Context Diagrams

A context diagram is a top level (also known as Level 0) data flow diagram. It only contains one
process node (process 0) that generalizes the function of the entire system in relationship to
external entities.

DFD levels
The first level DFD shows the main processes within the system. Each of these processes can be
broken into further processes until you reach pseudocode.

An example first-level data flow diagram

What are Entity Relationship Diagrams?

Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) illustrate the logical structure of databases.

An ER Diagram

Entity Relationship Diagram Notations

Peter Chen developed ERDs in 1976. Since then Charles Bachman and James Martin have added
some sligh refinements to the basic ERD principles.
Entity

An entity is an object or concept about which you want to store information.

Learn how to edit text on an entity.

Weak Entity

A weak entity is an entity that must defined by a foreign key relationship with another entity as it
cannot be uniquely identified by its own attributes alone.
Learn how to edit text on this object.

Key attribute

A key attribute is the unique, distinguishing characteristic of the entity. For example, an
employee's social security number might be the employee's key attribute.

Multivalued attribute

A multivalued attribute can have more than one value. For example, an employee entity can have
multiple skill values.

Derived attribute

A derived attribute is based on another attribute. For example, an employee's monthly salary is
based on the employee's annual salary.

Relationships

Relationships illustrate how two entities share information in the database structure.
Learn how to draw relationships:
First, connect the two entities, then drop the relationship notation on the line.

Cardinality

Cardinality specifies how many instances of an entity relate to one instance of another entity.
Ordinality is also closely linked to cardinality. While cardinality specifies the occurences of a
relationship, ordinality describes the relationship as either mandatory or optional. In other words,
cardinality specifies the maximum number of relationships and ordinality specifies the absolute
minimum number of relationships.

Click here for more cardinality notations

To learn how to express cardinality in SmartDraw, click here.

Recursive relationship

In some cases, entities can be self-linked. For example, employees can supervise other
employees.

What is a Context Diagram and what are the benefits of creating one?
Question: What is a Context Diagram and what are the benefits of creating one?
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Posted by: cadams5
Categories: Business Analysis, Systems Analysis, Data Analysis & Modeling
Answer:
The Context Diagram shows the system under consideration as a single high-level
process and then shows the relationship that the system has with other external
entities (systems, organizational groups, external data stores, etc.).

Another name for a Context Diagram is a Context-Level Data-Flow Diagram or a

Level-0 Data Flow Diagram. Since a Context Diagram is a specialized version of
Data-Flow Diagram, understanding a bit about Data-Flow Diagrams can be helpful.
A Data-Flow Diagram (DFD) is a graphical visualization of the movement of data
through an information system. DFDs are one of the three essential components of
the structured-systems analysis and design method (SSADM). A DFD is process
centric and depicts 4 main components.

Processes (circle)

External Entities (rectangle)

Data Stores (two horizontal, parallel lines or sometimes and ellipse)

Data Flows (curved or straight line with arrowhead indicating flow direction)

Each DFD may show a number of processes with data flowing into and out of each
process. If there is a need to show more detail within a particular process, the
process is decomposed into a number of smaller processes in a lower level DFD. In
this way, the Content Diagram or Context-Level DFD is labeled a Level-0 DFD while
the next level of decomposition is labeled a Level-1 DFD, the next is labeled a
Level-2 DFD, and so on.

Context Diagrams and Data-Flow Diagrams were created for systems analysis and
design. But like many analysis tools they have been leveraged for other purposes.
For example, they can also be leveraged to capture and communicate the
interactions and flow of data between business processes. So, they dont have to be
restricted to systems analysis.
A sample Context Diagram is shown here.

A Context Diagram (and a DFD for that matter) provides no information about the
timing, sequencing, or synchronization of processes such as which processes occur
in sequence or in parallel. Therefore it should not be confused with a flowchart or
process flow which can show these things.
Some of the benefits of a Context Diagram are:

Shows the scope and boundaries of a system at a glance including the other

systems that interface with it

No technical knowledge is assumed or required to understand the diagram

Easy to draw and amend due to its limited notation

Easy to expand by adding different levels of DFDs

Can benefit a wide audience including stakeholders, business analyst, data

analysts, developers