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<< Exploring a Workflow | Detailing a Use Case with Rational Unified Process >>
Starting with Actors and Use Cases
<< Exploring a Workflow | Detailing a Use Case with Rational Unified Process >>
Starting with Actors and Use Cases
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Figure 9
Requirements Overview in RUP
Starting with Actors and Use Cases
When you design or enhance a system, the Rational Unified Process recommends that
members of your team start by agreeing on the system's high-level behavior. To do so,
you identify actors and use cases.
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Actors are the entities that interact with your system. An actor is often a person (for
example, a sales clerk or administrator). An actor can also be an external hardware
or software system (for example, a cash register or credit card verification system
provided by a financial institution).
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Use cases describe how an actor uses and interacts with the system. More formally,
a use case describes what services or features a system provides to a certain actor.
You define a use case by describing a complete sequence of actions that yields
observable results of value to an actor.
Use cases are a key concept in RUP and in the UML. They enhance communication
across development teams so that you can solve the right problem and define the
right system for your users.