Create Profile and Log in use cases can either use RDBMS or LDAP for storing user information and authenticating user. Which one is the right choice? What is our assumption?

1.2. Non Functional Requirements

1.1.2. Integration requirements

Should be integrated with existing Frequent Flyer legacy system and TransMaster Credit Card Processing System

Frequent Flyer Legacy System Implementation details

· Perl

· CGI

· HTML

· Oracle DB

TransMaster Credit Card Processing System Implementation details

· Currently supports COBOL interface

· Other systems communicate via a secured socket across a dedicated line.

1.1.4. Security

All communication between Web Client (which the Customer uses) and the server must be secured using SSL.

Number of airfares is being booked per day: 20,000

Expected growth: 10 fold (i.e., around 200,000) within the first month of going national.

Note: The above information is useful to decide on ‘User Data store’ (LDAP or RDBMS).

Amount estimated to be spent on a national advertising campaign: $10 million

Note: The above information is useful to make assumptions such as if the new product recommendation, if any, would be viable option for the organization.

For e.g., LDAP compliant Directory Server

Question: Should we think about the option of ‘Single Sign-on’, as we need to integrate new system with existing web based ‘Frequent flyer system’?

Answer: The only integration requirement with 'Frequent Flyer System' is that 'the content(mileage account status) be available to the customer using web and the travel agent using an application'. The requirement doesn't state that there is a need for the actors to seamlessly switch between two different web applications without requiring re-authentication. Moreover, the authentication mechanism used in the Frequent Flyer system is unknown, which is also influential criteria for 'Single Sign-on' implementation. Hence it is assumed not to complicate the system architecture more than adequate. The necessary presentation components will be built to present the content (mileage account status) to the actors.

TransMaster Credit Card Processing System Implementation details

· Other systems communicate via a secured socket across a dedicated line.

1.1.5. Persistence

A confirmed decision is not made in terms of DB Server selection. It could be any relational database like Oracle, Sybase or Informix.

1.1.6. Simplicity

Pricing scheme should be simple; irrespective of the 'purchase date', for each 'destination' one price for first class and one 'price' for coach.

Question: Why is the above information useful to an Architect, if at all?

1.1.7. UI Requirements

Travel Agent UI will have to be the 'Java Application Client' while Web Users UI will have to be 'Web Client'.

1.1.8. Performance Requirements

Travel agents should have the fastest system possible. Response time should never exceed 5 seconds.

Web users will use 28.8K modem. Web users response time cannot exceed 10 seconds more than 20% of the time. In other words 80% of the time, the system should not exceed 10 seconds response time.

1.1.9. Statistics

Number of Aircrafts

Currently 10 Boing 737s and order placed for 3 new Boing 757s, 4 Turbo Jets, and in future 2 large 767s to supplement 'fleet'

Question: Why is the above information useful to an Architect, if at all?

FBN doesn’t follow industry standards.

Note: This option is useful in understanding the organization’s familiarity with the use of standards, so that the architect can recommend any suitable standards.

1.1.10. Reliability Requirements

None Identified yet. Is there any indication about this in the assignment at all? If not, should we assume something? What should we assume?

1.1.11. Supportability Requirements

None Identified yet. Is there any indication about this in the assignment at all? If not, should we assume something? What should we assume?

1.1.12. Scalability Requirements

Concurrent users

Current: 35 concurrent Travel agents.

New system: '20 travel agents' and '200 web users initially and 600 web users at the maximum' concurrently.

1.1.13. Maintainability Requirements

None Identified yet. Is there any indication about this in the assignment at all? If not, should we assume something? What should we assume?

1.1.14. Manageability Requirements

None Identified yet. Is there any indication about this in the assignment at all? If not, should we assume something? What should we assume?

1.1.15. Transaction Requirements

Number of airfares being booked per day: 20,000

Expected growth: 10 fold (i.e., around 200,000) within the first month of going national.

Note: The above information is useful in knowing the expected # of transactions per day. This information is also useful to decide on ‘User Data store’ (LDAP or RDBMS).

Concurrent users

Current: 35 concurrent Travel agents.

New system: '20 travel agents' and '200 web users initially and 600 web users at the maximum' concurrently.

Note:The above information also provide Scalability requirement.

Question: Should we use Optimistic Locking scheme or Pessimistic Locking scheme, why? What is the probability of users looking at (or working with) stale data and how do we justify our design approach? Is this system ‘read intensive’ or ‘update-intensive’? Do we need ‘Two-phase commit’ feature because we need to integrate with ‘Credit Card processing system’? What is the ‘credit card processing system’s architecture’? What is the protocol do we use to integrate with this system’?

1.1.16. Deployment Requirements

Application Server: Sun E10000 Server

Oracle DB Server: Sun E6500 Server

Web Servers: Two 450s.

Frequent Flyer system: E5500

In the following diagram existence of Firewalls, Load Balancer and Proxy Server nodes are based on assumptions.

How do we deploy the ‘Java Application Client’? What are the client desktop requirements?

Question: Are the client deployment requirements significant to architect at all? Why?

1.1.17. General Requirements

The assignment requires not only to ‘architect’, but also to ‘design’. We need to architect and design a system to support the requirements.

Business analyst is no longer available. This information is useful to understand the assignment requirements that ‘the architect would be required to assume (or own) some of analyst’s responsibilities to some extend’.