www.preludesys.com

Digital transformation begins hereLEGACY APPLICATION MODERNIZATION 2020

App Modernization 20202

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3

What exactly is digital transformation? ...................................................................... 3

Modernizing the app ................................................................................................................. 4

#1 Rehosting ...........................................................................................................................................................4

#2 Refactoring .......................................................................................................................................................4

#3 Rearchitecting ................................................................................................................................................5

#4 Replacing ..........................................................................................................................................................5

Migrating to cloud ....................................................................................................................... 6

Planning ...................................................................................................................................................................6

Execution .................................................................................................................................................................6

Success story #1: modernization of regulatory services system and

integration using jitterbit ........................................................................................................7

Success story #2: legacy application modernization......................................... 9

Take it there.... ................................................................................................................................10

Table of Contents

App Modernization 20203

What Exactly is Digital Transformation?

In recent times, there has been an increasing

demand for business entities to run on digitally

enabled and technically advanced platform

with the ability to automatically upgrade as

technology advances into the inevitable realms

of Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and

Robotic Process Automation.

PreludeSys has always been in the forefront of technology

advancement and has shown remarkable agility in

responding to change and adaptability to the modern

technologies. With the evolution of cloud technology

and the pressing need for organizations to be digitally

transformed, PreludeSys has been partnering with its clients

to successfully modernize their technical environment and

make it as seamless and as cost-effective as possible.

Digital transformation, in nonprofessional terms, is the

employment of new, rapid and modern technologies to

stay abreast of the constantly evolving Cloud, Mobile

and AI technologies. When you try to visualize from the

business perspective, it is the process of seeding in the

ever-changing mechanics in the field of IT technology

to improve customer-satisfaction, mobility, business and

market requirements. Digital transformation revolves

All journeys have to begin somewhere. App modernisation

has always been the core of Digital Transformation. Over

the years, organizations have built their own custom

applications hosted on the on premise servers and most

of the time have huge volumes of data stored in them.

Apps built on legacy technologies have their challenges

when it comes to integrating with newer apps. Legacy

apps would lack responsive UI and therefore would not be

mobile or touch compatible. And, finally being connected

to an on premise server is like being chained to the floor

as it precludes the ability of the apps to be accessible

from anywhere.

This whitepaper is intended to highlight the App

Modernization services offered by PreludeSys and the

technologies that is being utilised by the organisation to

deliver both qualitative and quantitative output.

around the idea of modernizing the legacy apps, by first

migrating the existing environment to a cloud-based

community, developing the app such that it is mobile

compatible and last but not the least, enable it to leverage

the emerging AI platform to render your apps intelligent.

So, Digital Transformation takes shape through App

Modernization.

Introduction

App Modernization 20204

1. Rehosting

Rehosting is a process by which the physical and virtual servers are moved from the existing

environment to cloud platform. The process can also be termed as Lift-and-Shift and this

process can be completed in no time without any change to the architecture.

Lift-and-Shift, in layman terms, is the process of “lifting” the application as it is and “shifting”

it to a new environment with no or negligible change in the business logic.

Here are some of the instances under which rehosting can be performed.

► When the application is complex or in the critical stage, rehosting will be the fastest

approach with minimal risks involved.

► If the application undergoes large changes in volume, rehosting can be of a good benefit

from compute elasticity in the cloud.

► Rehosting would be of a good choice for a black-box application as the business logics

needs no modification compared to other modernization techniques.

► For a static application, rehosting can render it an advantage of being moved to the

new environment with no changes in the code.

2. Refactoring

Refactoring refers to the idea of application development process by simply restructuring

the code and application configuration. This will open up new opportunities and avenues

for the business entities and will make sure the business unit enjoys the benefit of cloud, web

and mobile-friendly platforms. In technical terms, the codes that become unmanageable

gets broken down piece-wise into new, easily comprehensible codes, thereby replacing

the existing environment into a newer one that is now highly scalable and containerized.

Some of the engaging reasons why organisations prefer the technique is:

► The existing systems contribute to the revenue streams and warrant further investments.

► The existing system is improvised which drives revenues and new capabilities.

► They enhance customer experience.

► Faster time-to-market with enhanced features.

► Engage with new business models.

► Ensures better availability, scalability, reliability, quality, maintainability and increased

performance.

App ModernizationAs we already mentioned, App Modernization is the core of digital transformation. While the destination is same, the

routes can be different. The route that an organization selects may be based on budget, pressing business need,

customer satisfaction, retention, growth plan, system dependencies, etc. Taking all these factors into consideration

and in conjunction with Microsoft’s own Digital Transformation strategies, we have tailored 4 app modernization

methodologies to choose from. We call these the 4 Rs –

While Rehosting is the simple, basic, low-cost and quick method to modernize apps, Replacing is the most comprehensive

and advanced app modernization technique. Let’s take a look at each of these methodologies in more detail.

1. Rehosting 2. Refactoring 3. Rearchitecting 4. Replacing

App Modernization 20205

3. Rearchitecting

When all you need is a highly functional platform with system extensibility and updated

technology, re-architecting would be the best option. A few age-old applications that are

not cloud-compatible essentially requires a newly framed code before transiting it into

cloud. The re-architecting process is carried out using PaaS infrastructure.

On the other hand, if the application is cloud-compatible but is not cloud-native, it can still

be transformed into cloud-native application, which can bring about greater operational

efficiency, and reduced costs.

