"Because many software systems used for business today are considered legacy systems, the need for software evolution techniques has never been greater. We propose a novel evolution methodology for legacy systems that integrates the concepts of features, regression testing, and Component-Based Software Engineering (CBSE). Regression test suites are untapped resources that contain important information about the features of a software system. By exercising each feature with its associated test cases using code profilers and similar tools, code can be located and refactored to create components. The unique combination of Feature Engineering and CBSE makes it possible for a legacy system to be modernized quickly and affordably. We develop a new framework to evolve legacy software that maps the features to software components refactored from their feature implementation. In this dissertation, we make the following contributions: First, a new methodology to evolve legacy code is developed that improves the maintainability of evolved legacy systems. Second, the technique describes a clear understanding between features and functionality, and relationships among features using our feature model. Third, the methodology provides guidelines to construct feature-based reusable components using our fine-grained component model. Fourth, we bridge the complexity gap by identifying feature-based test cases and developing feature-based reusable components. We show how to reuse existing tools to aid the evolution of legacy systems rather than re-writing special purpose tools for program slicing and requirement management. We have validated our approach on the evolution of a real-world legacy system. By applying this methodology, American Financial Systems, Inc. (AFS), has successfully restructured its enterprise legacy system and reduced the costs of future maintenance. "

Title: Critical Success Factors for Integration of Enterprise Resource Planning System   Level: Student thesis, final assignment for Master Degree (one year) in Business Administration   Author: Kambiz Kafi   Supervisor: Dr. Maria Fregidou-Malama   Examiner: Dr. Ehsanul Huda Chowdhury   Date: 2018-11-26   Aim: This study examines the Critical Success Factor (CSF) model and its implementation in a case study where ERP Systems are integrated. The model includes Legacy System as a CSF.   Method: Deductive reasoning and case study were applied to support the research theory. Primary and secondary data were collected. Interviews with managers and staffs were performed.   Result & Conclusions: The study shows the factors that are critical in successful implementation of ERP project and how a successful implementation and integration of ERP projects is executed when two companies are being merged. It also shows how the ERP integration project can be implemented. This work studied an implementation of Holland and Light’s theoretical CSF model empirically and validated that the model is general and robust for successful ERP implementation and managing changes.   Contribution of the research: This study of integration of few Legacy Systems when companies are being merged is a contribution to the theory of CSF. The central role that Legacy Systems plays in ERP project implementation is shown empirically. This study presents Software Alignment (Software Configuration) based on two company’s business processes empirically and found it to be essential in success of ERP projects. The research shows how CSF model manages changes, assisting managers in merging two companies successfully. The research presents a modified Holland and Light CSF model to meet the merging situations.      Suggestions for future research: To gain more knowledge about CSFs for integration of ERPs, this study suggests further cross- industrial empirical studies in wholesale and retail industries with varied sizes. Research about identifying CFSs in extended ERP using e_CRM is recommended.

The research is conducted in the area of software methodologies with the emphasis on the integration of legacy systems with the client/server environment. The investigation starts with identifying the characteristics of legacy systems in order to determine the features and technical characteristics required of an integration methodology. A number of existing methodologies are evaluated with respect to their features and technical characteristics in order to derive a synthesis for a generic methodology. This evaluation yields the meta primitives of a generic methodology. The revised spiral model (Boehm,1986; DuPlessis & Vander Wah,1992) is customised to arrive at a software process model which provides a framework for the integration of legacy systems with the client/server environment. The integration methodology is based on this process model. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

我國壽險產業在產品、獲利、通路、法令及未來發展方向等各方面的改變，造成各壽險公司必須在經營策略上有所改變。而基於資訊系統對企業影響演進的歷程與策略協同模式的觀點，當代企業，資訊技術已扮演著舉足輕重的角色，從降低成本與提升效率到企業再造與典範移轉。雖然資訊系統是協助組織面對環境改變與企業經營的基礎，也是在知識經濟下以知識為基礎的新產品與服務的基石，但是若企業的策略無法與IT的策略緊密的結合，資訊技術就無法發揮其應有的功效。 老舊系統在面對包括驟變的產業模式、驟變的商業模式、新興的資訊技術與新的資訊技術架構等多面向的衝擊，實在無法協助企業，達到敏捷性企業的境界，因此必需要考慮資訊系統的轉換。然而，老舊系統的轉換卻又是費時、耗錢且冗長的工作，同時，很多企業的系統轉換，並不是一次完成，而是靠一連串的系統改善或再造專案來完成，就更容易造成前後不一致的狀況，而無法達成預期的目標，因此，在進行資訊系統轉換之時，必須要擬定老舊系統轉換策略，才能夠整合各自獨立的專案，朝向一致的目標邁進。 / Life insurance industry of our country is in the changes of various fields such as products, profits, distribution channels, regulations and future thrusts. Lots of insurance companies have to change their strategy. As we knew information technology has been playing very important roles, for example, IT can provide critical revenue opportunities and cost savings during tough times and IT has become both an enabling element and driving force within this rapidly shifting industry, but base on the theory of business IT alignment, if IT strategy could not align with business strategy then it could not work as efficiency as we expected. The need for agility is commonplace across every industry. Could the legacy systems support this kind of change? Unfortunately, most legacy systems prevent businesses from being more adaptable to change. The only way is transforming legacy architectures into reliable, adaptable assets that contribute to ability of an enterprise to respond to continuous, fast-paces change. But transforming the legacy system is time-consuming, expensive and tediously long work, we have to set up legacy systems transformation strategy to ensue successful.

