How to notate actorless use cases in UML

[nexocentric]

How do I represent a use case that has no actor?

I'm doing the preliminary work for an IT system. I'm trying to list up all the actors so that I can create all the use cases that I need; however, there are things like background processes that must run that have no actor.

I have done quite a bit of research and keep hitting dead ends.

Thank You

[ChrisHunter]

If i understand correctly you're talking about processes that don't need user input. Have a look into sequence diagrams, they are created to show the different steps of an individual (e.g. request bank statement) this link might be of use to you.

Hope this helps.

[nexocentric]

If i understand correctly you're talking about processes that don't need user input. Have a look into sequence diagrams, they are created to show the different steps of an individual (e.g. request bank statement) this link might be of use to you.

Hope this helps.

Thank you very much. Your link and explanation really cleared things up for me. I've been studying UML the past week and today I'm trying to put it to use. I just didn't quite understand how all the pieces fit.

[nexocentric]

I need to check something really quick and I'll get back to this.

I apologize for the lack of clarity.

[ChrisHunter]

it's ok, when your doing the system designs you want to make sure you've got a full set of reqirements before you start creating UML diagrams. You should create the UML diagrams in an order too starting with UseCase diagrams, sequence diagrams, package diagrams and then class diagrams.

These are the only diagrams i've had experience with so there may be others that i haven't mentioned above that may be appropriate for your work.

[nexocentric]

ChrisHunter,

I've clarified what my problem is.
I'd like to preface this with finished reading the book "UML 2.0 in Action: A project-based tutorial" a few days ago and also read the web page that you posted here as a refresher. (Thank you! :))

My problem right now is in creating sequence diagrams.

In my use case diagram an actor started a use case which includes two other use cases that aren't initiated by the actor directly.

How would I diagram those? They don't start with an actor.

I think that's my problem.

Thanks for your help.

[nexocentric]

ChrisHunter,

I've been studying UML a little bit more and I understand what my problem was. A daemon is a system and should be modeled as a system. It really has nothing to do with use cases. Use case relate to how an actor can interact with the system, but it isn't a detailed diagram of how the system works. That can be done in other diagrams.

Thanks for the link. I really appreciate it. I also have another link that was really nice as well.

http://www.idt.mdh.se/kurser/cd5490/2004/lectures/UML%20Intro.pdf Crash Course in UML

Comparing and reading through that and the link that you posted helped to clear things up.

Thank you.