Application Modernization
Written by Ken Powell
MIT 2010 Volume: 14 Issue: 2 (March)
Legacy Systems And Applications, And So Can
Deploy Cloud Computing At Their Own Pace.
Over the past few years, the emergence of cloud computing in the federal IT space has sparked a vigorous debate. During this time, the prevailing questions about cloud computing have focused on its benefits and risks, and whether it can be adequately secured to meet the needs of defense agencies. These conversations have been vital in exploring the technology, transforming “cloudy” ideas into concrete solutions. The debate surely will continue.
As we enter a new year, however, one thing is certain: Cloud computing is here to stay. Throughout the Department of Defense and civilian government, organizations are already developing and operating in cloud environments—both public and private— reaping huge benefits in terms of collaboration, cost-savings and computing scalability.
Coupled with DoD Deputy Chief Information Officer Dave Wennergren’s vision to expand cloud computing technology within the department, it’s clear that the hypothetical debate around cloud computing is near an end. The prevailing questions for 2010 and beyond will be more focused on how to deploy the technology, rather than whether or not an agency should deploy.
This shift in thought raises new, practical challenges that must be addressed in order for government agencies to move securely and efficiently to the cloud. One of the largest obstacles for many agencies, particularly in defense, is how to move legacy systems and applications toward a Web-based cloud environment. The fact remains that a majority of DoD’s systems are grounded in a mainframe environment, with COBOL-based applications.
In the pursuit of cloud computing, this leaves many chief technology officers with little choice: either performing an expensive, and in some cases risky, overhaul of their existing systems, or deferring to a later date. Clearly, neither of these options is ideal. Thankfully, for agencies grappling with their COBOL-based applications, there is an alternative that can help them make practical progress toward cloud computing and realize many of its benefits without throwing out their current processes and starting over: application modernization.
COBOL AND WEB 2.0
Application modernization allows government organizations to operate COBOL applications in a Web 2.0 environment, providing a responsive rich Internet application, while preserving the legacy code. Even business rules that may switch platforms during modernization continue to work the same, because they are the same—the business logic remains intact.
Application modernization is a compelling alternative to rewriting or replacing applications, which is not only a costly endeavor, but can be a risky one as well—both commonly cited concerns when government agencies consider cloud computing. Because modernization fosters communication between historical systems and contemporary solutions, it preserves the vested value of existing IT systems and avoids interoperability issues.
Usually deployable within a year, or sometimes in months, modernization also provides defense organizations with greater flexibility, enabling rapid response to changes in the mission, from implementing new security measures to supporting net-centric operations. Rewriting applications or replacing them entirely can take years, and interoperability issues can arise as the project progresses.
Change will not be overnight, however. The move to cloud computing is more of a relay race than a full-out sprint. Particularly within DoD, agencies will pace their deployment in increments as they develop trust in the technology. Application modernization is a perfect complement to this movement, as it does not require a systemwide commitment. Agencies can choose to upgrade only their most critical applications, and deploy further as needed.
As security risks are often cited as the number one concern when upgrading systems for cloud computing compatibility, modernization enables a step-by-step approach to ensuring that security processes are in place and working appropriately before proceeding to the next level. With this approach, even mission-critical applications can be safely Web-enabled. From an interoperability and business standpoint, this would not be feasible using the traditional approach—that is, rewriting/replacing applications on a piecemeal basis.
In fact, modernization solutions actually can enhance the security of important information stored on critical applications. A proper enterprise cloud platform provides security of all data in motion and at rest. Data is secured with encryption certificates owned by the organization, not the underlying utility infrastructure. A cloud environment also can help improve security risk management for desktops.
In a recent interview with Military Information Technology, Wennergren stated the following: “In fact, if done right, using the cloud to do desktop computing could improve security, by eliminating some of the vulnerabilities and touch labor, patching and defending that currently goes into managing desktops.” (See MIT, December 2009, page 21.)
With application modernization, agencies can move to the cloud as quickly or as slowly as desired. There are many practical first steps for an agency to explore. For example, agencies can use application modernization to move one specific COBOL application from a proprietary platform to a commodity platform based on UNIX, Linux or Windows. This intermediate step operates within the agency’s firewall and demonstrates the ease of transitioning applications to different operating environments while maintaining full agency control over the data.
It is just as simple to map an agency’s green-screen interface or COBOL function parameter interface to XML and Web services. Once an agency has the flexibility to move between platforms, it may decide to operate one of the new platforms in a public or private cloud, depending on the agency’s preference.
A step further, by hooking in the metering and monitoring functions of cloud computing, using a pay-as-you-go model, an agency could receive feedback on the value of the applications it offers. If the new software-asa- service, cloud-based COBOL application is deemed valuable, it can be made available on mash-ups, dashboards and browser applications.
AGENCY LEADERS
Today there are great examples of defense organizations that are taking the lead in cloud computing. For instance, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) recently unveiled its Rapid Access Computing Environment— a private cloud where government users can go to purchase computing capability in support of their missions.
Through this cloud-based service, DISA has created a business model in which it can expand utilization of its existing computing resources, helping government users avoid the need to procure additional hardware, as well as the expense of maintaining this infrastructure. The ability to quickly access computing resources also opens the door to new collaboration opportunities. This dynamically provisioned, pay-as-you-go service would have been unthinkable even 10 years ago, which shows how far we’ve come this past decade.
Because cloud computing remains relatively untapped in the federal government, the potential benefits of its widespread adoption are staggering. As Wennergren told MIT, “For cloud computing, there is a huge opportunity for the department, or any large, decentralized organization. In the most basic sense, we have been on an evolution that begins with the idea of moving away from a world of many underutilized and overcooled server farms, which grew up out of a preference for maintaining personal control over your servers and systems.”
Change may be gradual as agencies loosen their grip on hardware to embrace the benefits of a shared cloud environment. But soon enough, a tipping point will come.
Whether improving server utilization, computing scalability, or enhancing collaboration and mobility, it’s hard to image a future 10 years hence in which cloud computing isn’t ubiquitous. But defense agencies need not rush into a cloud environment. Thanks to application modernization, agencies have an alternative to overhauling legacy systems and applications, and can deploy cloud computing at their own pace. ♦
Ken Powell is president, North American operations, for Micro Focus, a provider of enterprise application management and modernization solutions.