System Integration
Secondary actors often represent external systems or services that the system needs to integrate with. Identifying these actors helps in planning and implementing the necessary integration points and interfaces.
What are Secondary Actors in a Use Case Diagram?
Secondary actors in Use Case Diagrams, unlike primary actors, are not directly involved in the primary goal of the system but provide support services or resources that the system needs to accomplish its tasks. They are entities that interact with the system but are not the primary users or external systems that the system is designed for.
For Example:
Let’s understand secondary actors with the help of an e-commerce system.
- This secondary actor represents an external service that the e-commerce system interacts with to handle the shipping of products.
- The shipping service is not directly involved in the primary goal of the e-commerce system (facilitating online transactions), but it provides a critical service that the system relies on to fulfill orders.