E-guide 2017 Guide to Application Modernization Redesign or restructure? An expert compares methods and tools E-guide In this e-guide In this e-guide: What's the best method of Cloud services, massive data collection and aggregation and application modernization for big data analysis are pillars of today's modernized app. And your business? pg. 2 businesses don't have to search hard for the benefits to justify a modernization initiative: In addition to the typical reasons App modernization starts with (performance, features, usability, and reliability), moving knowing how to evaluate PaaS providers pg. 10 applications to the cloud also improves application scalability, deployment flexibility, responsiveness for today's mobile When assessing container users, and efficient use of IT resources. management software, think interoperability pg. 17 But once your business determines the need for application modernization, you need to figure out which method fits best, To choose the right PaaS whether it's restructuring with PaaS, redesigning with APIs, or vendor, know thyself pg. 24 replacing. Evaluate and settle on the container software that's best As Kurt Marko explains, the right approach for you will depend for business pg. 32 on your existing application architecture. Further reading Page 1 of 42 E-guide In this e-guide What's the best method of application What's the best method of modernization for your business? application modernization for your business? pg. 2 Kurt Marko, Engineer and Technology Analyst, Marko Insights In IT, each generational transition has called for modernizing and App modernization starts with redesigning applications, business processes and IT infrastructure to exploit knowing how to evaluate PaaS new capabilities and efficiencies. This occurred when PCs and LANs providers pg. 10 usurped the mainframe and drove client-server computing, eliminating expensive hardware and the issue of data scarcity. Innovation happened again when the internet and WANs disrupted client-server computing, and When assessing container then subsequently tech modernized again when cloud computing gained management software, think popularity. interoperability pg. 17 Consequently, the need for application modernization is a regular, if not To choose the right PaaS entirely predictable occurrence in IT. App modernization isn't carried out as vendor, know thyself pg. 24 a fashion statement, status symbol or to keep up with nimble tech startups, but for cold, hard business reasons. Regardless of the era, the benefits of a periodic app overhaul include better performance, more features, greater Evaluate and settle on the usability and higher reliability. But while the need to modernize is obvious, it's container software that's best unique to each business. And choosing the modernization approach to go for business pg. 32 with can be difficult because there are several options. All the business reasons for application modernization are addressed in the Further reading current cycle of modernization. However, moving to the cloud, whether public or private, also provides much greater application scalability, Page 2 of 42 E-guide deployment flexibility, responsiveness for today's mobile users and efficient In this e-guide use of IT resources. What's the best method of application modernization for The third platform: foundation of modern apps your business? pg. 2 The third platform is one model for understanding modern application design. It derives its name as the successor to prior mainframe and client- App modernization starts with server frameworks, and its impetus is the nexus of four primary knowing how to evaluate PaaS technologies: mobile devices, social networks, cloud services and big data providers pg. 10 analytics. Together, these change nearly everything about applications: their features, UIs, internal instrumentation, how they are designed, developed When assessing container and deployed, even the application lifecycle and update frequency. management software, think The explosion of mobile devices and web users, along with the speed of interoperability pg. 17 information flow and memes that social networks can produce means public-facing apps must handle highly unpredictable workloads, demand To choose the right PaaS spikes of unprecedented scale and users from all geographies accessing vendor, know thyself pg. 24 the web via public networks. Mobile and social technology have also changed the way that users interact with apps along with their expectations about usability, convenience and performance. All these factors affect app Evaluate and settle on the design and the related need for modernization. container software that's best for business pg. 32 The explosion of data collection, fueled by cheap storage and networking, enables aggregating so-called data lakes of immense capacity that require Further reading new database and software systems designed for the task. Smart devices (or the internet of things) and apps themselves contribute to the data deluge by logging data from remote sensors, app usage, performance telemetry Page 3 of 42 E-guide and crash reports. All are useful to organizations seeking competitive In this e-guide advantage through analysis of previously unavailable data. Big data analytics, machine learning and cognitive systems that can all make What's the best method of sense of massive, complex data sets that are seemingly meaningless have application modernization for become powerful tools for improving business decisions. However, the scale your business? pg. 2 and specialization of big data and machine learning infrastructure and software mean that it is best consumed as a service, not built into a App modernization starts with monolithic app. While not limited to big data, the decomposition of apps into knowing how to evaluate PaaS a mashup of independent microservices that can be reused, reconnected, providers pg. 10 widely distributed and simultaneously executed is another core tenet of modern, third-platform apps. When assessing container Although mobile and social interfaces have revolutionized app front ends, I management software, think focus on the infrastructure side where cloud services, massive data interoperability pg. 17 collection and aggregation and big data analysis are pillars of the modernized app. To choose the right PaaS vendor, know thyself pg. 24 Cloud benefits to enterprise modernization Evaluate and settle on the Cloud services are central to app modernization; however, we use them in container software that's best the broader sense as defined by the NIST. for business pg. 32 The NIST definition lists five essential characteristics of cloud computing: on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid Further reading elasticity or expansion, and measured service. It also lists three "service models" (software, platform and infrastructure), and four "deployment Page 4 of 42 E-guide models" (private, community, public and hybrid) that together categorize In this e-guide ways to deliver cloud services. There are various deployment options that can include shared, public What's the best method of services such as AWS, private infrastructure based on something like application modernization for VMware vCloud or a hybrid design using a mix of public and private your business? pg. 2 infrastructure such as Microsoft Azure (public) with Azure Stack (private). App modernization starts with Although public clouds often get a toehold in the enterprise as a quick and knowing how to evaluate PaaS dirty way to deploy software development and test systems, when providers pg. 10 incorporated as the foundation of modern applications, cloud computing provides many benefits, including: When assessing container • Rapid, virtually unlimited scalability management software, think • Higher utilization and resource efficiency via shared services interoperability pg. 17 • Growing portfolio of built-in, higher-level services for application integration, data management and analysis, infrastructure automation and security To choose the right PaaS • Enhanced staff efficiency via APIs and scriptable CLIs for service vendor, know thyself pg. 24 automation and through a consolidated management portal for service administration, monitoring and reporting Evaluate and settle on the • Fine-grained data about infrastructure use that can feed container software that's best consumption-based billing by user or product for business pg. 32 • Lower IT overhead by offloading hardware and low-level operations management Further reading Together, these benefits percolate to the bottom line through lower costs for IT staff and infrastructure to run a given workload. Cloud services also Page 5 of 42 E-guide provide greater flexibility and agility in application provisioning, whether for In this e-guide development, testing or production deployment. By using a consistent set of services and APIs, the cloud inserts a portable abstraction layer between applications and infrastructure that allows apps to be easily moved to new What's the best method of locations, cloned for testing or non-disruptively updated. Such ease of app application modernization for modification, testing and deployment also enable new processes such as your business? pg. 2 Agile development, DevOps and continuous integration and delivery. App modernization starts with knowing how to evaluate PaaS Core application modernization strategy: Going providers pg. 10 cloud When assessing container Microsoft's Azure execs are fond