SECJ 2253

REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING
AND SOFTWARE MODELING

TOPIC 2:
SYSTEM AND CONTEXT

Noraini Ibrahim, March 2021

 Recap from Topic 1

Definition – Requirements, RE, stakeholder

Importance of RE in overall SDLC

4 major activities in RE

3 basic types of requirements

 TOPIC 2 OVERVIEW
System context, system boundary,
scope, context boundary, system
Definitions context objects, interfaces, grey
zone

WHY?

Context of a system
Concepts
Grey zone

Structured approach
Documenting
system context Object-oriented (OO)
approach
 PART 1
• Definitions
 Terms

1. System context
2. System boundary
3. Context boundary
4. Scope
5. System context objects
6. Interfaces
7. Grey zone
 Definition:
1. System context
Part of the system environment that is relevant for
the definition and understanding of the
requirements of a system to be developed

2. System boundary
Separates the system to be developed from its
environment; i.e., it separates the part of the reality
that can be modified or altered by the development
process from aspects of the environment that
cannot be changed or modified by the development
process
 Definition:
3. Context boundary
Separates the relevant parts of the environment of a
system to be developed from the irrelevant part, i.e.,
the part that does not have to be considered during
requirements engineering”
 Definition:
4. Scope
“When the system boundaries are defined, the scope
of the system is determined.”
Comprises those aspects that can be changed and
designed during system development. At the same
time, it is also defined which aspects belong to the
environment and thus cannot be altered during
development and may provide constraints for the
system to be developed.”
 Definition:
5. System context objects
Relevant parts/aspects belong to the system
environment that influence to the requirements

6. Interfaces
Interactions between the system and environment
(i.e., human-people, software, hardware) that impose
specific constraints@ additional sources of
requirements
 Definition:
7. Grey zone/area
Identified aspects in the scope of environment
(context) which is unclear/uncertain whether they
have a relation to the system or not (vague
separation)
 PART 2
• Context of a system concepts
• Grey zone
Basic concept (#1)

WHY?

System

Context
Organization/
company Business
environment/
domain
Basic concept (#1) - example

Moodle eLearning
System

Context Higher
UTM education
Organization/ domain
company Business
environment/
domain
 Basic concept (#2)

A system is always embedded in

a particular (relevant) context

System

Context

Organization/
company Business
environment/
domain
Irrelevant
environment
 Basic concept (#3)

System
Context
The context influence the requirements the system must fulfill

A requirement is always defined for a particular context

Organization/
company Business
environment/
Irrelevant domain
environment
 Definition: System Boundary

Separates the system to be developed from its environment

System
boundary System

Context
Organization/
company Business
environment/
domain

Irrelevant
environment
 Definition: Scope
Aspects that can be changed and designed during system
development

Scope
System

Aspects belong to the environment, cannot

be altered during development; constraints
Context
for the system to be developed
Organization/
company Business
environment/
domain

Irrelevant
environment
 Definition: System Context

System
Context ?
Part of the system environment that is relevant
for the definition and understanding of the
requirements of a system to be developed

Organization/
company Business
environment/
Irrelevant domain
environment
Definition: System Context Objects

Relevant parts/aspects belong to the system

environment that influence to the requirements

Context System

Organization/
company Business
environment/
domain

Irrelevant
environment
 System Context Objects

People (stakeholders or groups of stakeholders)

Systems in operation (other technical systems or hardware)

Processes (technical or physical processes, business processes)

Events (technical or physical)

Documents (e.g., laws, standards, system documentation)

 System Context Objects - example
Other system
(e.g., Google Map API, AIMSWEB)

Hardware e.g., Server, Students, Lecturers,

Touchpoint, Printer Faculty administrators

Moodle eLearning
System

Context
UTM Higher education domain
Students’ course System document:
registration – Moodle manual
Events e.g., New
Insert/Delete
session/semester, Law/Rule/Standard: Tuition
Graduation/ fees, Program syllabus
Convocation (UG, PG)
Irrelevant
environment
 Definition: Interfaces

Interactions between the system and environment

(i.e., human-people, software, hardware) that impose
specific constraints@ additional sources of requirements

Context System

Organization/
company Business
environment/
domain

Irrelevant
environment
 Interfaces – People, Hardware, Software
Other system
(e.g., Google Map API, AIMSWEB)

Hardware e.g., Server, 2 1 Students, Lecturers,

Touchpoint, Printer Faculty administrators

3
Moodle eLearning
System

Context
UTM Higher education domain
Students’ course System document:
registration – Moodle manual
Events e.g., New
Insert/Delete
session/semester, Law/Rule/Standard: Tuition
Graduation/ fees, Program syllabus
Convocation (UG, PG)
Irrelevant
environment
 Definition : Grey zones
Identified aspects in the scope of environment (context) which
is unclear/uncertain whether they have a relation to the system
or not (vague separation)

System

Context

Irrelevant
environment
 Areas of Grey Zones

Grey zone of the system boundary

1
System

Context

2 Grey zone of the context

Irrelevant
environment
 PART 3
• Documenting system context
How to describe system & context?

Structured approach - Context diagram, Data

flow diagram

Object-oriented approach – Use case diagram,

Class diagram (UML model)
Context

Structured approach
Object-Oriented (OO) approach
 TOPIC 2 SUMMARY
System context, system boundary, scope,
Definitions context boundary, system context objects,
interfaces, grey zone

Concepts Context of a system

Areas of grey zone

Grey zones
Impact of changes

Documenting Structured approach

system context Object-oriented (OO) approach
TOPIC 2 ACTIVITY
 update: August
Noraini Ibrahim, 2019 (sharinhh)
March 2021

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