AWS Mainframe Migration Solutions

AWS Unveils New Mainframe Modernization Platform

During this morning’s AWS re:Invent conference, Amazon announced a novel platform designed to facilitate mainframe migration and modernization, designated “AWS Mainframe Modernization.” The platform’s core objective is to enable AWS clients to transition away from their mainframes with maximum speed.

Current Mainframe Migration Challenges

Currently, organizations pursuing mainframe offloading typically follow one of two strategies. They can employ a “lift and shift” approach, essentially replicating the application in its existing form, or they can opt for refactoring, breaking down the application into microservices within the cloud environment.

However, both of these routes present significant complexities. The migration process often extends for months, even years, as organizations grapple with evaluating source code intricacy, mapping system dependencies, converting or recompiling code, and rigorously testing functionality.

AWS’s Perspective on the Process

“This can be a complex undertaking, involving numerous interconnected elements, and it’s not a task organizations typically prefer to handle independently,” stated Adam Selipsky, CEO of AWS, during the press briefing.

He further noted that, “Even with assistance from AWS Partners, the transition can still be considerably time-consuming.”

How AWS Mainframe Modernization Improves the Process

The newly introduced AWS Mainframe Modernization platform aims to accelerate the migration, modernization, and operation of mainframe applications on AWS infrastructure.

Amazon asserts that this solution can reduce the time required to migrate mainframe workloads to the cloud by up to 66%, leveraging a suite of development, testing, and deployment tools alongside a mainframe-compatible runtime environment.

The platform also provides tools for assessing and analyzing mainframe applications to determine their migration readiness, guiding customers in selecting the optimal path – either re-platforming or refactoring – and then developing a comprehensive migration plan.

Re-platforming and Refactoring Options

For customers choosing to re-platform, the Mainframe Modernization solution offers compilers for code conversion and testing services to ensure functional equivalence throughout the translation process.

Alternatively, for those seeking to refactor or decompose their applications – potentially deploying components in EC2, containers, or Lambda – the solution can automatically convert COBOL code to Java.

A centralized Migration Hub allows customers to monitor their migration progress across various AWS Partners and solutions from a unified interface.

Key Benefits of the New Platform

Amazon highlights the system as an agile, cost-effective managed service, offering security, high availability, scalability, and elasticity through on-demand, pay-as-you-go resources.

These features are designed to streamline the modernization process and deliver substantial benefits to organizations reliant on legacy mainframe systems.