Getting Started
Determine application modernization strategy requires agreement at the appropriate level that control application
development, maintenance, deployment and distribution. Not all applications in a given organization have similar
control structure. It is common for stake holders to have no direct control over the application.
This practice describes typical approach to determine application modernization strategy.
1. Plan and prepare the Assessment
1.1. Establish the Assessment team
1.2. Conduct the executive session
1.3. Coordinate with the sponsor
1.4. Deliver an Assessment Survey
2. Application Discovery
2.1. Inventory Application code
2.2. Prepare the findings
2.3. Present and deliver the findings
3. Modernization road map
3.1. Conduct SME Workshop
3.2. Conduct Analysis
3.3. Prepare road map strategy alternatives recommended modernization strategy
3.4. Present and deliver application modernization road map
This practice is a good starting point that provides some basic steps to determine application modernization strategy.
Multiple or more complex application (such as application contains large number of 3rd party parts or application
sharing multiple components with other applications) might need additional steps and detail analysis of more than a
single application before a strategy can be developed. However, consider starting with this basic set, and then adding
additional applications analysis to the mix as needed.
Common Pitfalls
Scope: It is important to distinguish between core application and its environment. To determine
application modernization strategy this practice will take the application environment into account. However, its scope
is limited to the determine modernization strategy of the core application and not its sounding environment. In some
cases significant effort will be required to filter the core application functionality from its surrounding
environment.
Shared components: Application can share large section of the code with other applications for
functional or efficiency reasons. This can increase the scope of analysis beyond a given application. Decision will be
required to take on additional analysis or treat common code as black box depending on the shared code and given
application. Typically third party code can be treated as black box.
Uninterested staff: This practice is fairly non-invasive in that it only requires very little time
from most project teams. If they insist that team members do not have any time to spend on this effort, then this is an
indicator that the project or organization is in trouble. It's even more critical to build the right solution and right
plan, based on input from the projects. Assure the staff that this will use their time as effectively as possible
during the interviews. In worst case it is important to inform the stake holders that this can affect outcome.
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