|
legacy
System Migration Methods
The
4 most widely used methods of addressing
legacy migration issues are:
♦
Maintain
the status quo
♦
Re-engineer
and re-write the legacy application for open
systems
♦
Purchase
and implement a COTS (i.e. SAP) package
♦
Convert
all legacy applications and migrate to
an open system platform
maintain
the status quo
|
|
Advantages |
|
Disadvantages |
|
1.
|
Continue
to get high business value from
the custom business logic in
legacy applications.
|
1.
|
Difficulty
changing functionality to accommodate
new users' demands.
|
|
2.
|
Continue
current cash flow.
|
2.
|
Cash
flow is high and growing as resources
(hardware, software, people)
become scarce.
|
|
3.
|
No
lost productivity or training
for users or IT staff.
|
3.
|
The
legacy environment causes severe
inefficiencies due to staffing
with proprietary skills (especially
in 24/7 environments). Skills
can not be leveraged to other
systems. New
IT staff and users
must go thru extensive training.
|
|
4.
|
No
change in IT FTE's.
|
4.
|
The
number of FTE's needed to
support the legacy environment
is higher than open systems due
to its inherent staffing inefficiencies. |
|
5.
|
No
additional IT vendors or costly
procurement cycle.
|
5.
|
Procurement
is constrained by sources
of legacy system equipment
and maintenance
services resulting in higher prices.
|
|
6.
|
Able
to maintain current environment
for a few more years, delaying
cost of expensive replacement.
|
6.
|
Putting
off the inevitable replacement
may cause a business problem if
the legacy system needs to be
replaced at an inconvenient
time.
|
|
7.
|
Enjoy
high security and availability
maintaining enterprise productivity and
customer service levels high.
|
7.
|
Security
and availability of the current
generations of open, industry
standard systems provide
levels of availability that
match the mainframe. Open
systems have the added benefits
of having an architecture that supports clustering and disaster
recovery at a price that is low enough
to be justified.
|
Re-engineer
and re-write the legacy applications
|
|
Advantages |
|
Disadvantages |
| 1. |
Reproduce
the business logic in a
supportable, modern framework. |
1. |
Expensive
and time-consuming. There is a
great deal of risk and unless a
great deal of useful
functionality is added, there is
little value created by the new
environment. |
| 2. |
Gain
benefits of open, industry
standard technologies |
2. |
The
development on the new platform
will require a lengthy
development and testing period
in which the legacy and new
environment will have to run in parallel,
doubling the costs of the
project and delaying the
financial benefits. |
Purchase
and implement a customizable, (COTS)
package
|
|
Advantages |
|
Disadvantages |
| 1. |
New
functionality for additional
user capabilities, and
comprehensive reporting (data mining)
for enhancing analysis and
improved decision-making. |
1. |
There
is expense and risk to existing
business operations for
implementing, customizing and
integrating the COTS
applications. |
| 2. |
Government
mandates are included in the
COTS package and updated
automatically with maintenance
and new releases. |
2. |
It
is a nice benefit, but one that
you pay for. Governance matters
have driven up the
costs of
maintenance of COTS packages.
The internal development team
that developed the business
logic can make the changes
faster
and often less
expensively because of their familiarity
with the software and the
limited scope of a change that
only effects your company. |
| 3. |
Your
purchasing department can source
the hardware, software and
services from many vendors,
getting the best price thru a
bid process. |
3. |
None |
|
|
4. |
The
budget for IT will need to be
greatly increased during the implementation
and for 12 months after. The ROI
for this migration is 40 to 72
months. |
|
|
5. |
Consolidation
of COTS vendors is causing
additional project risks |
Convert
all legacy applications and migrate
|
Advantages |
|
Disadvantages |
| 1. |
Continue
use of customized business logic
which is easily upgraded with
new functionality, user access
(i.e. remote), user data
downloading, and ad hoc
reporting, integration to other
COTS applications |
1. |
Continued
reliance on existing resources
for application support. |
| 2. |
Converted
application can be to any
operating environment (Windows,
Linux, Unix), or database
providing choice and a competitive
vendor environment. Your
purchasing department can source
the hardware, software and
services from many vendors,
getting the best price thru a
bid process. |
2. |
None. |
| 3. |
Automated
tools and an implementation
methodology developed during the
past 20 years and 1,000's of
conversions, makes the time to
value is high, as this least
expensive of all the options and
has very low risk. |
3. |
None |
| 4. |
A
increase in productivity will
result in a reduction in the
number of existing legacy staff,
freeing them up to work on other
data center projects or as
business analysts to increase
user satisfaction. |
4. |
Some
amount of retraining will be
needed |
| 5. |
Minimal
impact on IT resources |
5. |
For
the IT department is able to
continue its level of customer
service. New funds will have to
be made available, albeit,
significantly less then the
other alternatives |
| 6. |
Response
times will be shorter and
reports run on demand in shorter
timeframes |
6. |
None |
| 7. |
Business
continuity is easily achieved
with the tools and techniques available
for open systems, compatibility
and availability of TCP/IP WAN networks,
and the low cost of hardware for
clustering, replication and
disaster recovery |
7. |
None |
If
you believe there are other advantages
or disadvantages that should be
included in the above summary, please email
your comments.
|
