Comprehensive, Proven Modernization Technology

Legacy modernization—also known as legacy application modernization—is the process of updating, optimizing, or transforming an existing application or set of applications for future use. Read more about building an application modernization strategy, the various modernization patterns, and using AI-powered application modernization tools to reduce the time, cost, and risk of complex modernization initiatives here.

AveriSource and the AveriSource Platform can support multiple legacy modernization approaches, including:

• Reimagine (Rewrite, Rearchitect): The AveriSource Platform aids in the understanding of the legacy system's architecture, code interdependencies, data handling, and business rules. This understanding enables organizations to make informed decisions about rearchitecting or rebuilding their applications. The AveriSource Platform's analysis capabilities provide valuable insights that guide the modernization process, ensuring efficient and effective transformations.
• ‍Refactor: AveriSource has been refactoring applications for over 25 years. Using our Automated Refactor solution we have experience refactoring IBM Z COBOL to C# or Java, as well Unisys OS 2200 COBOL to Java and other languages and databases such as Natural/Adabas to .NET and Microsoft SQL Server.
• Replatform: AveriSource has extended the proven Automated Refactor technology to retain and replatform COBOL on a distributed platform. A single automated solution and framework supports both Refactor and Replatform modernization approaches within a single project. You can choose to retain specific components in COBOL and refactor other components to Java or C# at an optimal pace based on business needs. This allows you to optimize your modernization strategy based on resource availability.
• Replace: The AveriSource Platform supports organizations in evaluating replacement options for their legacy applications. By analyzing the legacy system's functionality, codebase, business rules, and dependencies, this information can be used to help identify suitable replacement solutions. The AveriSource Platform helps organizations understand the gaps and overlaps between the legacy and replacement systems, facilitating a smooth transition.
• Retire: The AveriSource Platform aids in the retirement of legacy applications by providing insights into the application's functionality, code interdependencies, and usage patterns. This analysis helps organizations identify unused or redundant components, enabling them to safely retire those parts of the application that are no longer needed. Understanding application requirements can help with planning decommissioning services such as archival and reporting.
• Retain: The AveriSource Platform assists in retaining critical functionality and business rules from legacy applications. By capturing the logic, dead and redundant code, code anomalies, and program relationships of the existing code, it ensures that organizations can retain and incorporate the essential components of the legacy system while making improvements. This helps preserve the valuable aspects of the legacy environment while enabling technological advancements.

AveriSource supports multiple modernization approaches. Use the AveriSource Platform to provide an in-depth analysis, insights, and documentation that informs decision-making, facilitate smooth transitions, and helps you achieve successful modernization outcomes.

AveriSource has experience analyzing, migrating and modernizing the following technologies:

Platforms

• ‍‍IBM z/OS, z/VSE, z/TPF, LinuxONE
• ​IBM i (AS/400)
• Unisys Dorado/OS2200, Libra/MCP​
• Fujitsu GS21
• HPE Tandem/NonStop​
• HPE OpenVMS

Languages

• ‍‍COBOL
• PL/1
• Natural
• RPG
• Assembler
• Easytrieve
• Model-204
• ObjectStar
• SAS
• Job Control (JCL, CL, ECL)
• CICS BMS
• IMS MFS
• DDS
• DDL/SQL

Databases

• ‍‍Db2
• Adabas
• IMS DB
• IDMS DB
• VSAM
• Sequential

Transaction Processing

• ‍‍CICS
• IMS TM

Target Languages (pattern/approach)

• ‍‍Java (Refactor, Reimagine)
• C# (Refactor, Reimagine)
• COBOL (Replatform)

No supporting source code libraries are required when supporting a Reimagine modernization approach. With a Refactor or Replatform approach, the converted Java, C# or COBOL applications are supported by an AveriSource provided set of pre-built Java or C# components (framework) that leverages modern development practices and tools to support the lifecycle of a legacy application once refactored to Java or C# or Replatformed to COBOL. The framework consists of a set of online libraries to replace mainframe Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) monitors such as IBM CICS and IMS TM, in addition to batch libraries to replace a legacy batch engine such as IBM JES. The framework follows industry best practices and coding standards, ensuring a maintainable, scalable, and secure code base. It’s designed to reduce the amount of generated code, handle common scalability and performance challenges providing features such as caching, load balancing, and optimization techniques, essential in modern enterprise applications.

The AveriSource Platform can be deployed either on-premises or in the cloud, based on your organization’s needs. To ensure a smooth start, AveriSource offers Platform Jumpstart Services that provide complete installation and configuration in your chosen environment.

The AveriSource Platform does not process an organization’s data. The AveriSource Platform runs in your organization’s secure environment and only analyzes source code you provide to the Platform.

The AveriSource Platform is designed with security in mind to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and systems. AveriSource takes security seriously and implements various measures to ensure the platform's security. Some key aspects of the AveriSource Platform's security include:

• Data Protection: AveriSource does not process sensitive data. The AveriSource Platform only analyzes source code and how the data is handled in the organization, not the data itself.
• Access Control: The platform implements robust access control mechanisms to ensure that only authorized individuals have appropriate access to the platform and its functionalities. This includes user authentication, role-based access control, and other security measures to prevent unauthorized use.
• Logging: The platform maintains logging capabilities for source code processing, allowing for monitoring and tracking of processing activities. This helps detect and investigate any suspicious actions.
• System Hardening: AveriSource follows secure coding practices and regularly updates the platform to address security vulnerabilities. The platform undergoes security testing and assessments to identify and mitigate potential risks.

