Modernization of legacy systems

Legacy applications have often been developed over years and refined over decades. The implemented business logic is hardened and often still does an excellent job. Nevertheless, drivers - such as demographic change, licensing costs or the fundamental desire to modernize the architecture - can lead to a migration or modernization project.

With the adesso transformer code we offer you a solution that automatically transfers existing legacy applications or even parts of the application (for example calculation kernels) into a modern technology stack. The adesso transformer code automatically translates the code written in an old programming language (e.g. COBOL or PL/I) into Java. In this way you preserve your specialist business know-how which has flowed into your existing applications over many years. Future changes are then implemented in the new language.

Core functions:

• Automated transformation of legacy code into Java code
• The possibility of a pattern-based transformation increases the maintainability of the generated code
• Support for JEE and Spring environments
• Based on open source software

The UI is often a central component of an application and is therefore also the focus of application modernization. Our approach to modernizing the UI is to raise the user interface to a current technology stack. The operating concept and the user interface can be based on the legacy system in order to reduce training costs, for example. Alternatively, the front end can be completely redesigned to optimize processes and improve the user experience.

adesso transformer UI enables the extraction of the layout, but also the existing interface and data information from the UI components of the legacy applications and transfers them into a generic intermediate format. New components are then generated from the available information, which can be used, for example, as a building block for a new UI.

• Import support for BMS masks and ISPF panels
• A variety of export formats (for example, Angular controllers, HTML forms, or DTOs)

A key success factor in IT modernization projects is understanding the legacy application. Often, older applications are insufficiently documented. However, the truth about mapped processes and implemented functionality is hidden in the source code of the legacy application. In order to uncover this knowledge, adesso transformer analyze can be used. With its help it is possible to quickly understand the code and extract the essential essence.

• Parsing legacy code and structure definitions
• Persistence of parsing results in a central repository
• Web frontend for online analysis for evaluation
• Export to various standard formats (for example, to a variety of XML dialects such as XMI and SVG)

Legacy applications almost always have an extensive batch environment. adesso transformer batch enables the transport and operation of the logic of a JES-based batch system into a native Java environment.

• Native Java batch environment based on Spring batch
• Fully automated migration of JCL-based batches
• RESTful management API for connection to scheduler
• Extensive set of alternatives for IBM system utilities

Every application always includes data. This data must be transferred from the original environment to the new environment. The migration of classical formats is a challenge (e.g. the adaptation of data structures or binary fields). Here, the tool adesso transformer convert provides support.

• Audit-proof file synchronization over the network or in the local file system
• Code page and format conversion
• Configurable backup

Whether as a dataset editor in the course of a migration project or as an archive solution - adesso transformer edit offers a flexible solution that can be used in various scenarios. Designed as a web-based editor/viewer, it enables easy deployment in a modern infrastructure.

• Editing and viewing of classic IBM dataset formats in the target system
• COPYBOOKS Support
• EBCDIC and ASCII support
• Multi-user capability
• Data export

Typically, IBM zOS applications use classic files in IBM dataset format. Over the years, many thousands of files quickly accumulate, which then have to be transferred within the scope of an IT modernization project. In order to ensure that these files are also identical in the new system, each individual file has to be compared. adesso transformer test supports the entire test cycle here.

• Data extraction of the application data from the legacy and target systems
• Comparison of data and presentation of results in graphical reports