|
EXPERT
TRACKING AND MAINTENANCE SYSTEM
|
INTRODUCTION
This project is initiated and the
fulfillment of course Project (TZ6996) as one of the graduation requirements
for MSc-Information Technology in University Utara
This chapter gives an overview of
organization’s requirements, brief explanation about Database, Model and web
database application and further discusses the problem statement, objectives,
project scope, hardware and software requirements of
the project.
1.1 Overview of Organization
X Sdn Bhd is Software
Development Company, mainly involved in developing web database system. They
have a lot of projects under development, Example. Decoin Bill Payment System
for Jabatan Bekalan Air Selangor, SAP system for MIMOS Berhad and Equipment
Tracking and Maintenance System etc.
1.2 The Requirements
Most of the medium and large organizations have more than
hundreds of staff using workstation, printer and other equipments. They have
various departments and different type of users/staff. However, they are still
using paper-based maintenance for managing equipments and assigning system for
user’s request. Expert tracking and management system could improve the
efficiency and effectiveness of the organization’s functions. This system is
able to record and deliver right and precise information at the right time to
the right person from anywhere. It will provide more efficient support service
to the administration and all the staff in an organization. It will eliminate
the paper-based workloads that are more time-consuming and inefficient where
records might be lost or damaged. The records will be saved in the database, and
could be accessed via the Web browser.
All the records is well organized and easier to
manage in a database.
This study has identified the basic
functions of any organization as outline below:
i.
Create and maintain User personal details of the user
ii.
Create a system request by the user
iii.
Create a Maintenance request by the user
iv.
Create and maintain record for system request
v.
Create and maintain Report for Maintenance request
vi.
Create and maintain inventory record
vii.
Create and maintain network records
viii.
Create and maintain technical staff records
ix.
Produce list of MOS assigned for users
x.
Produce individual details of particular MOS
xi.
Produce individual details of each stock
xii.
Produce different list of users according to the search made.
xiii.
Produce all users lists of an organization
xiv.
Produce individual user’s details
These requirements are
needed by the Administration, Maintenance, and Network Department in assisting
them to manage the organization.
1.3 Database, Model and Web Database
Application
There are several reasons an
organization may want to use a database in their Web applications.
Ř To better manage the serving of large
document-based information repositories to internal and external users of the
information.
Ř To better leverage and use legacy
database systems, the information they contain, and existing applications.
Ř To unlock the potential of unused
data held in organizational databases. Data from databases within various parts
of an organization (for example, finance, human, resources, project management,
and so on) can be consolidated using Web-based applications and served to users
as though it were from a single source.
Ř To extend the functionality of your
Web server so that information you maintain may be made available to the
general public and internal user- a task currently being undertaken by many
organizations and government agencies whose primary product is information.
Ř To extend the functionality of your
Web server so that new and expanded services can be provided to visitors of the
Web site.
This study used MySQL relational
database management system to implement the web-based database model for an
organization. MySQL is
a very fast, multi-threaded, multi-user, and robust Structured Query Language
(SQL) database server. It supports interactive and non-interactive use. Besides
that MySQL is a free Open Source software and functions as a client/server
system that supports different back ends, several different client programs and
libraries, administrative tools, and a programming interface (MySQL Reference Manual for version
3.23.38)
A web-based database
application is one of the hottest and most lucrative web development areas
recently (Antelman, 1999). It is an
integration of Web Server, Database and Web Application Server.
There are several popular
server-side scripting languages available today. An increasingly popular
solution is the Open Source PHP. PHP is a server-side, cross-platform scripting
language similar to ASP that interfaces with the free MySQL database, as well
as others. Like ASP, it is designed for developers with programming experience
but has the advantage of being free and platform independent (Antelman, 1999).
PHP allows for rapid development of dynamic, database-driven applications. One
of PHP's major strengths is its ability to connect with
many different databases, including Sybase, PostgreSQL,
Oracle, Mssql or MySQL (
The logic of a good database design,
and then the application server's linking of its various components for
display, will pull the site together and add to its overall coherence and ease
of use. A dynamic site is tighter, more accurate and timely, and far easier to
manage (Antelman, 1999).
Typically, design representations are
maintained as relational or object oriented schemas, to exploit the capabilities
of database management systems, or as semi structured
objects, to cope with information having partial or missing schemas (Florescu et al., 1998).
The UA is a methodology for software
development that is proposed by the author Ali Bahrami
(1999). The UA, based on methodologies by Booch, Rumbaugh, and Jacobson, tries to combine the best
practices, processed, and guidelines along with the Object Management Group’s
unified modeling language. The UML is a set of notations and conventions used
to describe and model an application. However, the UML does not specify a
methodology or what steps to follow to develop an application; that would be
the task of the UA. The heart of the UA is Jacobson’s use case. The use case
represents a typical interaction between a user and a computer system to
capture the users’ goals and needs. In its simplest usage, you capture a use
case by talking to typical users and discussing the various ways they might
want to use the system. The use cases are entered into all other activities of
the UA.
1.4 Problem Statement
Most of the medium sized organization
still uses manual/paper based system for maintenance, system request,
assignment of the system to user and user details management. Otherwise some of
them have a standalone database with little function. They use the database to
store details, but for maintenance, assignment of the system to user is still
manual system in use. Therefore they need to have a system that can eliminate
their current inefficient and imperfection.
This study
contends that the usage of a web based database model for organization will
help to solve the problems and issues mentioned above.
1.5 Objectives
The objectives of this project are:
i.
To
provide accurate knowledge of user details
ii.
To
provide online system request based on their status.
iii.
To
provide Instantaneous and accurate knowledge of your equipments maintenance.
iv.
To
assure that problems will be reported fully and accurately. User-friendly entry.
v.
To
provide knowledge of current usage and
operating location of all systems or equipment location with a simple
click of the mouse.
vi.
To facilitate Assigning, managing, and tracking task
of technicians.
vii.
To
provide the latest information on equipment status.
1.6 Project Scope
A model of web-based database was
developing to be used by Organization. The project scope will be on Maintenance
of Equipment, Tracking Equipment Assigning Equipments for user, User Management
and Inventory system.
1.7 Hardware and Software Requirements
Hardware Requirements
Ř A PC with Pentium III processor as
the host
Ř 64MB Memory (128MB recommended)
Ř A hard disk with 200 MB of free disk
space
Ř A VGA or SVGA monitor, with
appropriate graphic card
Ř A mouse or other pointing device
Ř Network communication media
Software Requirements
Ř Microsoft Windows 98 or Windows2000
Ř Apache Web Server
Ř PHP
Ř MySQL database
Ř Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or
later
Ř PHP coder or Notepad
Ř Macromedia Dreamweaver 4
Ř Adobe Photoshop 6.0
Ř HTML
Ř Rational Rose2000
1.8 Summary
Currently, this system is widely used
by big organizations only, as the medium-sized organizations could not afford
it. Because of the use of an open source package, this system could be useful
for medium-sized companies. It is also hoped that this project would enhance
organizations management information systems and the development of an effective
Equipment Tracking and Maintenance system.