If you would want to make an analogy betwixt/between the two terms viz., cloud-compatible

and cloud-native, it is just a trivial difference. A cloud-compatible environment is that which

runs on a browser but points to a cloud-based infrastructure, whereas a cloud-native

application is a kind of application development that is containerized and dynamically

orchestrated. In the sense, the applications are run without the launch of any Virtual

Machines by a pre-integrated solution.

This approach might be a little time-consuming, but the targeted application does not

depend on any custom solutions, performance can easily be monitored and developing

such lengthy, complex code is minimised.

If you want to succeed in the path of re-architecting, a thorough evaluation of the business

processes is a pre-requisite. The firm’s business analysts, developers and those teams with

clear understanding of modernization, all need to work together to deliver the desired output.

4. Replacing/Rebuilding

In this case, the pre-existing application is completely replaced by a SaaS platform, thereby

allowing decreased IT developmental costs. By revamping the entire application using

cloud-native technologies, we are able to create a native cloud application that seamlessly

works on mobile apps and leverages AI platforms to the maximum. One of the greatest

advantage of employing this process is that it becomes easier to manage all the services

and applications as it mixes and integrates components that were already migrated using

any other methods. This is considered as one of the simplest, safest and most comprehensive

form of app modernization technique.

App Modernization 20206

Migrating to CloudMigrating to cloud is one of the processes involved in app modernization. The reason is that cloud offers numerous

benefits and these include, availability of services, web scalability, pace at which innovations take place, security and

mobile-driven user experiences. However, there isn’t a specific strategy to adopt cloud-migration. There are several

factors taken into consideration by the business unit and it differs from one organisation to another.

Planning

Napolean Hill’s adage “Plan your work and work your plan” fits perfectly for cloud migration

too. The very first step before migrating your data into the cloud is to work out a plan

detailing the purpose and usage. Plan on why you want the data to be moved into the

cloud; try to determine the purpose that it is going to serve and lastly, figure out the pros

and cons of doing so.

As part of the cloud migration assessment, we thoroughly comb through your servers, list

down and audit every component that needs to be migrated. These components include, but

not limited to, servers both physical and virtual, VMware & Hyper-V, Database, applications,

networks, data centers, Identities, Access, Social IDs, etc. In consultation with our clients

and taking into consideration their existing state of systems, and dependencies, we work

out a simple, quick, and cost-effective cloud migration plan.

Execution

Once you have the migration plan in place, the next step is to execute the process to

perfection. Our Azure Migration Services plan will include options for different migration

scenarios, migration sequence, and anticipating and resolving potential roadblocks while

minimizing or avoiding downtime for the clients. With an expert team of specialists, we

execute our cloud migration strategy to perfection while invoking the prepared workarounds

where applicable.

App Modernization 20207

Success Story #1: A US State Department

Breaks Productivity Shackles Created by

Legacy Applications

Problem

Customer had been running several legacy applications that was difficult to maintain,

improve and enhance. Most of the software technologies were obsolete or not supported

and documentation was nearly non-existent. The legacy applications and their integration

had been posing a challenge for the client. Users had to be working across the network

and the application could not be accessed by anyone outside the network.

Requirement

To modernize and replace the existing legacy system through emerging technologies using

SOA-based architecture

Technology

Java, J2EE, Rules Engine, Websphere, SOA, Oracle, Sybase, PowerBuilder, Mainframe,

Windows XP Client

Solution

PreludeSys built a core team of domain experts to understand the existing systems, data, and

data models. After discussions with the client, it was decided to execute app modernization

using Re-architect methodology. PreludeSys developed new application architecture

and migrated the systems into the latest web technologies. The transformation included

development and testing of application, documentation, training and knowledge transfer

to the customer, staging and deployment and, maintenance and support.

Benefits

► Ensured faster and better services.

► An efficient and easy-to-use design was implemented.

► The new application could be accessed from anywhere outside the network.

► The new system was designed to support any new features and services.

App Modernization 20208

App Modernization 20209

Success Story #2: A Title Insurance

Giant Embraces Digital Transformation

Through Legacy App Modernization

Problem

Client is a United States financial services company and is a leading provider of title

insurance and settlement services to the real estate and mortgage industries. The Client

wanted to incorporate a new environment to the existing system to bridge the gaps in

accomplishing its business goals

Requirement

To replace the current Mainframe application to SOA based architecture on Microsoft

technology. The scope of the project also included setting up the SOA blueprint, assessment,

building SOA prototypes, business process definition, SOA governance, service definition,

implementation and support services.

Technology

Microsoft .NET, SQL Server 2010, Web Services, SOA, BizTalk, Mainframe, Windows Client

Solution

PreludeSys team worked closely with the client to understand their business and their

expectations from this project. Client wanted to initiate digital transformation, but at its

own pace. So, a combination solution of Re-factoring and Re-architecting was selected

for the client. As part of this modernization project, the user interface and none of the

front-end applications were to be modified. The middleware components and the back-

end database were changed.

Benefits

Legacy system modernization, Documentation, Training and Knowledge Transfer,

Maintenance and Support..

App Modernization 202010

Final Few Words…

Application modernization is a big movement, and more and more

organizations have started recognizing the benefits they can

receive from modernizing their legacy tools. The most pressing

reason is that with employees, customers and end-users becoming

digital savvy, it is important for organizations to keep up with them.

Secondly, it is becoming very evident that organizations that are

digitally transformed are reaping the benefits of automation,

integration, productivity, and above all the ability to leverage AI.