Software engineering
Application modernization
The goal is not a newer technology list. The goal is lower risk, lower cost to change and a system your team can still hire for.
What organizations bring us
Old applications carry rules that nobody wrote down. A rewrite from specifications misses them, and customers find out in production. The safer route is to learn the behavior from the system itself, wrap it with tests, and then replace parts in order.
We start by measuring: age of dependencies, test coverage, deployment effort, defect history and the business value of each module. That decides where modernization pays back and where leaving things alone is the right call.
What the platform covers
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Assessment
Code, dependencies, architecture, runtime, data and operations reviewed and scored.
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Characterization tests
Tests that record current behavior so changes can be checked against it.
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Strangler pattern
New components take over routes or functions behind a facade while the old system keeps running.
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Framework and runtime upgrades
Move off unsupported versions of Java, .NET, Python or Node.js with compatibility testing.
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Database modernization
Schema clean-up, move to supported engines, and removal of logic hidden in stored procedures.
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API enablement
Expose legacy functions through APIs so new front ends and partners can use them.
Common use cases
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Unsupported framework version
Upgrade in stages with a compatibility test suite.
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Monolith that is hard to change
Extract the module that changes most often.
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Desktop client to web
Rebuild by workflow, starting with the most used.
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Reports tied to the application database
Move reporting to a separate store and retire direct queries.
A common sequence
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Assess
Score value, risk and effort per component.
- 2
Stabilize
Add tests, monitoring and a repeatable build to the existing system.
- 3
Carve out a slice
Pick a module with clear boundaries and move it.
- 4
Run in parallel
Compare old and new results on real traffic or data.
- 5
Switch and retire
Move users, then remove the old code and infrastructure.
What you receive
- Modernization assessment
- Disposition per application
- Characterization test suite
- Target architecture and slice plan
- Parallel-run results
- Decommissioning checklist
Questions people ask
Rewrite or refactor?
We decide with data from the assessment. Rewrites are justified when the platform is dead or the design cannot carry the load. Most cases do better with staged change.
Will users notice?
They should notice improvements and nothing else. We plan communication and training for the changes they will see.
Related
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Legacy modernization
Assess and modernize aging applications and platforms: rehost, replatform, refactor, replace or retire, with a plan that keeps the business running.
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Microservices transformation
Decompose a monolith along real business boundaries, with the platform, data ownership and team structure to run the result.
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Cloud
Cloud strategy, readiness assessments, migration, landing zones, governance, FinOps and operations on AWS, Azure and Google Cloud.
Have a technology challenge? Let’s work out the approach.
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