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Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science

Assessment Cover Sheet and Feedback Form 2022-23

Module Code: Module Title: Module Team: Shiny Verghese /

CS4S761 Distributed Computing Samith Shetty/Peter Parody

Assessment Title and Tasks: Assessment No.

Distributed Systems Architecture 2

Date Set: Submission Date: Return Date:

26-Sep-22 16-Feb-24 15-Mar-24

23:59

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP RECORDS OF ALL WORK SUBMITTED

Marking and Assessment

This assignment will be marked out of 100%

This assignment contributes to 50% of the total module marks.

Learning Outcomes to be assessed (as specified in the validated module

descriptor https://icis.southwales.ac.uk/ ):

1) To design and develop distributed systems from the analysis of commercial

requirements.
2) To make valued judgements concerning the utilisation of distributed systems in the
world of commerce

Provisional mark only: subject to change and / or confirmation by the Assessment

Board
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Assessment Task

ACME Travels Case Study

Distributed computing itself has a wide range of applications within the
industry. Your task is to critically present a distributed architecture design
that solves the issues in the given case study. Write a report detailing and
discussing the reasoning behind your decision. You have a 2000-word limit.
Reference your report with relevant research using the USW Harvard
referencing style.

ACME travels are a fictitious company who are facing problems with their current
computing architecture. You have been asked to review the existing architecture and
present alternative distributed architecture design(s) that solve the problems faced by
ACME.

ACME has primarily conducted their business over the phone since 1984. ACME has
historically sold vacation packages in two ways:
1. Directly to customers. This was done over the phone.
2. Via associated partners. This was done using email and text services.

In 2019 ACME hired an external company to create ACME’s website, mobile app, and
partner API service. However, the mobile app shows incorrect data, and the API service
was too complex for the partners to use. As a result, ACME is losing customers, partners,
and reputation. ACME has hired you to create a report with solutions to these issues. The
solution should be user friendly, flexible, and scalable to allow for the future growth of
the company.

Information about the existing architecture

• Both the website and the mobile app use the same database
• There is a PHP server in use
• There is a Tomcat server in use for the mobile front-end
• The mobile app’s back-end server communicates using HTTP and JSON
• The website’s back-end server communicates using HTTP and XML
• All data is stored in MySQL
• The partner API service uses SOAP

Your report should include the following:

1. Diagram(s) with descriptions showing the current ACME distributed system
2. Diagram(s) with descriptions showing a new distributed architecture(s) that solves
ACME’s problems
3. A section discussing the technologies used in your distributed system(s)
4. A section discussing the ethical considerations of using your distributed system(s)
5. Comparisons of the proposed distributed system(s) and the existing
system/alternative solutions
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Marking Scheme:
Fail Narrow Fail 3rd Class / Pass Lower 2nd Class / Pass Upper 2nd Class / Merit 1st Class / Distinction
Findings and Conclusion
25%
 Very poor appraisal of the  Poor appraisal of the distributed  Satisfactory appraisal of the  Good appraisal of the distributed  Very good appraisal of the  Excellent appraisal of the
distributed system(s) and system(s) and considerations for distributed system(s) and system(s) and considerations for distributed systems and distributed system(s) and
considerations for future future developments related to the considerations for future future developments related to the considerations for future considerations for future
developments related to the scenario developments related to the scenario scenario developments related to the developments related to the
scenario
 Poor or superficial explanation  Basic explanation of conclusions  Reasonable explanation of scenario scenario
 Conclusion missing or very of conclusions that contains many that answer some research questions conclusions that answer most  Clear explanation of conclusions  Thorough and concise
superficial errors in answering questions accurately, but also contain several research questions accurately, but that answer research questions explanation of conclusions that
errors also contain some errors answers research questions
effectively
Solution Architecture
30%
 No realistic steps were taken to  A problem was identified but no  A problem is identified and  A problem is identified and  Very good solution is provided  Realistic, complete, well
provide solution for the given adequate solution provided solution is also provided but it is solution is also provided without any and realistic solution is given designed and practical solutions
scenario
 Incorrect or no design provided compromised compromise
 Realistic design solution(s) that provided
 No design provided  Design has some problems  Overall structure and design(s) of provide flexibility to the user with  Multiple designs created that are
architecture is very good consideration for future-proofing user friendly and flexible with
consideration for future-proofing
Report Structure 20%
 Very poor structure of the essay  Poor layout difficult to  Satisfactory structure of the essay  Good layout of report content  Very good structure clearly  Excellent structure of the essay
 Very poor referencing understand contain errors
 Just covered referencing  Good referencing style defined and easy for reader to
 Excellent referencing style with
 Referencing is not good and understand the material
some excellent resources used
sufficient  Very good referencing style
Knowledge of Distributed
Systems and Ethical
 Very poor understanding of the  Poor understanding of the  Satisfactory understanding of the  Good understanding of the  Very good understanding of the  Excellent understanding of the
ethical considerations related to ethical considerations related to ethical considerations related to ethical considerations related to ethical considerations related to ethical considerations related to
Understanding 25%
distributed computing distributed computing distributed computing distributed computing distributed computing distributed computing
 Very poor knowledge and  Poor knowledge and  Satisfactory knowledge and  Good knowledge and  Very good knowledge and  Excellent knowledge and
understanding of distributed understanding of distributed understanding of distributed systems understanding of distributed systems understanding of distributed understanding of distributed
systems and related technologies systems and related technologies and related technologies and related technologies systems and related technologies systems and related technologies