IAB201 Semester 1, 2020 – Assignment 1 – Information Modelling
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IAB201
Modelling Techniques for Information Systems
Assignment 1 Handout
Due Date: 9th April, 2020
Weight: 30%
Instructions
• You must provide solutions for ALL tasks described in this handout.
Marks are as indicated.
• This is an individual task. You must NOT work in groups/teams.
• You may use any modelling tool to draw your models for this assignment.
See IAB201 Blackboard → Readings and Resources for a list of some
suggested tools.
• Assignment 1 submissions are to be made via IAB201 Blackboard →
Readings → Assessment → Assignment 1 (click on the heading).
• Assignment submissions MUST be in a single PDF file.
IAB201 Semester 1, 2020 – Assignment 1 – Information Modelling
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TASK 1 (25 Marks)
Your task is to design two conceptual information models, using two different
modelling languages, that each characterise an effective and efficient way to represent
the information escribed in the scenario below. See the Deliverables section following
the scenario description for more details of what is required.
SCENARIO
The Port of Brisbane maintains an information system to help with movement of
vessels in and out of the port. Table 1 is an extract of a report from the information
system showing details of some ships that have entered/left the Port of Brisbane.
Each vessel is identified by a unique Register Number. Each vessel is also identified
by a Vessel Name (although Vessel Name cannot be guaranteed to be unique as
sometimes, as vessels are retired, a new vessel may be given the name previously
assigned to the retired vessel). The date on which the vessel was registered is
recorded. Each vessel is of a particular Vessel Type. (There are a limited number of
allowed values for Vessel Type. Each Vessel Type is identified by a unique code and
has a Vessel Type Name. For example, Vessel Type Code = P, Vessel Type Name =
Passenger.) Other information recorded about vessels include, (i) its Length overall
(in metres), (ii) its Beam (in metres), and (iii) its Draft (in metres). Beam is the width of
the vessel at its widest point. The Draft gives the vertical distance from the waterline
to the bottom of the hull (i.e. the minimum depth of water that the vessel can safely
navigate without running aground). When laden with goods or passengers, the vessel
will sit lower in the water and hence have a larger (deeper) draft. There is no directly
calculable relationship between Length Overall (LOA), Beam, and Draft.
Register
Number
Vessel Name Date
Registered
Vessel Type Length
(m)
Beam
(m)
Draft
(m)
6913300 Lotsella 1998-12-01 Tanker 110 20.21 7.3
9578024 JS JAGUAR 2001-09-13 LPG Tanker 99.9 17.43 7.06
9690107 Seatrade Red 1988-10-12 Container Ship 185 30.25 10.02
9639696 Tao Ace 2010-01-30 Bulk Carrier 158 24.04 9.99
9341938 Maersk Lome 2013-05-17 Container Ship 255 37.3 13.9
9371969 Souni 2010-01-30 General Cargo 117 19.7 6.45
8521232 Pacific Dawn 1992-10-02 Passenger 245 36 8.1
9241061 Queen Mary 2 1999-02-28 Passenger 345 41 10.3
9357315 Goliath Leader 2008-10-19 Vehicles Carrier 199.91 32.28 10
Table 1 - Vessel information – (Some) vessels that have visited Port of Brisbane
Vessels enter/leave the Port of Brisbane to load/unload cargo, to embark/disembark
passengers, for maintenance, etc. Vessels must tie up (berth) at a wharf in the Port of
Brisbane. Each wharf is identified by a name. each wharf has a number (at least one)
of uses that is/are related to the type of cargo carried by vessels that visit the port.
Each wharf has a set of dimensions that describe the wharf. The Length is the distance
available for use by machines (cranes) and vehicles in loading/unloading. The Berth
IAB201 Semester 1, 2020 – Assignment 1 – Information Modelling
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Pocket dimensions describe the area next to the wharf available for a vessel to tie up
to the wharf.
