Design of transaction-oriented systems employing a transaction monitor

An increasing number of computer users are implementing an on-line facility with the aid of a transaction monitor program. This transaction monitor may be supplied either by the computer hardware manufacturer or by a software supplier. It is felt that the literature is inadequate in aiding such a user to implement his system. Consequently this paper sets out to achieve such an aim by presenting a methodology for the design of a transaction-oriented system employing a transaction monitor. The decisions to be made are outlined together with the choices available for each decision. The methodology is iterative in that a decision at any stage can have a significant impact on the final design and is also affected by previously taken decisions.