by
John Wethington, Product Manager, Application Transformation Group
When it comes to Application Transformation, nothing gets me more excited than hearing a customer talk about their transition project and providing them with a holistic solution. Next week,
Trent Overton and I will be doing just that as we represent
Binary Tree at the
Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2011 in Anaheim. We will be hosting live demonstrations and in-depth discussions of Binary Tree's
Application Transformation Framework (ATF).
ATF is a solution that we have been evolving rapidly over the last 2 years. While the software components of ATF have been available separately for a much longer timeframe, after talking with many customers and integration partners, we saw a need to more closely tie them together and to align them to a comprehensive approach for moving applications to SharePoint.
ATF’s metamorphosis really started when we realized the current solutions in the market only addressed a small part of the process of moving applications from a legacy platform to SharePoint. While it’s true some offer some kind of generic discovery tool these tools are simplistic at best and do not provide a comprehensive approach to analysis or rationalization. In fact, most of the current
SharePoint migration software “solutions” only focus on migrating content, or worse, they force you to use costly 3rd party components that you will forever be dependent on in your new environment. And while they may do a good job at moving content, that is only one piece of the puzzle.
Customers and integrators were missing the help they needed to…
- Accurately and completely inspect all of the legacy applications
- Analyze and rationalize the applications so that they can make informed decisions on how to transform each one
- Redevelop applications with insight into the legacy design and code
- Retire applications and servers as their initiatives progressed to reduce the cost and load of the legacy platform
- Tie all of these processes together and be able to manage and control the transformations from initial planning all of the way through to the launch of the new SharePoint applications and the retirement of the legacy platform
So we developed ATF (the Application Transformation Framework). ATF is a comprehensive methodology and solution suite designed to address the true needs of our customers and our
integration partners.
The guiding methodology incorporated into ATF contains the “Seven R’s of Application Transformation” which signify the primary processes for holistically transforming legacy applications to SharePoint.
Binary Tree’s
Application Transformation Framework provides a view for managing and controlling
application migration and transformation like you’ve never seen before. At a high level, ATF provides you with an integrated suite of software that supports a comprehensive methodology for transforming legacy applications to the SharePoint platform.
The methodology is characterized by the “Seven R’s of Application Transformation", which represent the key processes of a holistic approach. Here’s a closer look at the “Seven R’s.”
Review
To kickoff your transformation initiative, you need to perform a thorough, iterative inspection of your legacy environment. You will need to collect and store critical attributes, properties and data of your legacy applications in a database repository with a well-defined schema. Then you need to generate reports to present key information to project stakeholders.
Rationalize
Next, use the information presented in the inspection reports, and perform new queries as needed on the data collected, to make informed decisions on how to transform each application.
Relocate
For “like-to-like” applications based on standard templates, migrate them to their functional equivalents in the target SharePoint environment. After the migration, the applications should be retired to reduce the load and cost of the legacy platform.
Redevelop
For applications that need to be redeveloped for SharePoint, use the inspection and rationalization reports to estimate and plan on how to translate the design and logic to the new format and technology. After the new application is developed, migrate the content of the legacy application to the new application. After the migration, the applications should be retired to reduce the load and cost of the legacy platform.
Reinvent
You may determine that some applications need to have their design and business logic reinvented, or you are better off to use an off-the-shelf third-party application. Once these new applications are in place, migrate the content of the legacy applications to the new applications. After the migration, the applications should be retired to reduce the load and cost of the legacy platform.
Retain
Some applications may have a limited life span or excessive transformation costs, and will need to remain in the legacy environment for some determined amount of time. If users need to interact with any of these legacy applications via email, then implement the software needed to maintain that needed interoperability. After the retention period has expired, the applications should be retired to reduce the load and cost of the legacy platform.
Retire
Legacy applications that are no longer being used or carry no business value should be retired to reduce the cost of transformation and the load and cost of the legacy platform. In addition, as legacy applications are relocated, redeveloped, reinvented and then retired from the legacy platform, you should focus on consolidating the footprint of your legacy infrastructure. By reducing the number of servers, you can minimize the costs associated with maintaining the legacy environment.
So if you are attending the
SharePoint Conference, stop by to see us in
booth 737 to find out more about the
"Seven R’s of Application Transformation" and how ATF is changing the way organizations look at application migrations.
Remember, don’t just migrate your legacy application environment, Transform it!
- John
Posted on
9/30/2011 9:00:00 AM