Home // International Journal On Advances in Software, volume 17, numbers 3 and 4, 2024 // View article

Facilitating Software Migration using Normalized Systems Expansion - A Detailed Case Study

Authors:
Christophe De Clercq
Geert Haerens

Keywords: NS; Expansion; Rejuvenation; Software Migration

Abstract:
Abstract—Applications with evolvability issues that become less modifiable over time are considered legacy. At some point, refactoring such applications is no longer a viable solution, and a rebuild lurks around the corner. However, the new application risks becoming non-evolvable over time without a clear architecture that will enforce evolvability. Rebuilding an existing application offers little business value; migrating from old to new can be complicated. Normalized Systems theory aims to create software systems exhibiting a proven degree of evolvability. According to this theory, one would benefit from building legacy systems if they were to be rebuilt. In this paper, we will present a real-life use case of an application exhibiting non-evolvable behaviour and how this application is being migrated gradually into an evolvable application through NS-based software expansion. We will also address the extra value that NS-based software expansion brings in the migration scenario, allowing the combination of old and new features in the newly built application. The paper demonstrates that software expansion facilitates phased software migration without the downsides of fragile manual-built gateways and results in a future-proof and evolvable new software system

Pages: 165 to 175

Copyright: Copyright (c) to authors, 2024. Used with permission.

Publication date: December 30, 2024

Published in: journal

ISSN: 1942-2628