the diagram, these layers are stacked vertically, with arrows indicating the flow of data and interactions going from the presentation to storage and vice versa.
Activity Diagram for Placing an Order
An activity diagram models the sequential flow of actions a customer undertakes to place an order. The process begins with the customer logging into the system, browsing the product catalog, selecting items, adding them to the shopping cart, and proceeding to checkout. During checkout, the customer reviews the order, enters shipping and payment details, and confirms the purchase. Once confirmed, the system processes the order, updates inventory, and sends confirmation notifications. Any errors or issues, such as payment failures or out-of-stock items, are captured and handled appropriately.
This diagram emphasizes decision points, parallel activities, and the flow of control, providing a clear visualization of the customer's interaction process from start to finish.
Client/Server Physical Deployment Diagram
The client/server diagram illustrates the physical deployment of components across hardware nodes. Clients, including web browsers and mobile apps, connect over the internet to web servers hosting the application. These servers interact with application servers that execute business logic and process transactions. The system accesses databases that store product, order, and customer information. The diagram may include load balancers, firewalls, and other infrastructure components that ensure system robustness, security, and scalability. This physical perspective aids in understanding system topology, hardware requirements, network configurations, and deployment strategies.
Integrating the Diagrams into a Single Document
All three diagrams—the layered architecture view, the activity diagram, and the client/server deployment model—are compiled into a single Microsoft Word document. This integrated approach provides a comprehensive overview of the system for the technical team, facilitating better planning, development, and communication.
While creating these diagrams, care is taken to accurately represent components, interactions, and physical deployment, ensuring that the documentation aligns with real-world implementation scenarios and best practices in software architecture.
Conclusion
Effective architectural documentation using layered, activity, and deployment diagrams enhances understanding, supports system design, and promotes maintainability. For an online sales platform, these visual models collectively ensure that all stakeholders—from developers to system administrators—have a shared understanding of the system's structure and operation, leading to more successful outcomes.
References
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