Legacy Applications and Cloud Technologies: Modernization to the Cloud

Transcription

1 Legacy Applications and Cloud Technologies: Modernization to the Cloud 10/2/2013 Transformix Computer Corporation Charles Finley More Information: Page 0

2 Table of Contents Management Summary... 3 Introduction... 6 Legacy Applications and How to Extend Their Value... 8 Legacy Modernization as part of an overall cloud-centric strategy... 9 Who uses this type approach? Legacy Challenges Saving Time and Money with Cloud Architecture What needs to be modernized? IT infrastructure Applications and Application Development Benefits of Legacy Modernization Solution Solution Overview A Solution to Do List Modernize Using Cloud Architecture (UI, SOA) Make use of the following Toolkits Use Cloud Hosting (optional) Modernize Using Cloud Architecture (UI, SOA) Make use of the following Toolkits Unified Development Environments for New and Legacy Application Development Development Features Needed Deployment Features Needed Legacy integration tools Migration tools Modernization tools Application servers RDBMS Use Cloud Hosting (optional) Page 1

3 Demonstrations Demonstration Overview Featured Demos Existing or Re-hosted System Hybrid Cloud Key Features Re-hosted and Re-architected System Full Cloud Two featured Strategies for getting legacy applications to the cloud The Unified Development and Deployment Environment The Hybrid Cloud Approach How the Hybrid Cloud Approach Works Extending the FlyNet Model The Full Cloud Modernization and Migration Approach Re-hosting Migration to RDBMS Migrating Forms and Programs Migrating Databases and Data Sources Modernization Advantages and Disadvantages Using Both Approaches on the Same Legacy Application How did we do? - Key Issues with Legacy applications How did we do? - Today s key development challenges Summary and Conclusions Toolkits, Partners, Open Source, Platforms and RDBMS Toolkits Partners Open Source Platform RDBMS Transformix Computer Corporation Page 2

4 Legacy Applications and Cloud Technologies: Modernization to the Cloud Charles Finley Transformix Computer Corporation Management Summary Information Technology is not a sport for wimps. It is a complex business that is getting increasingly more complex with time. If it is viewed as a whole, it is almost daunting. Change is constant and we who are part of the Information Technology industry are controlled by the events, products, and demands created both inside and outside the field. In addition, staffing issues and maintaining infrastructure for all of the new and existing technologies, while at the same time keeping the extended data center in production, complicate and make our task that much more difficult. What we hear most often, in the context of cloud, typically has nothing to do with Legacy applications. The promised benefits from cloud hosting are mostly focused on applications other than Legacy. The most important reasons for this are that typically Legacy applications do not run on platforms that are hosted in the cloud and their architecture is usually not suited to the kind of integration needed for cloud-based usage. Also at issue are newer technologies such as mobile and web applications in the organization. Mobile devices, web applications and social media use, necessary by organizations with Legacy applications, present additional challenges. Similar integration issues make the use of these technologies with Legacy applications more difficult than with newer application types. Legacy staff skills can also be at odds with the use of technologies normally associated with cloud and modern applications. Maintaining these skills is becoming increasing difficult due to the aging of those with the requisite skills and the lack of new developers who are willing to take their place. Cloud technologies (architecture components), those hardware and software components that are used for networking and interoperability, are not normally associated with legacy applications. However, when one looks at the advancements that have been made in development tools and networking one can see that by modernizing legacy applications in a strategic way, it can help simplify some of the complexity in today s modern IT environment and can make it so that legacy Page 3

5 applications can gain compatibility with newer applications. More specifically, it can mean that Legacy applications can be adapted in a way that makes them suitable for integration with newer and cloud-based applications. These applications can also be configured for seamless integration with mobile, web and social media. Moreover, an opportunity exists to retool the application so that more uniformity is achieved in both Legacy and its staff development. This results in the opportunity to have legacy and newer developers work as teams and share skill sets. Solution Component Modern Application Legacy Application Modernized Legacy Application Application and Data Integration Yes No Yes SOA enablement Yes No Yes User Experience Modernization Yes No Yes Development Environment Modernization Development Staff Modernization Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Cloud Compatible Infrastructure Optional No Optional FIGURE 1 - GOAL FOR THE LEGACY SYSTEM This whitepaper explores the benefits of modernizing Legacy applications in such a way so as to modernize not just the code and data but the developers and their tools as well. Page 4