The research is conducted in the area of software methodologies with the emphasis on the integration of legacy systems with the client/server environment. The investigation starts with identifying the characteristics of legacy systems in order to determine the features and technical characteristics required of an integration methodology. A number of existing methodologies are evaluated with respect to their features and technical characteristics in order to derive a synthesis for a generic methodology. This evaluation yields the meta primitives of a generic methodology. The revised spiral model (Boehm,1986; DuPlessis & Vander Wah,1992) is customised to arrive at a software process model which provides a framework for the integration of legacy systems with the client/server environment. The integration methodology is based on this process model. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

Flera företag använder sig än idag av mjukvarusystem som är uppbyggda med äldre mjukvaruarkitektur som den monolitiska. Ett av dessa företag är Consid vars personalsystem är uppbyggt med det utdaterade ramverket klassisk ASP och där användargränssnitt samt logik kan direkt kommunicera med varandra. Detta medför begränsningar som uppstår till följd av brister i modularitet på grund av valet av mjukvaruarkitektur, vilket försvårar vidareutveckling och ändringar i ett system. Dessa begränsningar påverkar i sin tur parametrar som prestanda, skalbarhet, säkerhet, robusthet samt integrering med modernare tekniker.  I denna rapport presenteras en litteraturstudie samt en semistrukturerad intervjustudie, i syfte att undersöka vilka mjukvaruarkitekturer som är lämpliga att implementera vid en modernisering av en monolitisk mjukvaruarkitektur. Arbetet diskuterade också vilka utmaningar som kan uppstå vid en sådan modernisering och hur de hanteras på ett effektivt sätt. Ett bedömningsschema med önskvärda parametrar, med avseende på skalbarhet, prestanda, säkerhet och robusthet, togs fram för att underlätta avgörandet vid val av mjukvaruarkitektur. Utifrån detta, beslutades det att en prototyp med en REST-baserad arkitektur skulle implementeras och utvärderas.  Resultatet av prototypen, till följd av re-architecting, visade en ökad modularisering av mjukvaruarkitekturen. I jämförelse mot med det tidigare systemet har den nya prototypen ingen större påverkan på prestanda i form av responstid. Däremot bidrog prototypen till förbättrad skalbarhet när det gäller vidareutvecklingen av systemet, eftersom det förenklar införandet av ny funktionalitet. Prototypen hade också högre säkerhet genom att isolera lager ifrån varandra samt dölja underliggande detaljer i implementationen. Dessutom blev prototypen inte bara mer robust till följd av modulariseringen, men även enklare att utföra integrationstester samt destruktiva tester mot. / Several companies still use software systems that are built with older software architecture such as the monolithic one. One of these companies is Consid, whose personnel system is built with the outdated framework Classic ASP and where the user interface and logic can directly communicate with each other. This entails limitations that arise because of shortcomings in modularity due to the choice of software architecture, which complicates further development and changes in a system. These limitations in turn, affect parameters such as performance, scalability, security, robustness, and integration with modern technologies. In this work, a literature study was conducted as well as a semi-structured interview study in order to investigate which software architectures are suitable to implement when a modernization of a monolithic software architecture, is carried out. The work also discussed the challenges that may arise in a modernization of the software architecture and how they are handled efficiently. An assessment scheme with desirable parameters regarding scalability, performance, security, and robustness, was developed to facilitate the decision in the choice of software architecture. Based on this, it was decided that a prototype with a REST-based architecture would be implemented and evaluated. The result of the prototype, following re-architecting, showed an increased modularization of the software architecture. Compared to the previous system, the new prototype has no major impact on performance in terms of response time. However, the prototype contributed to better scalability in the further development of the system as it simplifies the introduction of new functionality. The prototype also had higher security by isolating layers from each other and hiding the underlying details in the implementation. In addition, the prototype not only became more robust because of the modularization, but also easier to perform destructive tests against.

