Legacy systems are obsolete computing software applications or hardware that is still in use. However, their worn-out technology does not permit the systems to cooperate with the latest and modern systems. In addition, these systems may affiliate with terminology or processes that are no longer appropriate to present-day contexts or content.
Many businesses and organizations use legacy systems to fulfill their business needs and other functions. These systems cause problems due to compatibility issues, obsoletion, and the absence of security sustenance. Due to these reasons, it is necessary to get the legacy systems to work with the latest and advanced technologies.
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Why should you make use of microservices to modernize your legacy systems?
Utilizing microservices is one of the best and popular methods to improve and renew legacy systems. Let us have a look at the top 4 causes among the numerous reasons why using microservices is the best solution.
1. Microservice developer teams
Microservices are detached and autonomous components. Hence, they are normally developed and maintained by small teams. In general, a team consists of 8 members. This improves and eases the communication among the team members. In addition, this arrangement assists the developers to get adapted their codebases while sorting out the concerns quicker.
2. The autonomous deployment of microservices does not depend on one another
Microservices are deployed autonomously. For that reason, the effect of the interruptions within a particular component of a software application on the entire software application is less. application. As a result, most of the clients will not become aware of the breaking off, even when some of the microservices are malfunctioning. This eases for the developers to solve the concerns and redeploy the services.
3. Microservices can be scaled independently
Most of the legacy systems are developed according to monolithic architecture. With the monolithic architecture, it is needed to scale all segments together. This makes the hardware weaken and damaged. But with microservices, you will only have to handle the functional bottlenecks and scale the components with performance concerns. You also can use proper hardware that suits the service requirements.
4. Technology and the phased implementation of microservices
Developers are allowed to choose the best language or technology that suits the microservice. It is more comfortable to rewrite the microservices with new languages and modern technologies when the microservices are small in size. With this, your applications and systems will not get outdated instantly. With microservice architecture, you are allowed to separate a small segment from your existing software application and replace it with a microservice. In a system with monolith architecture, you can recognize one or more specified functional segments and re-generate them as microservices. Nevertheless, this method can be favorably applied only at the upcoming phases of migration.
The best schemes to achieve a better microservice implementation during legacy system modifications
Since we are now aware of why we should use microservices to modernize the legacy systems, let us have a look at the best schemes to achieve a better Microservice Implementation during legacy system modifications.
Creation of microservices for the new features
If you are planning to add a new feature to your existing software application, make sure that you do not implement that feature attaching to the existing legacy system. Implement and use a microservice as a replacement. This appeal causes an end to getting the existing legacy system bigger. It also protects the system from getting difficult to deal with and permits the new feature to encounter the advantages of the microservice architecture. Nevertheless, this approach does not assist to get rid of the existing legacy system.
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Separate the existing legacy system
Most of the legacy systems are created with monolith architecture. The software applications that have followed the monolith architecture are composed of three sections. They are the front-end, back-end, and databases. Hence you can break down these three components and split the legacy system into minor applications. This will allow you to develop and scale those applications as microservices without any difficulty. Once the microservices are implemented, you are allowed to get rid of the existing legacy system.
Extract existing modules into microservices
One of the eminent approaches to develop microservices for an existing legacy system is by using the already available modules within the legacy systems into standalone microservices. The legacy system will no longer act as a legacy system once the modules are extracted.
Shut down the existing legacy system completely
This approach is also known as the revolutionary method. You can shut down the existing legacy system completely and develop a new software application with microservices. This approach can be complicated and costly. But on the other hand, it is better to get rid of the old legacy system completely to get rid of significant issues such as security breaches, losing data, and system downtime. This is also a fine approach to consider when the existing legacy system is not capable of solving the required business problems.
Updating one component at a time
This approach is also known as the evolutionary method. The exciting legacy system can be modified step by step by updating one component at a time. This is easier than the revolutionary method and does not disrupt the major business processes.
Using the Strangler Pattern
The strangler pattern allows you to withdraw the old components of the existing legacy systems once the new functionalities are implemented. The new functionalities are implemented as part of the new service and not part of the legacy system. The strangler pattern will allow you to implement a new parallel application and withdraw the existing legacy system while removing its old functionalities.
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Using the Domain-Driven Design approach to Cut Legacy Systems into MicroServices
Domain-driven design is the most suitable approach to develop software applications with complex and frequently changing business requirements. This approach will assist you to separate the frontend from the backend and decompose and decouple the legacy system into a series of microservices while stopping the addition of new features and functionalities to the legacy system. For further in-depth discussion on how to cut legacy systems into microservices, please contact us today.
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