6 Part of the solution is to use modern development IDE based workbenches and, in some cases, bolting a cloud like infrastructure to the existing application using web services that talk to the terminals. In other cases the solution is achieved by migrating the application and modernizing other aspects of it. Included is changing COBOL code to JAVA that is maintainable by both COBOL programmers and new JAVA programmers. This paper also discusses the economic and time saving benefits of such an approach. The goals for the approach presented in this paper are highlighted in Figure 1. Our main emphasis is to put Legacy applications on the same, or a similar footing to newer, modern applications. What follows is a brief explanation of this: Application and Data Integration: Making tools available so that the Legacy application data, and any needed applications, can be accessed securely by servers and clients outside of its own traditional network. In addition, to make it so the Legacy application can access data, applications and services external to itself. SOA enablement: Create the ability to offer resources from the Legacy application as web services. User Experience Modernization: Provide the ability to create web, mobile and social media interoperability with the Legacy system and applications. Development Environment Modernization: IBM, Microfocus, Oracle and others have shown that the same or similar tools can be used by both Legacy and new developers. The skills overlap can be of great benefit to organizations that take advantage of them. This approach helps to address the skills shortage of Legacy developers and helps prepare for the future so that new developers are available to maintain and enhance the Legacy applications once the current developers retire. Development Staff Modernization: Legacy development tools usually lack the productivity of a more modern development and deployment environment. Modernization provides an opportunity to modernize the tools and the skills of the development staff. Cloud Compatible Infrastructure: Other things in this list are made possible after the infrastructure is modernized to a cloud - For example, the architecture. Page 5

7 A great man once said Ain t nothin easy. IBM reports that it is 5x cheaper to reuse and revitalize a main frame application than to move it to another platform and rewrite it. Therefore, if it is determined that the legacy application is worth continuing to use, we think it is worth considering modernizing it in a way that leads to maximum benefits. Introduction According to Wikipedia Cloud computing, or the cloud, is a colloquial expression used to describe a variety of computing concepts that involve a large number of computers connected through a real-time communication network such as the Internet. Cloud computing is a term without a commonly accepted unequivocal scientific or technical definition. In science, cloud computing is a synonym for distributed computing over a network and means the ability to run a program on many connected computers at the same time. The phrase is also more commonly used to refer to network-based services which appear to be provided by real server hardware, but are actually served up by virtual hardware, simulated by software running on one or more real machines. Such virtual servers do not physically exist and can therefore be moved around and scaled up or down on the fly without affecting the end user - similar to a cloud. The popularity of the term cloud can be attributed to its use in marketing to sell hosted services like Application Service Provisioning that run client server software from a remote location. Also from Wikipedia Cloud Computing Providers offer their services according to several fundamental models. These are (1) infrastructure as a service (IaaS), (2) platform as a service (PaaS), and (3) software as a service (SaaS). IaaS is the most basic of the three with each higher model building from its basic attributesl. Finally, according to Wikipedia, Cloud computing architecture refers to the components and subcomponents required for cloud computing. These components typically consist of a front end platform (fat client, thin client, mobile device), back end platforms (servers, storage), a cloud based delivery, and a network (Internet, Intranet, Intercloud). Combined, these components make up cloud computing architecture. Page 6

8 This whitepaper is NOT about the IaaS, PaaS or SaaS hosted services. It is about modernizing Legacy applications so that they can be integrated with applications that are hosted. Optionally, if the user chooses, those Legacy applications can also be hosted. can be hosted. Although convincing arguments can be made for the benefits of modernizing Legacy applications so that they can be hosted, that is not the emphasis of this article. The focus of this article is that modernizing legacy applications so that they will work in a cloud computing architecture environment has many benefits beyond those provided by hosting providers. A After modernization, stakeholders may be able to achieve additional benefits by hosting the application with a hosting provider. FIGURE 1 - OVERVIEW OF CLOUD COMPUTING ARCHITECTURE COURTESY WIKIPEDIA Page 7

9 Legacy Applications and How to Extend their Value Even solid, proven Legacy systems, architectures and processes can waste money and cost organization opportunities. A significant part of the world's data resides in mainframes and is accessed by COBOL and other older language-based systems. CIOs and IT managers responsible for mainframe-based enterprise applications face many challenges. Among these: Value In most cases, Legacy applications have already established their value to organizations. They provide the IT foundation on which most of the world runs. Existing business logic is among the most valuable assets a company owns. That value needs to be exploited. Its data and business rules must be exposed and leveraged for competitive advantage. Organizations who are able to combine new technologies with old and make the best of their existing assets and unique strengths can derive a competitive advantage over comparable organizations. Still, Legacy systems need to integrate with other systems, be accessible to modern Web and mobile interfaces and work seamlessly with real-time transactional processes. Alternatives There are alternatives to reusing Legacy applications through modernization. IBM reports that it is 5x cheaper to reuse and revitalize a mainframe application than to move it to another platform and rewrite it. Replacing a working application with packages can be very expensive, time consuming and much riskier than reusing solid, existing applications with established and proven business logic and data. The Costs of Doing Nothing To show one example of how important it can be to modernize Legacy applications, customer self-service in a utility illustrates the point. Several sources including JD Power and Forrester report that a utility with 1.5 million customers can save $1,387,500/yr by implementing customer self-service using mobile and web applications. The savings are much more dramatic with 3 million customers. The utility can save $2,775,000/yr. Therefore, even if it cost the utility $1,387,500 to modernize their existing application, which is unlikely, the ROI is less than one year! Alternatively, it is extremely unlikely that the same application can be replaced or rewritten in the 6-12 months it might take to modernize the existing application. Page 8

