In this Requirement's Document, the Non-Functional Requirements for the Scheduling Tool are organized into these categories:

• Performance
• General Characteristics
  • Security and Privacy
  • Simplicity versus Power

  3.1. Performance

  All viewing, editing, and options commands in the Scheduling Tool must execute instantaneously, except for the following:

  • the time to generate or re-generate a schedule must be in the order of minutes on current hardware.
  • the time to calculate the attributes of a schedule (how good a schedule is) must be in the order of seconds on current hardware (there may be a slight delay when hundreds of classes and preferences are analyzed).
  • the time to login to the scheduling tool server to validate the user credentials must be in the order of seconds, unless extenuating circumstances arise regarding network latency and bandwidth issues.
  • the time to sync local copies of the databases with remote databases must be in the order of seconds, unless extenuating circumstances arise regarding network latency and bandwidth issues.

  The time to execute all commands (with the exception of Schedule Generation) must be instantaneous, except for any delays due to network transmission of data from the central host.

  In general, the performance of Scheduling Tool commands that must access data across a network is subject to potential network delays. The Scheduling Tool must transmit data as fast as is possible on any given network, but delays due to external network circumstances are beyond the control of the Scheduling Tool.

  There are absolute requirements for the allowable size of a schedule, however there cannot be more schedule entries then there are professors/classes to teach them. A Schedule on the order of thousands of items is the maximum expected size during normal use.

  The maximum expected sizes of the Scheduling Tool databases are the following:

  • user database (scheduler/instructors) -- up to thousands of records
  • course database -- up to thousands of records
  • instructor database -- up to thousands of records
  • room database -- up to thousands of records
  • proximal database -- up to thousands of records
  • constraint database -- up to hundreds of records
  • schedule database (entries) -- up to thousands of records

  The Scheduling Tool must be able to operate with schedules and databases of sizes larger than these normal maximums. However, the tool need not the meet the previously-enumerated time performance requirements for schedules or databases larger than normal maximum sizes.

  3.2. General Characteristics

  3.2.1. Security and Privacy

  All Scheduling Entries should only be viewable to users that have access to the Scheduling Tool system. As we have not allowed for guest access within our tool, a valid username/password combo is required for viewing any of the schedules, preferences and databases. Instructors should only be able to edit and view their own preferences but will be able to view the entire generated schedule post-generation. A scheduler has access to edit and view all of the schedules, databases, and preferences in the Scheduling Tool system. He has the ability to change any of the scheduling options, system-wide settings and preferences for the users in this system. The central host passwords of any user must be kept secure from viewing or modification by any other Scheduling Tool user, and from any user at all on the central host.

  3.2.2. Simplicity versus Power

  Scheduler User
  In regards to the Scheduler, this tool is heavily on the side of powerful. The Scheduler is assumed to be fully computer literate and knowledgable about the workings of the Scheduling Tool and how the preferences, databases, and constraints are used to create a schedule. Additionally, the Scheduler is assumed to have knowledge of system administration and on the use of computer networks consisting of local computers and central data servers.

  Instructor User
  In regards to the Instructor, this tool is heavily on the side of simple. The Instructor is assumed to have knowledge of basic computer skills including how to launch an application, make changes to data and commit changes. However, they need not be concerned with the inner workings of the Scheduling Tool and should only told how their own preferences will affect the final schedule generation. Because certain aspects of this system could be considered confusing to less literate Instructors, a detailed manual or help documentation may need to accompany the distribution of the Scheduling Tool.
  
  
  
  

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