Analysis Of The Help Desk System Computer Science Essay

3.1 Introduction

In this chapter we present the require processes of analysis via use “Problem Solving” to determine the necessary system requirements needed to achieve the objectives of the study, including a description of the hardware and software required, also an overview of the system design including requisite systems elements and their description and the algorithm used to develop the system is followed by Data Flow.

Systems Development Life Cycle, important phases to description and analysis the system. Any system must processes into Base five stages:

Planning

Analysis

Design

Testing

Implementation

Output of each stage of above stage becomes the input for the next stage. These stages generally follow the same basic steps, but many different waterfall methodologies give the steps different names and the number of steps seems to vary between four and seven.

In our system we will give names to Systems Development Life Cycle stage. We do not use all these stages, as we said earlier can be shortened to only four stages and can be up to seven or more stages depending on the system, but not less than four stages.

Planning here do not need him, but can be incorporated into the analysis phase, the design here, the third stage and then comes the build or coding and finally stage testing phase.

3.2 Systems Development Life Cycle

1- Analysis:

In this stage we will:

Identify the old system’s problem.

Identify the exact goals of the system.

Problem Redefinition and the information domain for the software as well as required functions, behavior, performance and interfacing.

Determine the statement of requirements for Help Desk Application “Data, Functional, Software and Hardware”.

2- Design:

In this stage we will:

Make overview of Help Desk system Architecture.

Define the tables, relationships, forms and report.

Identify the data items to be stored and by using the normalization it help us to minimize the size of the database.

We make data flow diagram to determine the functions that we need.

We make UML Diagrams ” Activity, Use Case, Class , Sequence and state chart”

Also in this phase we will verify the design matches the business rules.

Improve quality of data and choose a suitable primary and foreign key.

3- Build or coding:

In this stage we will:

Design the tables, relationships, forms, report and Graphical User Interface.

Modify the prototype system and add all the functions and constraints to have the final version of the system.

4- Testing:

Once the code is generated, Help Desk system testing begins “Database and user interface”. Different testing methodologies are available to unravel the bugs and fix any errors occur that were committed during the previous phases. The following types of testing:

Unit testing

System testing

Integration testing

Automation testing

User acceptance testing

Performance testing

5- Maintenance

The deployment of the system in this stage is important to include change and enhancement requests after the software releases.

Design

Build or coding

Testing

Maintenance

Analyses

Design

Build or coding

Testing

Maintenance

(Fig.3.1 Systems Development Life Cycle)

We mentioned previously we used the System Development Life Cycle approach see Fig. (3.1), and its define as the overall phases of developing information systems through multi-step phases that we Summarizes from Requirements Analysis and Specification, design, Implementation, Testing and Integration, Operation and Maintenance to generate Help desk system to provide all the features that’s we need to run the entire Help desk Procedures.

3.3 The Application Requirements Analysis and Specification

In this Phase we used Problem Solving approach and is define as Describes the process of working through details of a problem to reach a solution. An individual seeking to solve a problem will have to identify the most important elements that influence the answer and then work through a series of operations to determine a logical solution. Problem solving may include mathematical or systematic operations” [business dictionary, 09], to generate Help Desk that provide all the features that’s we need to run the entire help desk Procedures.

Problem Definition

when we check work in help desk department we find more than a problem like old way to communicate or connection lost because users need help doesn’t know how , where and connect to help desk team, After finished investigating we found that most of these systems are using manual mechanisms “Paper Transactions” such as hand-writing reports, spread sheet documents for recording Employees data and there reports has produced in a daily basis from normal word processing applications which are already separated from their data source.

3.3.1 Help Desk system Based Application Objectives

Building database for Help Desk system: Establishing and building database for Help Desk in an organized way to store and retrieve data at any time.

Working systematically: Shift all manual procedures and paper work to computer system by using Intelligent Documents and Other Feature in Help Desk System.

Powerful constriction database: Allows you to keep track to all your daily records, keep a history of your login information, and generate the detailed reports.

Flexible and customize: With Microsoft Visual Basic 2008, SQL Server 2005, and ASP.net, Photoshop and Dream weaver. We can easily customize the system depending on the business needs, so we can create a powerful database with its relationships then control it by using programming code to manage the interface features and build a web page for Help Desk system including full query forms to connect it to the database.

Having security privileges: Each type of user will have a permission to access the system with specific privilege, such as school Account, engineer Account and Administrator Account.

Saving time and efforts: By using the mentioned queries tools which will speed up the process and there is no need to spend time in process for a record and type information, moreover the administration will add the unique information one time. Also by using GUI accelerates our time so we can decrease using paperwork.

Learnable graphical interface: It is very simple to learn and use it and does not require any business background. The entire application can learned in a few minutes. Also Help Desk System is perfect for any business requiring employee’s data such as Help Desk; also the interface created very easy by user-friendly and simple to operate.

3.3.2 Help Desk processes

The help desk system project problem that focuses how to automate help desk processes, these processes contain the following:

all user have permeations to access system

administrator only can add groups, users and engineers

user can editing profile or owner data only

administrator can view reports in all process

engineer view working order by steps

administrator can track work and engineer

engineer when finish work manger know that

easy to evaluation work and engineer

use fixed report to print or view or save to your computer

workflow in steps and organizing work

3.3.3 Statement of Requirements

Data Requirements

The system analyst request to have a reliable database for help desk System that contains the following:-

Schools data.

Engineer data.

Full reports for different criteria’s.

Printable Reports.

Data access control.

Full Inquiry forms manipulation.

One sheet form for updating staff information.

Access authority for certain users according to permissions.

Software Requirements

Adobe acrobat reader (for view report).

Microsoft SQL Server 2005(for building a database).

Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 and Photoshop (for GUI interface issue).

Dot net frame work 3.5.

Crystal report (for view and printing report)

Operating System “Windows XP/Vista/7/windows 2003/2008 server.

Hardware Requirements

Work Stations or Laptops “minimum specification”.

Processor: Intel P4 based system

Processor Speed: 1.5GHz

RAM : 512MB

Free space 20 MB in OS drive

Server “minimum specification”.

Processor: Intel (R)

Processor Speed: 2.8GHZ

RAM : 2 GB

Hard Disk: 120 GB

Laser Printers.

Active local area network and wide area network.

Others Requirements

Books and E-Books.

Websites and search engines.

Meeting with Help Desk managers.

Interviews with peoples who works in IT in the same field.

3.3.4 Feasibility Study

The objective form Feasibility Study is determined whether or not the proposed system is feasible. The three tests of feasibility have been carried out in this Study:-

Technical Feasibility: it’s related to the test whether the proposed system can be developed using existing technology and requirements or not. It is planned to implement the proposed system using Visual Basic and SQL server technology. It is evident that the necessary hardware and software are available for development and implementation of the proposed system. Hence, the solution is technically feasible.

Economical Feasibility: it’s related to the costs and benefits associated with the proposed system compared and the project is economically feasible only if tangible or intangible benefits outweigh costs. The system development costs will be significant. So the proposed system is economically feasible for any organization however big or small it is.

Operational Feasibility: it’s related to the standard that ensures interoperability without stifling competition and innovation among users, to the benefit of the public both in terms of cost and service quality. The proposed system is acceptable to users. So the proposed system is operationally feasible.

3.4 Help Desk system Based Application Proposed Design

Our proposed system serve any level in the ministry of education, any where and any time, whether by using Local Area Network “LAN” inside the organization , Wide Area Network “WAN” in outside the organization or entrant network .Where we adopted on three basic objects “Employee, engineer. School and Administrator of help desk department to run the reliable and secure Help Desk system application with the newest techniques, we used Microsoft SQL Server 2005 for building a database, Microsoft Visual Basic 2008, Crystal Report and Photoshop for Graphical user Interface “GUI” and development features.

3.4.1 Help Desk System Based Application Architecture

Help Desk

Engineer

Administrator

Admin Engineer

Secretary

We adopted on three basic objects that make up the Help Desk System Based Application “Administrator, engineer and user” and their interactions and relationships each other.

Fig. (3.2) Help Desk System Based Application

3.4.1.1 Administrator

Reading and see all and recently important.

Add all users requested.

Add new or change a name of schools in system.

Add problems types in the system.

Add Evaluation Terms by view reports.

View Engineer data According to his/her department as a report.

View all Engineer ad user data as a report.

Approve a problem to engineer to do it.

Only the Administrator can see all the information about the status Accounts and Passwords in profiles admin engineer, school user or Engineers Accounts.

Only the Administrator can edit all profiles in the system admin engineer or Engineers Accounts.

Follow up the all transaction approval in the system such as “now Engineer joining in, engineer work finish or not…etc

3.4.1.2 Admin Engineer

Reading and see all important and recently reports about the work.

Reading and see all receiving messages.

organize work by different user

View Employee data According to his/he school as a report.

Make a periodical Evaluation for Engineers.

Print report and can save it.

Modify workflow and see work problems.

3.4.1.3 Engineer

View the works to be carried out by.

Possibility of verification of the tasks that have.

The engineer can know the functions carried out by.

View the status of author, who will do or tool.

Edit and modify him Profile.

3.4.1.4 Secretary

View the new problems and distributed to engineers.

View the pending problems.

View all problems that have been resolved

3.5 Help Desk System Based Application Database Design

A database is a set of data, organized for easy access. The database is an actual data; it is the database that you will be accessing when you need to retrieve data. [en.wikipedia, 09]

Help Desk System Based Application Database contains nine tables linkage each other and created it by Database Manager Administrator SQL Server 2005 for more Details see Physical model Fig (3.3)

3.5.1 Database Tables Name

Pass

Complaint

ComplaintCondition

Deff_ComplaintPriorty

Deff_ComplaintType

Deff_EducationArea

Engineer

School

Secretary

Fig. (3.3) Help desk system Based Application Physical model Diagram

3.5.2 Help desk Based Application Data Flow

Data Flow is a graphical tool used to describe and analyze the moment of data through a system manual or automated including the process, stores of data, and delays in the system. Data Flow Diagrams are the central tool and the basis from which other components are developed. The transformation of data from input to output, through processes, may be described logically and independently of the physical components associated with the system. [en.wikipedia, 09]

In Fig (3.4) below, shows “Data Flow” transformation of data, interactions and relationships between the four objects that make up the Help Desk System Based Application “Administrator, Engineer, School and secretary”, and their features they have it in the application, also shows the mutual features between these objects such

Secretary

Close

Send Complaint

Modify Data

Complaint Status

Logout

Complaint Hanging

Logout

Close

Fig (3.4) Help Desk System Based Application Data Flow Diagram

Close

Logout

Complaint Status

Send Complaint

Modify Data

Admin

Admin Engineer

School

Engineer

Close

Logout

Close

Complaint Hanging

Logout

Report

Secretary

Complaint Type

Schools

Engineer

Change Password

Education area

Login

Fig (3.5) Help Desk System Based Application Data Flow Chart

See flow char of Help Desk System fig (3.5) how is the user enter Complaint to soling throw in three user of our project first normal school user to enter the Complaint data in form and save second step go to secretary to select engineer then sent Complaint to third step engineer. When solving go to admin engineer to approval or selected done and deleted from the secretary form now all users know the problem is solving.