Overview
Application Migration
Application migration is the most reliable and efficient method to refresh your legacy systems. The existing system is transferred to a modern and latest platform which increases the overall efficiency of the system. It is also kept in mind to maintain the basic core values of the existing system. Apart from this, you application is also made secure so that your business critical data is accessible only to the decided users. Application migration is mainly conducted in four large platforms - .Net Application Migration, Java Migration, Database Migration and Oracle Application Migration.
Application migration has become a popular alternative rather than buying new applications. It companies globally are providing expert migration services to help clients boost their business.
Application Re-engineering
Re-engineering is the examination, analysis and alteration of an existing application or software system to reconstitute it in a new form, and the subsequent implementation of the new form. The process typically encompasses a combination of other processes such as reverse engineering, redocumentation, restructuring, translation, and forward engineering. The goal is to understand the existing application (specification, design, implementation) and then to re-implement it to improve the system's functionality, performance or implementation. The objective is to maintain the existing functionality and prepare for functionality to be added later.
Migration & Reengineering Features and Benefits
Most organizations will at some time face the problem integrating their existing systems with the Web world of universal computing while still retaining the advantage of conventional and established business models. A Migration & re-engineering services help customers by transforming their legacy information systems into strategic enablers that support the growing needs of their businesses. Plus, our services can help reduce the costs of maintaining and upgrading existing applications. We offer customizable service levels to meet your organization's unique needs and goals, including coverage for different time zones.
Application migration & Migration & re-engineering services include:
- Migration Assessment: Application rationalization, inventory identification, migration strategy definition, migration roadmap definition, optional POC
- Application Porting: Port an application to a new operating system or database
- Application Upgrade (within same operating environment): Language version, OS version, database version, IDE/tools version, product scripting
- Application Migration & re-engineering for new/improved business functionality and operation: Reverse engineering, POC (recommended), partial or full redevelopment, warranty support, optional maintenance support
- Data Migration: Schema translation, data migration, data cleansing
- Technology Migration: Language migration, OS migration, database migration, user interface migration
Application Migration - The benefits:
- Provides extended ROI in mission critical applications
- Significantly lower total costs and lower risks
- Your core applications are poised, before and after migration, to take advantage of a vast range of modern technologies
- Simply the most flexible, cost-effective, fastest and minimum risk migration solution.
Migration & re-engineering Objectives
The number of large systems being built from scratch is diminishing, while the number of legacy systems in use is very high. While the functionality of existing systems remains constant, the context of new systems, such as the application environment, system level hardware and software, are different. Enhancements to the functionality of the existing systems may also be needed, but although the Migration & re-engineering effort may configured for enhancements, they should not be incorporated until after the Migration & re-engineering is complete. This allows for comparison of functionality between the existing system and the new system. The problem is that systems currently in use, "legacy" systems, have become lacking in good design structure and code organization, making changes to the software difficult and costly. Corporations do not want to "trash" these systems because there are many built in subtle business application processes that have evolved over time that would be lost. Often the developers of the legacy systems are not available to verify or explain this information; the only source is the current software code. The original expense of developing the logic and components of the software systems should not be wasted, so reuse through Migration & re-engineering is desired.
The challenge in application Migration & re-engineering is to take existing systems and instill good software development methods and properties, generating a new target system that maintains the required functionality while applying new technologies. Although specific objectives of a Migration & re-engineering task are determined by the goals of the corporations, there are four general Migration & re-engineering objectives:
- Preparation for functional enhancement
- Improve maintainability
- Migration
- Improve reliability
Although Migration & re-engineering should not be done to enhance the functionality of an existing system, it is often used in preparation for enhancement. Legacy systems, through years of modifications due to errors or enhancements, become difficult and expensive to change. The code no longer has a clear, logical structure and documentation may not exist, and if it exists, it is often outdated. Migration & re-engineering specifies the characteristics of the existing system that can be compared to the specifications of the characteristics of the desired system. The re-engineered target system can be built to easily facilitate the enhancements. For example, if the desired system enhancements build on object-oriented design, the target system can be developed using object-oriented technology in preparation for increasing the functionality of the legacy system.
As systems grow and evolve, maintainability costs increase because changes become difficult and time consuming. An objective of Migration & re-engineering is to re-design the system with more appropriately functional modules and explicit interfaces. Documentation, internal and external, will also be current, hence improving maintainability.
The computer industry continues to grow at a fast rate; new hardware and software systems include new features, quickly outdating current systems. As these systems change, personnel skills migrate to the newer technologies, leaving fewer people to maintain the older systems. In a relatively short time, manufacturers no longer support the software and hardware parts become expensive. Even more important is the compatibility of the older systems with the newer ones.
For these reasons, companies with working software that meets their needs might need to migrate to a newer hardware platform, operating system, or language. The fourth objective of Migration & re-engineering is to achieve greater reliability. Although it is possible that the reliability never was very high, more likely, over time and with multiple changes, there have been "ripple effects", one change causing multiple additional problems. As maintenance and changes continue, the reliability of the software steadily decreases to the point of unacceptable.
Migration Capability
Enterprise architecture is evolving everyday to keep up with changing business needs. Migrating to newer technologies, application servers and integration platforms has become a way of life. Option Matrix recognizes the need for change and understands that anything it does to reduce the cost of change will go a long way to reduce the TCO for the customer.
Two broad categories for migration projects based on the recent trends in the industry:
- Technology Migration
Legacy applications (Visual Basic, Power Builder, C++/VC++ etc) to multi tier applications based on PHP, J2EE or Dot Net. - Platform Migration
Application running on old application server platforms needs to be ported to latest application server platforms
Technology Migration / Re-engineering
Technology migration helps the customer to migrate/reengineer an older format application to a newer version of technology like PHP and .NET including service oriented architecture based applications. Older format of applications include Visual Basic, Power Builder, C++,VC++ etc.
Based on Option Matrix's in house knowledgebase and prior experience in migration/reengineering to n tier applications, we devised a detailed approach in technology migration. This includes detailed assessment, planning, migration, testing and production support of applications. Activities on each phase is identified and validated against prior experience. Technology Migration approach provided by us is a combination of manual and tool usage and our centre of excellence group conducted a cost benefit analysis of tools in the migration effort to identify apt tools in the process. Our migration model is an iterative process where the learning's from iteration is documented and used as guidelines in subsequent iterations. Estimations for migration projects can be performed in multiple aspects based on the available information. This includes estimation based on lines of code or work break down approach.
Platform Migration
The Process
A Standard Conversion Process Model, in which components of a software system are modified from one platform to another, while delivering the same business or functional results. Option Matrix ensures that non functional requirements like security, performance, scalability etc are taken care while performing a platform migration.
Tools
Process Model has spent and continues to spend significant amount of time and effort in evaluating and comparing relevant tools which can contribute to increased productivity in platform migration exercises.Wipro proposes to make most use of these tools wherever applicable for the migration.
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