The goal of legacy system modernization is to eliminate operational issues and the associated risks arising from its continued use. It involves replacing parts of the existing software with new solutions — without introducing new business logic or altering the existing one. While both approaches involve the creation of new software, modernization is fundamentally different from extension development.
Key Modernization Features
Preserved Business Logic
The absence of changes to business logic greatly simplifies the modernization process. It eliminates time pressure usually associated with delivering new functionality, facilitates analysis and testing, and supports solution interchangeability.
Interchangeability
The new solution is developed without interfering with the current usage of the system, allowing it to be used interchangeably with the original version. This enables in-depth testing, gradual rollout (e.g., by training user groups in stages), and promotes higher user acceptance. In case of unexpected pressure — regardless of cause — reverting to the previous version can be done quickly. Interchangeability allows significant benefits to be achieved with virtually zero risk of business disruption.
Modularity
Each modernization project typically focuses on a specific, logically isolated area of the system with well-defined dependencies. These areas usually align with functional modules (e.g., parts of the application used by specific roles or departments) or with architectural layers (such as the user interface, authentication, APIs, integration, reporting, etc.). This modular approach is a key enabler of the interchangeability mentioned above.
Most Common Areas of Modernization
User Interface
We create a new “presentation layer” (user interface) that eliminates the shortcomings of its predecessor and meets modern expectations — including high ergonomics, detailed data validation, contextual assistance, and responsive design (adapting seamlessly to various device types, from web browsers to mobile apps). The new UI integrates tightly with the legacy system through technology-appropriate interfaces, preserving both the original business logic and access to existing datasets.
For systems built on Oracle® databases, our proven tools — Partonic DB, Partonic Connector, and Partonic UI — can be used directly, without implementing additional interfaces. This enables fast and effective modernization of the UI and other application components.
Performance
Improving the runtime performance of a legacy system is often challenging without deeper access to source code or infrastructure. However, in combination with UI modernization, certain solutions can improve performance in key areas — such as searching for customers or other business artifacts in large datasets. Using a daily replica of selected data, we create advanced indexes that enable rapid search using complex criteria or fuzzy logic (approximate matching).
When working with Oracle databases and source code is available, performance gains can often be achieved quickly by applying SQL and DML query optimization techniques.
Security
The cybersecurity landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. While most systems — especially those accessible to the public — have adapted to the new realities, there are still applications that fail to meet widely accepted standards. Modernization in this area typically involves implementing user authentication mechanisms (e.g., two-factor authentication), enforcing password quality and periodic changes, enabling more granular authorization for specific system functionalities, encrypting data, and more.