10 What would you invest in your business to save $1,387,500/yr.? Legacy Modernization as part of an overall Cloud-centric Strategy Managing IT development and administration is becoming increasingly difficult. This is partly illustrated in Figure 2. While the old languages and tools are still around, an almost bewildering collection of new ones appear. It is difficult and expensive to keep up. Cloud architecture provides needed integration of Legacy, new and cloud applications. Cloud architecture facilitates access to data from modern devices including web, mobile, and fat clients, to name a few. Legacy application modernization, targeting cloud architecture and tools that support both new and legacy development, help simplify IT management. FIGURE 2 - TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT GETTING MORE COMPLICATED This white paper shows an example of how legacy applications can be brought to the cloud as part of an overall cloud-centric approach. This white paper also shows how modernizing legacy applications for cloud architecture can help simplify and save time and money for IT management. Finally, it provides a real world example of a development and deployment framework that can be used for Legacy and new development. This whitepaper starts with a vision of what could be as illustrated in Figure 3. It is an idea that has been embraced by IBM, Microfocus, CA, Oracle, Unisys and others. The ideal is to have a networked-cloud Architecture-like environment on which development is done with a shared toolset used by new and Legacy developers. Page 9

11 Modernizing Legacy applications in this way gives organizations the opportunity to accomplish much more than simply dealing with the Legacy application. This approach provides the opportunity to:. Modernize existing Legacy assets.. Leverage modern cloud architectures.. Leverage cloud infrastructures.. Leverage existing knowledge and skills.. Attract new skills.. Leverage a common development environment for all development teams.. Better leverage development spending.. Achieve development platform independence.. Reduced number of development tools Fewer tools are required to meet modern needs. Who use this type of approach?. IBM. Microfocus. Oracle. CA. Attachmate. Transformix. Others Page 10

12 FIGURE 3 - VISION FOR MODERNIZING A DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT Legacy Challenges Information Technology is a complex business that is getting increasingly complex with time. Legacy applications can contribute to the complexity in some unique ways and present additional challenges to IT management. Some of these challenges are: High costs: High cost of maintaining and upgrading Legacy systems. The cost to support antiquated or obsolete hardware is usually much higher than the costs to support more modern systems. Risks: Risks associated with running business-critical applications on potentially unsupported hardware and software. There are many inherent risks associated with running a business on unsupported hardware and software. In some cases hardware parts are difficult to find and a system could be down for days waiting for a minor part. Eventually, it may not be possible to find those parts. Moreover, many software products are no longer supported and the vendor may be long gone. Inflexible and closed architectures: Architectures that hinder Web and mobile enabling and integration with contemporary platforms.. Function: While the existing legacy system provides a host of mission critical functionality, company staff must also supplement the lack of key features, functions, and reporting capabilities with standalone Commercial Off-The-Shelf Page 11

13 (COTS), Access and Excel applications (shadow systems). This approach results in staff time to compile, synthesize, and/or reconcile business data.. Limited Integration: Legacy systems usually lack integration with contemporary technologies like Mobile Apps/Devices, Enterprise Content Management Systems, Automated Workflow, E-Forms/E-Signatures, Geographic Information Systems, and so on.. User Friendliness: The existing system uses command-based screens and cannot provide a contemporary Graphical User Interface (GUI), web, or mobile which have become commonplace.. Customer Access: The Legacy system lacks web-enabled features and functions that could significantly improve customer service by providing conveniences such as online bill payments and a customer portal. These are top concerns for company executives. Tools: Lack of modern development tools and techniques. Modern development environments are based on an integrated development workbench such as Eclipse or Microsoft Visual Studio. These programs contain such features as fully integrated visual source editors, visual debuggers, database access, code generators, test servers and the ability to deploy applications from the workbench. By comparison, Legacy development tools are usually more primitive. This wastes developer time and results in extra costs due to lower productivity. Time to market: Longer time to market resulting from complex development life cycles and a lack of productivity tool. Labor pool: Shrinking labor pool expertise on Legacy systems.. Language: Legacy is programmed in COBOL, RPG, PASCAL, other 3GL and 4GLS s - some of which are obsolete. These are outdated languages.. Programming: Technical professionals with older and obsolete programming expertise are a diminishing resource. Page 12

14 Transformix has assembled a comprehensive set of tools over the past 15 years and migrated a variety of Legacy applications in a variety of industries. Save Time and Money with Cloud Architecture Legacy applications should not be viewed in a vacuum. Most organizations that have Legacy applications also have a need to develop new, web and mobile applications. Because of the variety of tools, staff, training and infrastructure required to support these diverse environments, all of them have time and cost implications. We believe that adapting the Legacy applications to the cloud computing architecture model provides an opportunity to save both time and money in each of those ancillary areas. A well-chosen Legacy modernization strategy can pay dividends by reducing the overall cost and complexity in the whole of an IT organization. IT Development Challenges It is important to note at this juncture how many different major categories of issues challenge IT. Here is a partial list that is addressed in this document:. New Applications. Legacy Applications. Cloud Applications. Skills. Platforms/Middleware What needs to be modernized? It is not just legacy application artifacts (code, data, and documentation) that are candidates for modernization. There is an opportunity to modernize developers, development tools and infrastructure. The most important message in this whitepaper is that by consolidating the use of resources in IT, it is possible to save both time and money. Our quest starts with a vision of what IT should be like after modernization. Page 13