Port of Brisbane authorities use the wharf’s dimensions and its uses to allocate a wharf
to a vessel visiting the port. The wharf must be able to physically accommodate the
vessel. That is, the Berth Pocket Length and Width must be greater than (or equal to)
the vessel’s Length Overall and Beam, and the Berth Pocket Depth must be greater
than the vessel’s Draft. Ideally, the Wharf Use should match the cargo indicated by
the Vessel Type. For example, the Lotsella could be allocated to any of Caltex Crude,
Caltex Products, BP Crude or BP Products as it will physically fit in the berth pocket
of each of these wharves and, as it is a Tanker, its cargo (crude oil or petroleum
products) matches the Wharf Use of each of these wharves. On the other hand, even
though the Queen Mary 2 is a passenger ship, it cannot be allocated to the Cruise
Terminal wharf as it will not physically fit in this wharf’s berth pocket.
Wharf Wharf Use Wharf
Length
(m)
Berth Pocket
Length
(m)
Width
(m)
Depth
(m)
FI 1 Containers, ro/ro, general cargo, motor vehicles 197 197 45 14
FI 2 Containers, ro/ro, general cargo, motor vehicles 200 200 45 14
FI 3 Containers, ro/ro, general cargo, motor vehicles 299 299 45 14
FI 4 Containers 302 302 45 14
FI 5 Containers 250 250 45 14
FI 6 Containers 150 150 45 14
FI 7 Containers 200 200 45 14
FI 8 Containers 220 220 45 14
FI 9 Containers 317 317 45 14
FI 10 Containers 396 396 45 14
Caltex
Crude
Crude oil 91.4 400 50 14.3
Caltex
Products
Petroleum products 81 285 35 10.3
BP Crude Crude oil, LPG 15 329 50 14.3
BP
Products
Petroleum products 35 235 35 10.9
Grain Grain, Motor vehicles 285 285 45 13
Pinkenba Grain, General cargo, Fertiliser, Petroleum
products
314 412 35 10.4
Bulk 1 Coal 240 317 50 14
Incitec
North
Fertiliser 123 210 35 10
Incitec
South
General cargo 152 220 35 10.4
Maritime 1 Crude oil, Chemicals 32 218 35 9
Qld Bulk
Terminal
Bulk cargo 158 270 35 10
Cruise
Terminal
Passenger vessels 386 260 35 8.8
Table 2 - Port of Brisbane Wharves
The Port of Brisbane reports on wharf usage as shown in the example Wharf Usage
Report below. The Wharf Usage Report shows, for some selected period of time, each
wharf that had at least one vessel berthed during the report period (between Start Date
IAB201 Semester 1, 2020 – Assignment 1 – Information Modelling
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and End Date). For each such wharf, the report includes, the vessel that was berthed,
when the vessel tied up at the wharf (On Berth date/time), when the vessel left the
wharf (Off Berth date/time). The length of time each vessel spent tied up at the wharf
(Duration) is calculated. The usage of the wharf (Occupancy (hrs)) is calculated as the
sum of the durations of each vessel, and the fractional usage of the wharf (Occupancy
Rate (%)) is calculated as usage hours divided by the reporting period hours (End
Date – Start Time).
Wharf Usage Report
Port: Port of Brisbane
Start Date: 2020-02-27 00:00 End Date: 2020-02-28 23:59
Wharf: FI 10
Ship (Reg#) Ship Name On berth Off berth Duration (hrs)
9241061 Queen Mary 2 2020-02-27 07:00 2020-02-27 16:15 9.25
9341938 Maersk Lome 2020-02-27 18:45 2020-02-28 06:30 11.75
9690107 Seatrade Red 2020-02-28 08:30 2020-02-28 16:50 8.33
Occupancy (hrs) 29.33
Occupancy Rate (%) 61.10
Wharf: Caltex Crude
Ship (Reg#) Ship Name On berth Off berth Duration (hrs)
6913300 Lotsella 2020-02-28 16:50 - 7.16
Occupancy (hrs) 7.16
Occupancy Rate (%) 14.93
Wharf: Cruise Terminal
Ship (Reg#) Ship Name On berth Off berth Duration (hrs)
8521232 Pacific Dawn 2020-02-27 09:00 2020-02-27 14:35 5.55
Occupancy (hrs) 5.55
Occupancy Rate (%) 23.00
IAB201 Semester 1, 2020 – Assignment 1 – Information Modelling
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Wharf Usage Report
Port: Port of Brisbane
Start Date: 2020-03-21 00:00 End Date: 2020-03-25 23:59
Wharf: FI 3
Ship (Reg#) Ship Name On berth Off berth Duration (hrs)
9357315 Goliath Leader 2020-03-21 07:00 2020-03-23 05:00 46.0
Occupancy (hrs) 46.0
Occupancy Rate (%) 51.0
Wharf: Caltex Crude
Ship (Reg#) Ship Name On berth Off berth Duration (hrs)
9578024 JS JAGUAR - 2020-03-21 09:00 9.0
6913300 Lotsella 2020-03-22 13:30 2020-03-23 08:45 19.25
Occupancy (hrs) 28.25
Occupancy Rate (%) 29.4
Wharf: Cruise Terminal
Ship (Reg#) Ship Name On berth Off berth Duration (hrs)
8521232 Pacific Dawn 2020-03-24 06:00 2020-03-24 14:30 8.5
Occupancy (hrs) 8.5
Occupancy Rate (%) 8.8
DELIVERABLES
You are required to submit the following items for Task 1:
1. A list of elementary facts that fully and explicitly verbalise the fact types
contained in the scenario description.