It is important to note that while AveriSource takes security precautions, organizations must also follow security best practices on their end, such as implementing proper access controls, maintaining up-to-date software, and conducting regular security assessments.

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The AveriSource Platform is a software product that is used to efficiently inventory, discover, analyze, and transform legacy applications into modern frameworks, making modernization faster, easier, and less risky. The AveriSource Platform is used by AveriSource as part of a services engagement, however AveriSource can also provide training and support to allow customers and partners to use the Platform.

The cost of the AveriSource Platform is determined by the size and complexity of your codebase, in addition to the required use case and supporting AveriSource services, e.g. Application analysis and documentation, business rules extraction to support a Reimagine approach, strategic roadmap development for modernization planning, etc. Please reach out to us at hello@averisource.comto assist with providing an estimate.

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AveriSource offers several advantages for evaluating and modernizing your legacy environment. It provides a low-risk solution to assess your legacy systems and use the analysis to make informed strategic decisions and plans, supporting the success of your modernization project. With its agile approach, the AveriSource Platform allows organizations to make incremental progress and necessary adjustments along the way. Additionally, the AveriSource Platform supports a wide range of legacy technologies, making it capable of handling complex legacy environments that many other tools cannot.

AveriSource contributes to the success of a modernization journey through several key factors:

• Comprehensive Analysis: AveriSource offers in-depth analysis of the legacy environment, including architecture, code interdependencies, and data handling. This analysis provides a clear understanding of the existing system, identifying challenges and opportunities for modernization and in-place optimization.
• Informed Decision-making: With the insights gained from the analysis, organizations can make informed decisions about their modernization approach. They can evaluate different options, weigh the risks and benefits, and choose the strategy that aligns with their business goals and technical requirements.
• Agile Approach: AveriSource supports an agile methodology, allowing organizations to make incremental progress and adjust their plans as needed. This flexibility enables them to adapt to changing circumstances, evolving priorities, and unforeseen challenges during the modernization journey.
• Addressing Complexity: Legacy environments often involve complex technologies and interdependencies. The AveriSource Platform is designed to handle a wide range of legacy technologies and can address the intricacies of complex systems that may pose challenges to other tools. This ensures that the modernization process can effectively encompass the entire legacy environment.
• Risk Mitigation: The AveriSource Platform minimizes the risks associated with modernization by providing a low-risk evaluation of the legacy environment. By identifying potential issues, such as missing code or third-party dependencies, organizations can proactively mitigate risks and develop effective strategies for minimizing disruptions during the transformation.
• Collaboration and Knowledge Preservation: The AveriSource Platform facilitates collaboration among stakeholders, including subject matter experts (SMEs) who possess valuable domain knowledge. It also helps analysts and business users better understand the existing code structure and landscape. The AveriSource Platform helps to make sure that critical knowledge is retained throughout the modernization journey, contributing to the success of the project.

By combining comprehensive analysis, informed decision-making, an agile approach, complexity handling, risk mitigation, and knowledge preservation, the AveriSource Platform plays a vital role in making a modernization journey successful. It empowers organizations to navigate the challenges of legacy transformation effectively, resulting in a smooth, efficient, and successful modernization process.

The AveriSource Platform assists customers in selecting a modernization strategy by providing comprehensive insights into their legacy environment. By utilizing the AveriSource Platform's analysis capabilities, customers can gain a deep understanding of their legacy systems' architecture, code interdependencies, and data handling. This knowledge serves as a foundation for making well-informed decisions regarding the most suitable modernization approach.

The AveriSource Platform enables customers to evaluate the risks and benefits associated with different modernization options. It helps identify potential challenges, such as duplicate or dead code, and provides visibility into execution paths and program relationships. With this information at hand, customers can assess the feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and impact of various modernization strategies based on the legacy application’s characteristics.

Moreover, AveriSource supports an agile approach, allowing organizations to incrementally make progress and adapt their modernization plans as needed. This flexibility ensures that customers can adjust their strategy based on evolving requirements, technical constraints, and business priorities.

AveriSource Transform uses AI techniques such as cluster analysis, pattern matching, templates, and programming language models to generate modernized code in a new target language.

• Cluster Analysis: Cluster Analysis is the task of grouping a set of objects in such a way that objects in the same group (called a cluster) are more like each other than to those in other groups (clusters). In AI and machine learning, clustering algorithms are often used to understand and categorize data, especially when labels are not known ahead of time.
• Pattern Matching: Pattern matching involves identifying and matching specific structures or sequences within data or code. It allows for the recognition of predefined patterns or regularities, enabling efficient searching, extraction, and processing of information. Pattern matching plays a vital role in various AI applications, such as text mining, image recognition, and data analysis.
• Templates: Templates refer to predefined structures or patterns that serve as placeholders for variable elements. They allow for the creation of reusable and customizable components in software development. Templates are commonly used in AI applications for tasks such as generating dynamic content, producing adaptive user interfaces, or creating flexible data-driven models.
• Programming Language Models: Programming language models are AI models trained specifically on programming languages. These models learn to understand and generate code, aiding tasks like code completion, code generation, and automated code analysis.

These techniques enable AveriSource Transform to perform efficient data analysis, processing, and intelligent generation of new code. Our AI powered approach provides structured standardized code that’s highly maintainable.