15 IT Infrastructure Changing an infrastructure to one that supports cloud computing architecture has far reaching implications for modernizing developers and development tools. The most common platforms for cloud hosting are Linux and Windows. With these environments come plethora of software, both commercial and open source, that can lead to an advanced set of development tools. Once the infrastructure changes, or is supplemented by cloud compatible platforms, as is illustrated in Figure 4, options for improvement in other areas change as well. The networked cloud-like architecture creates is part of what makes it possible to change such things as web and mobile enabling of legacy applications as well as how development for those applications is done. Page 14

16 FIGURE 4 A CHANGED IT INFRASTRUCTURE CLOUD ARCHITECTURE THAT INCLUDES LEGACY APPLICATIONS Applications and Application Development IBM uses the term Enterprise Modernization to offer a set of tools and services that provide A simple, robust, unified approach to end-to-end construction of application and services that shields developers from intricacies of runtimes and middleware. The IBM solution approach has the following features:. A common development language that they call Enterprise Generation Language (EGL).. Legacy development. New development. Web, mobile and web services development. The ability to consume outside web services. A common toolset that is shared for all types of development. A common strategy and toolset to test and deploy applications to all environments. The Transformix approach follows the same basic guidelines and strives to focus on overall organizational needs as a way to save development time and money. Benefits of Legacy Modernization Solution When one looks at the advancements that have been made in development tools and networking, one can see that by modernizing Legacy applications in a strategic way, it can help simplify some of the complexity in today s modern IT environment. This also enables Legacy applications for compatibility with newer applications. More specifically, the modernization approach means that Legacy applications are adaptable for integration with newer and cloud-based applications. At the same time Page 15

17 these same applications can be made more suitable for mobile, web and social media integration as well. Moreover, there is an opportunity to retool the application so that more uniformity is achieved when developing Legacy and new development staffs. Legacy and newer developers can also work as teams and share skill sets. Some of the benefits of modernizing Legacy applications in a strategic way are: Reduced cost: Lowers high maintenance cost of existing Legacy platforms and development tools, resulting in substantial savings in IT budgets. Lower risks: Reuse of business rules and data is less risky than alternatives. Enhanced flexibility: Creates a flexible IT environment with new architectural paradigms such as web services; aligns IT systems to dynamic business needs. Modern development tools: Legacy and new developers can use the same or similar tools, enabling both to develop Legacy applications. Shorter development times: Modernizes development tools and retrains developers which lead to shorter development times. Minimized disruption: Reduces the risk when modernizing Legacy platforms by combining two decades of development experience with contemporary platforms, a proven modernization framework and rich domain knowledge. Modern Application Development Tools There is no doubt that application development has changed. The web has become a gigantic application server and user interaction is increasingly focused on the web browser and various mobile devices. We feel it is important to highlight a selected few modern development tools that are not usually present in a Legacy development environment. Web 2.0 Web 2.0 is a collective term that refers to a series of technological improvements for using web and browser technology. These improvements are based primarily on two major paradigm shifts in the way people use the Web - Thin client computing and Usergenerated content. Selected examples of features considered to be part of Web 2.0 are listed below: Page 16

18 Portals Portals can make use of the Thin Client and User Generated Content technological improvements. In Thin Client computing, data and applications are stored on web servers. A user has access from any computer via a web browser, thus turning the Web into a gigantic application server. Portals also make it possible for users to control what content they get and, in some cases, incorporate user generated content. Web applications - A broad range of new applications make it possible for users to run programs directly in a web browser. The ability to develop interactive web applications that access data and services will become increasingly important for most organizations. Tools must be available to help do this. Mobile Smart, hand held device CIOs need to find ways to leverage mobile in a positive way for the enterprise. This includes developing new mobile applications, working with business leaders on new mobile business strategies, and securing enterprise data. Suffice to say, Mobile is such a big trend that it must be a core component of every organization s IT strategy. The ability to develop mobile applications is also becoming increasingly important. IDE Features and Capabilities The figures below are used by IBM to describe tools used to develop in EGL, the key development language in their Enterprise Modernization Solution. Below are just a few of the many great features of modern development tools. Source Editing Page 17

19 A fully integrated source code editor provides syntax highlighting, content assist, code formatting, quick fix, import organization, folding, and more to make writing code fast and simple. Visual Editing A true WYSIWYG visual editor for visual editing and previewing web UIs. The Design tab contains an embedded browser that supports the visual construction of UIs by dragging and dropping widgets from the Palette, moving and deleting widgets and more. Because the Design tab is an actual browser, what you see in the Design screen is what you get. The Preview tab provides a live, running version of the UI. Rich Widget Library Included out of the box is a variety of UI widgets, including standard HTML widgets. And with the popular, open source Dojo toolkit built in, you have the ability to create rich, compelling UIs. Debugging Page 18

