Legacy application modernization is an innovative approach for the legacy system which has been in existence for more than two decades. The need of modernization of legacy applications arises with the aim to extend the value of the legacy investment to new platforms through migration.
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An overview on legacy application modernization
1. An Overview on Legacy Application Modernization
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Legacy application modernization is an innovative approach for the legacy system which has
been in existence for more than two decades. The need of modernization of legacy applications
arises with the aim to extend the value of the legacy investment to new platforms through
migration.
Legacy systems are often very complicated projects of multiyear which typically requires
modern techniques to convert them to modern computer programming languages, hardware
platform and protocols. During the modernization efforts, make sure these strategies ensure
the system functions completely. It’s a hobby for technology lovers to store apps or pieces of
programming codes for future use, especially when they are no longer compatible with the
latest operating system.
From organizational perspective, it becomes risky to keep old software and at the same times
even detrimental to the business. With the time changes, business practices and financial
policies may evolve and might be this system not able to easily adapt to modern software
platforms. Various different modernization options have come to being in practice, each of
them met varying adoption and success such as:
Re- hosting: It includes the running of legacy application on different platforms with no
major changes, it is an intermediate step to eliminate and the common example is
mainframe applications that being re- hosted on Unix or Wintel platform.
Re- engineering: This technique is used to rebuild the legacy applications in a new
platform that meets with latest technology and with the same functionality.
Migration: To increase efficiency migration of databases, languages, and platforms have
been done by using automated parsers and converters.
Package Implementation: It includes the replacement of applications with the software
like ERP, CRM and Billing software etc.
Legacy Modernization is abounded with some challenges such as:
It requires to trained users to use and understand the new platforms and applications
effectively.
It needs organizational change management
With a large footprint of legacy system, organizations not able to migrate and thus
required a phased modernization approach.
It requires the implementation of overlapping functionality and data duplication.
2. On the other hand, strategy for this system is essential in various cases such as would you like
to replace the aging business system with the new based system or would you discard
important business information and start using new software to manage it?
Well in both the conditions, it is difficult to make decision and here legacy modernization
strategies can help us. The most easier and cost effective way is to communicate through
modern environment like .Net and Java architecture especially for those companies with aging
business system. The main goal is to retain the value of the legacy asset on the new platform.