Assignment 3 Handout CSC407H fall 2003
due: Tuesday Dec 2, 2003 in tutorial

Your task will be to prepare two architecture documents, one for the system described in a1 and the second for the system described in a2 and a2b. Your goal is to describe a system in a way that the overall structure you propose is clear. Ideally the design documents(s), already done in this case, fit into the overall picture in the sense that they describe some components of the system in detail. Your document should set out what computers the application software will run on, which additional components it will require, roughly what the network topology is, where the persistent data will be stored, etc.

Normally, at least a draft of an architecture document should have been done at the beginning of either of these projects. However, since we cover architecture towards the end of the semester, you have to do it now.

Question 1

(15 marks)

You are to create an architecture document for the design of the bookstore partially implemented in the first assignment.

The bookstore must support multiple users at the same time. For technical strategic reasons (i.e dictated by the office of the CTO) the back end to the system must be a relational database server.

Normally user considerations would decide what the presentation layers of your system should be. However, in this case, you can choose the technology you are personally most comfortable with from between:

• A web based "thin client";
• A graphical user interface;
• A text menu driven kiosk.

Question 2

(5 marks)

Old MacDonald really likes your work. Now you are to create an overall architecture for the application we have designed.

Decide the overall style of application (monolithic, client server, etc) and identify all the various computers and networks that cooperate to support the application. Do your best to show how the software is divided into fairly separate high level components. For instance, many frameworks are available to read and write XML. You may assume that John Deere provides a set of Java classes to help manage their proprietary XML files.

Use your imagination! There is no one answer! Keep it brief or goodness knows what the MacDonalds will ask you to do next..