20 Using the integrated debug tools, developers can fully debug applications (end to end) by setting breakpoints in code (regardless of whether that code is targeted for Java, JavaScript, or both) and running the application from the IDE. Developers can step through the code, view variable values, and more. IDE Test Server With an integrated IDE Test Server, applications can be fully tested and debugged from within the IDE without configuring or deploying to a conventional server. Database Access These products support accessing SQL relational databases, such as MySQL and Derby, from tools-generated Java services and libraries. Web Services With support for consuming services that return XML or JSON, developers can create new applications and services that utilize existing services. Batch Programs Page 19

21 In the IBM solution, EGL supports creation of batch-style Java programs that can be run from command line, offering the ability to perform post-processing on a database, report generation, and more. Web Service and Integration Most people who have a smart phone or a tablet use web services. Google maps are a good example. There is an increasing need for what used to be ordinary internal applications to consume external web services and incorporate them in what used to be internal applications. The Need for a Common Development Toolkit So, what do our requirements look like now?. Modernize existing Legacy assets. Leverage modern cloud architectures. Leverage cloud infrastructures. Leverage existing knowledge and skill sets. Attract new skills. Leverage a common development environment for all development teams. Better leverage development spending by combining Legacy development with new, mobile and web development into a common toolset.. Achieve development platform independence. Reduced number of development tools to meet modern needs Earlier in this document we made the assertion that modernizing Legacy applications using cloud architecture and a cloud compatible toolkit can reduce development and management complexity which saves time and money. If you place the Legacy application in a network where it has access to the cloud, you can achieve these objectives. Page 20

22 Solution Overview The Transformix approach relies on 6 primary modernization components that can be used in various combinations to achieve desired results. 1. Development Environment Modernization: Eclipse IDE and tools used by both Legacy and new developers enabling the development of web, mobile, and thick and thin client applications. 2. Development Staff Modernization: Retraining staff to use modern development tools. 3. Re-hosting: Non-invasive and mostly automated approach towards deploying Legacy applications on a contemporary platform; Reduce high maintenance cost of applications on Legacy platforms. 4. Re-engineering: Rebuilding Legacy applications on new technology / platform with the same, or enhanced business functionality, in a serviceoriented architecture. 5. Application and Data Integration and SOA enablement: Unlocking of data in a service-oriented approach from closed architecture Legacy systems to provide new access channels. 6. User Experience Modernization: Rebuilding alternative user interfaces for Legacy applications based on web, mobile, and GUI s. Each organization is different. Therefore, the Transformix approach is based on assessing each customer s needs and selecting the best mix of tools and techniques to suit the unique needs of that customer. A Solution To Do List Although each solution is different, we suggest a common strategy to achieve the potential benefits described in this white paper. This is shown as a set of high level steps: 1. Modernize Using Cloud Architecture (UI, SOA) Page 21

23 2. Make use of the following Toolkits a. Unified Development Environments for New and Legacy Application Development b. Legacy integration tools c. Migration tools d. Modernization tools e. Application servers f. RDBMS 3. Use Cloud Hosting (optional) Before demonstrating examples of these target environments, it is useful to describe what goals we have for each of them. Keep in mind that each solution does not have every one of these features. Still, modernizing using cloud architecture is always part of the solution set. Modernize Using Cloud Architecture (UI, SOA) A key part of this strategy is interoperability and integration with the platforms outside of the Legacy application platform. Make Use of the Following Toolkit Unified Development Environments for New and Legacy Application Development Many leading software companies including IBM, Oracle, CA and Microfocus have recognized the need to provide a unified development and deployment environment in which the same or similar tools can be used to develop and maintain Legacy and new development. The solution path proposed later in this document suggests that it is possible to modernize the application in such a way that the same base development platform is used to develop, manage and maintain Legacy, web and mobile applications in Intranet, Internet or Inter-cloud environments all with the same toolset. Page 22

24 FIGURE 5 - IDE VIEW OF A MIGRATED LEGACY SCREEN Development Features Needed. UI Development o Web and Thin Client. o Desktop and Rich Client. o Mobile.. Powerful IDE o Smart code editor, Code templates and snippets, Code completion. o SQL visualization, editing, validation. o References and declarations; Refactoring.. Integrated Interactive Debugger o State-of-the-art. o No compile necessary, just click and animate execution as you define the code! o Full control, step, run, reposition, skip, change variables content, etc. Legacy Migration and Integration tools o Generate fully functional UI from existing forms or report definitions. Generate web services. Development Features Needed Page 23