2. A conceptual schema model produced using the Entity Relationship Diagram
(ERD) language, using the Barker notation, which fully captures all of the fact
types and any necessary constraints.
3. A conceptual schema model produced using the Object Role Modelling (ORM)
language, which fully captures all of the fact types and any necessary
constraints.
4. A textual description of the ERD model, prepared for the business owner, as an
aid to communicating and understanding the less obvious features of the model
(200-300 words)
5. A textual description of the ORM model, prepared for the business owner, as
an aid to communicating and understanding the less obvious features of the
model (200-300 words)
TASK 2 (5 Marks)
Compare and contrast the two languages used to model the scenario in Step 1. Did
you find one language easier to use than the other? Were there any aspects of the
scenario that were difficult to model? In your opinion, did one language produce a
“better” model in terms of the quality criteria discussed at the end of lecture 2? (300-
500 words)
IAB201 Semester 1, 2020 – Assignment 1 – Information Modelling
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HAND-IN REQUIREMENT
Your solution of Assignment 1 must be submitted via Blackboard before Thursday, 9
April 2020, 11:59pm. The submitted file MUST be in PDF format.
Each submission must contain a declaration, signed by you, stating that it is your own
original work (see Appendix A for the template).
Your Assignment 1 report should be structured as follows:
• Cover page (including name, student number, and a completed declaration of
original work)
• Your response to Task 1.
• Your response to Task 2.
LATE SUBMISSIONS
According to QUT policies, submissions past the deadline will NOT be marked, and
will thus attract a mark of 0. Therefore, you are strongly advised to submit your report,
even if it is only partially complete, by the due date.
EXTENSIONS
According to QUT policies, an extension to the due date of the assignment may only
be granted on medical/compassionate grounds. Please see the Late assignments and
extensions information on the unit’s Blackboard Assessment page.
REVIEWS
We cannot remark assessments. All assessments will be returned with feedback
explaining the reasons for the marks allocated. If you require additional feedback or
clarification, discuss it with your tutor. If you believe that there is a component that has
not been marked in accordance with the criteria sheet, you must identify it in writing to
your tutor.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Any action or practice on your part which would defeat the purposes of assessment is
regarded as academic dishonesty. The penalties for academic dishonesty are
provided in the Student Rules. For more information consult the QUT Library
resources for avoiding plagiarism.
GETTING FEEDBACK
The teaching team will be available to answer specific questions about the
assignment, but not to pre-mark assignments. Lecturers and tutors will NOT read
report drafts and review detailed models prior to the submission of the assignment.
Detailed feedback will be provided in written form when the marker returns the marked
assignment back to the students. Students are also welcome to discuss any queries
about the feedback they will receive.
IAB201 Semester 1, 2020 – Assignment 1 – Information Modelling
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GENERAL INQUIRIES
For specific content-related inquiries about your assessments, please contact your
tutor.
MARKING CRITERIA
See the separate marking criteria sheet on blackboard for details.