Legacy Assets Research Articles

Improving mobile operator information system efficiency through EAI

Ability to integrate legacy assets and reusing their functionality in modern web-enabled information systems are important features of new-generation technologies. In the paper, organisational challenges are discussed, a multiphase integration procedure is proposed, which enables step-by-step integration of legacy applications and extension of their functionality with new generation technologies. A decision model for selecting the most appropriate technology infrastructure is presented and several technologies are evaluated. The paper, which also presents a integration case study of a major mobile phone operator company, contributes to the general understanding of legacy systems integration, gives a solid basis for making a decision about the underlying technology and presents an integration procedure that provably works in practice.

Web services: what they are and their importance for libraries

This paper introduces the main ideas and concepts underlying Web services, and their potential for a new generation of Internet‐based distributed applications. A summary of the key standards that are the foundation of Web services technology and its underlying basic model is provided, exploring the potential for interoperability among independently managed systems. This is of special importance for libraries, along with the advantage of reducing the development and deployment costs of distributed applications, and of leveraging the value of IT and data legacy assets. The paper explains developments in Web services technology in the library field and underlines its significance for changes in the library information systems paradigm.

Towards automated modification of legacy assets

In this paper we argue that there is a necessity for automating modifications to legacy assets. We propose a five layered process for the introduction and employment of tool support that enables automated modification to entire legacy systems. Furthermore, we elaborately discuss each layer on a conceptual level, and we make appropriate references to sources where technical contributions supporting that particular layer can be found. We sketch the perspective that more and more people working in the software engineering area will be contributing to working on existing systems and/or tools to support such work.

Transitioning legacy assets to a product line architecture

A successful software system evolves over time, but this evolution often occurs in an ad-hoc fashion. One approach to structure system evolution is the concept of software product lines where a core architecture supports a variety of application contexts. However, in practice, the high cost and high risks of redevelopment as well as the substantial investments made to develop the existing systems most often mandate significant leverage of the legacy assets. Yet, there is little guidance in the literature on how to transition legacy assets into a product line set-up. In this paper, we present RE-PLACE, an approach developed to support the transition of existing software assets towards a product line architecture while taking into account anticipated new system variants. We illustrate this approach with its application in an industrial setting.

Legacy Asset Management

The magnitude of legacy expenditures and their business impact challenge IS managers to both increase the value derived from legacy assets and free up resources for supporting new applications. A coordinated approach that integrates legacy perspectives, processes, applications, and infrastructures with the business-driven development needed in today’s hybrid computing environments helps IS managers meet those challenges.