25 . Application Server support for o Web and Thin Client. o Desktop and Rich Client. o Mobile. o Database integration.. Scalability o Single user to tens of thousands of concurrent users. o Develop on a laptop and deploy on large servers. o Clustering. o Load balancing.. Cross Platform o Microsoft Windows. o Mac OS X. o Solaris. o FreeBSD. o Red Hat Linux. o Novel Suse Linux. o Other Linux flavors.. Miscellaneous Features o Hosts solutions. o Provides database connectivity. o Data broadcasting between Clients. o Hosts running Web Clients, Batch Processors and Headless Clients. o Provides functionality. o Executes report requests. o Hosts Web service connectivity. o Legacy migration and integration tools. Legacy Integration Tools Our goal is to make it so that the data and applications that are needed by outside applications can be integrated with the Legacy applications. There are many ways to do this. Here are three common ones that do not require a change in program logic or structure. 1. Create a hybrid cloud. That means to connect another server to the network whose purpose is to act as an interface between the Legacy server(s) and the outside world. This application server contains adapters and other interface software that allows integration with the Legacy platform. Page 24

26 Here are some examples of what can be done with this. a. Interact with a terminal - Use a web terminal emulator and create a web service. b. Direct database access JDBC, ODBC, etc. create a web service c. Remote program and procedure calls i. SOAP ii. JAVA RMI iii. RPC iv. Remote SSH command execution 2. Migrate the user interface to the application server. 3. Migrate (re-host) the entire application to a cloud compatible server. Each of these approaches makes it possible for the application to serve as part of the cloud. Migration Tools In general, software migration (re-hosting) is the process of moving from one operating environment to another. For example, moving from an HP 3000 Server to Redhat Linux Server would usually be considered a migration because it involves making sure that program logic does not require changing and taking steps to ensure that current applications continue to work in the new environment. Migration, in our sense of the word, would usually involve moving to new hardware and software so that the application becomes cloud compatible. During migrations it is usually necessary to migrate data from one kind of database to another. The goal of a migration is typically to achieve functional equivalence on the new platform. Transformix uses software tools to perform migrations. Modernization Tools Software modernization goes beyond migration in that the goal is not just functional equivalence for all aspects of the application. There are many different approaches to modernization. Page 25

27 At Transformix, we use a low risk modernization strategy. Our approach to modernization is to make minimal changes to the application logic. First, we migrate the application to functional equivalence and then we modernize selectively using various tools. Application Servers Application servers are extended web servers that also run, or control the execution of, programs. Examples are Microsoft IIS, Apache Tomcat, JBOSS and IBM Websphere. In the case of Java application servers, the server behaves like an extended virtual machine for running applications, transparently handling connections to the database on one side, and connections to the Web client on the other. One of the most important roles for application servers is that they serve as communications gateways to the cloud and hosts for Web services. Therefore, an application server like Tomcat can be used to frontend a Legacy application server and serve as it s gateway to the cloud. RDBMS Many more options are available to Legacy applications that run on RDBMS s such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2, Sybase, Postgresql and MySQL. A large and growing number of commercially available open source products target RDBMS s. Use Cloud Hosting (optional) Discussions of hosting in the cloud through use of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS are outside the scope of this document. If the application is migrated and minimally modernized, it can be hosted anywhere you like. Alternatively, if it remains on the Legacy hardware and it is only connected to the cloud through an application server, it can be co-located in the same facility as other cloud hosted computers and supported that way. Obviously, one is free to do whatever is needed if implementing a private cloud. Page 26

28 Demonstrations Demonstration Overview There are almost as many modernization tools and strategies as there are vendors selling them. Out of the mix, Transformix has selected two different approaches and two key strategies for modernization that have the following characteristics: 1. Cloud architecture compatible. 2. Different enough from each other to draw a contrast. 3. Representative of offerings from several vendors. 4. A unified development environment currently in wide use can be used with each. 5. Based on standard technology. 6. These tools can be extended to develop modern web and mobile applications. 7. All of the application types we have mentioned in this white paper can be developed and maintained with these tools. Featured Demos. Hybrid approach using screen scraping No change in platform, ASP.NET solution.. Full cloud architecture Migration from HP 3000 to Linux, Modernization JEE, Java and Java Script (client and server side AJAX). Existing or Re-hosted System Hybrid Cloud Key Features. Mostly automated. Tool assisted screen capture and web services definition FlyNet Viewer. UI to JAVA and Java Script. Microsoft.NET Framework. IIS Application Server Re-hosted and Re-architected System Full Cloud Key Features. Automated.. COBOL to JAVA JavaCOBOL.. Java.. UI to JAVA and Java Script.. J2EE Tomcat Application Server. Page 27