The impending mass retirement of baby-boomer COBOL developers, has companies that wish to maintain their COBOL systems fearing a skill shortage. Due to the dominance of COBOL within the financial sector, COBOL will be continually developed over at least the coming decade. This thesis consists of two parts. The first part consists of a literature study of COBOL; both as a programming language and the skills required as a COBOL developer. Interviews were conducted with key Handelsbanken staff, regarding the current state of COBOL and the future of COBOL in Handelsbanken. The second part consists of a quantitative forecast of future COBOL workforce state in Handelsbanken. The forecast uses data that was gathered by sending out a questionnaire to all COBOL staff. The continued lack of COBOL developers entering the labor market may create a skill-shortage. It is crucial to gather the knowledge of the skilled developers before they retire, as changes in old COBOL systems may have gone undocumented, making it very hard for new developers to understand how the systems work without guidance. To mitigate the skill shortage and enable modernization, an extraction of the business knowledge from the systems should be done. Doing this before the current COBOL workforce retires will ease the understanding of the extracted data. The forecasts of Handelsbanken’s COBOL workforce are based on developer experience and hiring, averaged over the last five years. The forecasts take into consideration the age developers are hired, the age the developers exit, and their cumulative growing experience while in the skills pool. The state of COBOL in 2015 is used as a baseline of COBOL needs to forecast until 2060. I.e. the rate at which COBOL systems are developed stay the same. The forecasts show that if no developers are hired, most of their experienced developers will have left by 2030. To keep their current COBOL experience level, Handelsbanken needs to keep hiring over the coming 45 years. Handelsbanken has to hire on average 8.2 developers per year until 2030, and 6.5 developers per year until 2060. I.e. Handelsbanken has been able to keep a high average of 7.6 people per year for the last five years. / Organisationer som underhåller COBOL system är oroliga inför den åldrande COBOL-arbetskraftens pensionering. COBOLs dominans inom den finansiella sektorn leder till att COBOL kod kommer att fortsätta utvecklas i minst tio år till. Den här uppsatsen är uppdelad i två delar. Första delen är en litteraturstudie om COBOL som programmeringsspråk, samt kunskapsbehovet som COBOL utvecklare. Intervjuer gjordes med nyckelpersoner inom Handelsbanken, kring det nuvarande tillståndet av COBOL och COBOLs framtid i Handelsbanken. Den andra delen består av en kvantitativ prognos kring Handelsbankens behov av COBOL utvecklare i framtiden. Prognosen bygger på data som samlats genom att skicka ut en enkät till alla COBOL utvecklare. Den fortsatta bristen på nya COBOL utvecklare på arbetsmarknaden kan skapa en kompetensbrist. Det är viktigt att samla kunskapen som de pensionerande utvecklarna bär på, eftersom ändringarna i systemen kan ha gått odokumenterade, vilket gör det väldigt svårt för nya utvecklare att förstå systemen utan vägledning. För att minska kompetensbehovet och möjliggöra modernisering av systemen, bör en extraktion av affärskunskap göras ur systemen. Att ta hjälp av utvecklarna av systemen kan avsevärt förenkla förståelsen av den extraherade informationen. Prognoserna av Handelsbankens COBOL arbetskraft baseras på data om utvecklarerfarenhet och anställning över de senaste fem åren. Prognoserna tar hänsyn till åldern när utvecklarna anställs, åldern när utvecklarna slutar, och tillväxten av deras sammanlagda erfarenhet under tiden de jobbar. Prognosen använder COBOL erfarenhetsbehovet i 2015 som en bas för prognosen. Prognosen beräknar behoven fram till år 2060. Prognoserna visar att om inga nya tillskott av utvecklare görs, så kommer de flesta av Handelsbankens erfarna utvecklare ha slutat vid år 2030. För att behålla deras nuvarande erfarenhetsnivå, så kommer Handelsbanken behöva kontinuerligt anställa utvecklare över kommande 45 åren. Handelsbanken kommer behöva anställa i genomsnitt 8,2 utvecklare per år fram till 2030, och därefter 6,5 utvecklare per år fram till 2060. Handelsbanken har lyckats ha en hög genomsnittlig anställningstakt de senaste fem åren, 7,6 personer per år.