Background
The New Century clinic associates accepted your interface, output, input, and data
designs and your recommendation to install a server and four personal computers as clients
on a local area network. The network will include a tape backup unit and Internet access via
a modem that can exchange data with insurance companies. A high-speed laser printer and
an impact printer for multipart forms will be accessible by any of the four PCs. Now you
will determine system architecture for the New Century system.
When you created ERDs and record designs for New Century during the data design
process in Chapter 9, you considered whether to use a file-processing or database approach.
As you know, each strategy has advantages and disadvantages, depending on the specific
hardware and software environment and business requirements. At this point, you must
decide which way to proceed, and Dr. Jones will accept your recommendation (with your
instructor’s approval). You should start by reviewing the DFDs and object-oriented diagrams
that you prepared in the systems analysis phase, and the ERDs and table designs that you
created in the systems design phase. Then, review the system architecture checklist at the
beginning of this chapter.