29 . Transformix Tools.. Servoy Framework. Two Featured Strategies for Getting Legacy Applications to the Cloud Just as there is no commonly accepted definition of what The Cloud is, there is no exact industry standard definition of the components of cloud architecture. For this whitepaper the focus is on the adaptations necessary to place the retained Legacy application in a position to seamlessly interact with others, as described above. This allows us to focus on two strategies. The Hybrid Cloud and the Modernization and Migration approach. While there may be other approaches available, these will suit the purpose of understanding what benefits are possible when Legacy applications are brought to the cloud logically intact. It will also provide some flexibility so that we can customize our approach to suit the business needs of the organization. The first approach is called the Hybrid Cloud approach because the application continues to run on a platform that is not-necessarily suitable for cloud adaptation. Simply, the application remains unchanged and hosted in its original Legacy environment. The cloud architecture comes from an additional application server that is programmatically connected to the Legacy environment through existing API s and interfaces. The second approach involves rehosting (migrating) the application to a new cloud suitable environment. Each of these approaches has their advantages and disadvantages and we will examine those after describing the approach. The Unified Development and Deployment Environment As was mentioned previously, many leading software companies including IBM, Oracle, CA and Microfocus have recognized the need to provide a unified development and deployment environments in which the same or similar tools can be used to develop and maintain Legacy and new development. For users who are already familiar with a particular vendor s offering, a similar type of approach can be followed using their products. However, there will be differences. For example, the IBM solution works with a language called EGL.. IBM provides a complete set of tools that one can use to implement a similar solution to that described in this Page 28

30 document. The Microfocus solution is built for COBOL users and we are not aware that it provides the tools necessary to implement the Hybrid cloud approach. For the benefit of others, we present a Servoy and Transformix based tools approach that can be used to implement the kind of solution we think will work best to achieve specific objectives. To reiterate, the proposed target environment and both solution strategies include: 1. Cloud architecture According to Wikipedia Cloud computing architecture refers to the components and subcomponents required for cloud computing. These components typically consist of a front end platform (fat client, thin client or mobile device), back end platforms (servers, storage), a cloud based delivery, and a network (Internet, Intranet, Intercloud). Combined, these components make up cloud computing architecture. Virtualization is also strongly associated with Cloud Computing Architecture or infrastructures. 2. Servoy Product Suite The Servoy Product Suite consists of Servoy Developer, the Servoy Application Server and the Servoy Clients. Servoy Developer is used to design, develop, test and debug applications. Servoy Server is used to deploy the solution towards users, either as a zero-deployment, native Smart Client or a browser-based Web Client. 3. Transformix Tools This is the glue to make Legacy applications work with Servoy. The Hybrid Cloud Approach Several vendors such as FlyNet, Attachmate and IBM have tools and strategies that frontend the Legacy environment with a cloud-based server. Attachmate provides an excellent article that describes this approach. It is part of the series of articles mentioned above and is available for FlyNet provides the same kind of approach as Attachmate from the above article. The FlyNet approach is illustrated by the diagram in Figure 5. The essence of the approach is Page 29

31 to use a terminal emulator to interact with the original application.the application is usually unaltered in its current host environment. This is typically called screen scraping. Instead of users interacting directly with the application, programs or scripts that mimic user behavior, are recorded. A special workbench, FlyNet Studio, is provided so that a trained person can playback the recordings and fine tune the interactions. Once a set of screens and screen navigation rules are recorded, these are saved. These stored scripts have two uses, they can be used to test the application and the can be used to generate C# programs that interact with the screens as a user would. These program objects mimic user behavior and can also be used as part of a FlyNet generated web service. In this way the runtime behavior of the application can be programmatically controlled. The three most important reasons to consider this approach are (1) It can be implemented very quickly and economically. (2) In most cases it can be implemented with no changes to the existing application. (3) It can remain hosted on the current computing platform. FIGURE 6 - FLYNET HYBRID CLOUD SOLUTION Page 30

32 How the Hybrid Cloud Approach Works Here s a high level view of how the FlyNet Hybrid approach works: 1. A user records an interactive terminal session like the one shown in Figure A special set of tools in FlyNet Viewer Studio are used to select representative screens from the recorded session as well as identify and name unique screens and how they flow. FIGURE 7 FLYNET GREEN SCREEN 1. FlyNet Viewer studio generates program objects that are used to recreate the activity that the user recorded. 2. The program objects can be attached to an entirely different web, mobile or graphical user interface which can also be turned into a web service. Page 31

33 3. FlyNet tools can be used to change the screen into a more graphical look and feel with ASP.Net as is shown in Figure 8. Even though the FlyNet tools are intended for use in a.net environment, the web services can be consumed by a Java Environment. FIGURE 8 - FLYNET MODERN SCREEN Extending the FlyNet Model Adding a Unified Development Environment to FlyNet is done through the web services interface. Therefore, JAVA based tools can be used to develop and extend the user interface. The Full Cloud Modernization and Migration Approach Page 32

34 Many vendors offer migration and modernization solutions. The approaches used vary considerably. Oracle has put forth an article entitled Moving your application and data forward - Oracle IT Modernization Series: Approaches to IT Modernization which can be The article describes a representative set of solution paths that are consistent with keeping the application logically intact. These solution paths include Re-hosting, Migration to RDBMS and Modernization. Our firm, Transformix Computer Corporation, also provides some relevant materials and examples. Page 33

35 FIGURE 9 - CLOUD ARCHITECTURE TARGET ENVIRONMENT Visit the Transformix Re-Hosting Transformix believes that re-hosting, or migration, is the shortest and most economical path to move an application from one platform to another. There are many ways to accomplish this. The process consists of creating a runtime environment that is functionally equivalent to the original source environment and using automated tools to transform existing source code so that it runs on that target environment. For example, a COBOL program that was originally written for use on the IBM mainframe, HP 3000 or IBM iseries, retains its logic and functionality. It also might maintain its calls to external source operating system API s with code that maps source operating system calls, functions and products to the target environment. The process is further described here Migrating Databases and Data Sources Migration to RDBMS In today s world, the term database is often used interchangeably with RDBMS. Other database models such as hierarchical are not as easily accessed and come with other limitations. See the article entitled Migrating to Relational Systems: Problems, Methods, and Strategies for a more complete discussion of the subject. As a result of these limitations, organizations now opt for migration of data to a more flexible and easy-to-use RDBMS. This way data is represented as an entity and attributes. Data access on many Legacy computing platforms can be unique and proprietary. These platforms range from mainframe and minicomputer data stores such as IBM IMS, HP TurboIMAGE, IBM VSAM, ISAM, HP KSAM, Adabas, DataComm and CA-IDMS. However there are newer Legacy data stores such as FileMaker, and Microsoft FoxPro, even though they are considered relational and lack the features of modern RDBMS s. Still, much corporate data is stored in a variety of miscellaneous databases that have undesirable limitations or are obsolete. Page 34

36 When the objective is to preserve a data source which is currently part of a Legacy application, the ability to access the data while allowing other applications to access it as well, must also be preserved. Two common solutions to this issue are (1) the use of adapters and (2) the use of a database access layer. First, adapters such as Mule USB, exist to make some of these data sources accessible externally and therefore, cloud accessible. In the second scenario, the data is actually migrated to an RDBMS and an access layer is provided to allow the Legacy applications to continue working against the data source through implementation of the Legacy API s. Page 35

37 FIGURE 10 TURBOIMAGE DATABASE CONVERTED TO ORACLE Migrating Forms and Programs Page 36

38 Perhaps the most common screen type on an HP 3000 is the VPLUS form which is stored in a proprietary format. The development language in this case is COBOL. The original program screen is show in Figure 10. FIGURE 11 - RE-HOSTED CHARACTER MODE APPLICATION An overview of the migration steps for forms and programs is provided in Figure Using JavaCOBOL we convert the code to JAVA which looks very similar to COBOL. See Figure 14 for an example. 2. The VPLUS forms file is converted to XML. 3. It is then converted to the internal format used by Servoy. 4. Thereafter it is maintained in Servoy. 5. At runtime, a combination of JAVA and JavaScript are used along with Transformix libraries to perform equivalent functions to on the HP Page 37

39 FIGURE 12 - SCREEN AND PROGRAM MODERNIZATION OVERVIEW For example: On the HP 3000 The database is usually TurboIMAGE. It is accessed using TuboIMAGE intrinsics which are collectively called the TurboIMAGE API. Other proprietary file types are KSAM, MPE Message Files, MPE Circular files and MPE flat files. Programs and utilities using MPE-based data expect to be in an environment that offers labeled files and file equations. Transformix s xformix tools allow TurboIMAGE data, KSAM files and MPE Message files to be stored in the leading industry standard RDBMS s. These include Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2 and Postgresql. Other file types are stored in the native file system of the platform. Programs that access the data in the RDBMS can either use the MPE intrinsics or native SQL for access. At the time of migration, data types can be converted to a RDBMS format with native being the most popular change. However, even though dates can be changed from a COBOL X(6) to an RDBMS date type as an example, the existing MPE/iX programs do not need to be changed. They can still refer to the data as an X(6). Page 38

40 FIGURE 13 - JAVACOBOL SAMPLE CODE Modernization There is a seemingly endless list of Modernization possibilities for Legacy applications. This white paper focuses on one approach that illustrates features that can help an organization maximize the benefits of using cloud architecture. FIGURE 14 - THE SERVOY IDE WORKBENCH WITH MIGRATED FORM Page 39

41 The Servoy Developer is a typical modern IDE. It provides the ability to maintain the modernized application going forward. An image of the workbench is shown in Figure 14. An image of the automatically generated screen created by Transformix tools is shown in Figure 15. FIGURE 15 - SERVOY GENERATED UI UNMODIFIED After migration of the forms and COBOL modernization are completed, users are free to enhance the application as a native Linux or UNIX Servoy-based JAVA and JavaScript application. Figure 16 shows how a screen might be enhanced by tools in the Servoy workbench. Page 40

42 FIGURE 16 - SERVOY RE-ARCHITECTED UI Goals for Modernization Table 1 is used to relate our goals for modernization to steps in the solution presented. TABLE 1 - GOALS FOR MODERNIZATION AND HOW TO ACHIEVE THEM Considerations Access to latest technologies: It is not necessary to replace a proven application to get access to the latest technologies such as web enablement, mobile device integration, relational databases, etc. The right choice of a modernization approach can help make the legacy application suitable for these things as well. Shortened Development Times: With the right approach, and under the right circumstances, customers can see web or Modernization Step Servoy and Transformix tools Retooling Page 41