AWS News Blog: Accelerate the modernization of Mainframe and VMware workloads with AWS Transform

Source URL: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/accelerate-the-modernization-of-mainframe-and-vmware-workloads-with-aws-transform/
Source: AWS News Blog
Title: Accelerate the modernization of Mainframe and VMware workloads with AWS Transform

Feedly Summary: AWS Transform leverages the power agentic AI to accelerate modernization of legacy workloads. It deploys specialized AI agents to automate complex tasks like code analysis, refactoring, decomposition, dependency mapping, validation, and transformation planning, dramatically reducing project timelines and helping organization modernize with greater confidence.

AI Summary and Description: Yes

**Summary:** The text discusses AWS Transform, an agentic AI service designed to facilitate the modernization of legacy systems, particularly mainframes and VMware environments. It highlights the service’s capabilities in automating migration processes, thereby reducing technical debt and streamlining organizational transitions to more agile cloud infrastructures. This modernization effort is crucial for organizations seeking to innovate and improve operational efficiency.

**Detailed Description:** The narrative outlines the challenges associated with legacy systems and the transformative role of AWS Transform. Key points include:

– **Legacy Systems and Their Impact:**
– Many enterprises continue to use outdated mainframe and VMware systems, which complicate innovation and cloud adoption.
– Organizations face high costs related to software licensing and migration projects, as well as difficulties in meeting compliance requirements.

– **AWS Transform Solution:**
– AWS Transform automates the assessment, planning, and transformation of legacy workloads to cloud-based architectures.
– It combines intelligent insights with human-in-the-loop workflows, making the modernization process less risky and more efficient.

– **Mainframe Workload Migration:**
– The service accelerates migration from legacy applications (such as COBOL, CICS, DB2) to modern cloud environments.
– Key features include:
– **Code analysis** for detailed assessment and complexity measurement.
– **Documentation generation** that preserves institutional knowledge in an AI-friendly format.
– **Business rule extraction** to clarify embedded logic within legacy applications.
– **Code decomposition tools** that help visualize and optimize code structures.
– **Modernization wave planning** to prioritize migration based on dependencies and business needs.
– **Code refactoring** that converts legacy code into modern applications while ensuring functional equivalence.

– **VMware Modernization:**
– AWS Transform also addresses the complexities of migrating VMware workloads, which are often hampered by vendor lock-in and collaboration issues.
– The service automates critical steps in the migration process, including:
– Application discovery and dependency mapping.
– Network conversion and EC2 instance optimization.
– The process can be broken down into four distinct phases: inventory discovery, wave planning, network conversion, and server migration.

– **Deployment and User Management:**
– The AWS Transform service requires user management through AWS IAM Identity Center, ensuring secured access and roles throughout the modernization process.
– It guides users through discovery, provisioning, and deployment of cloud resources via a collaborative web interface.

– **Benefits and Practical Implications:**
– Organizations can expect significant reductions in migration timelines and operational risks.
– By leveraging automation and AI techniques, AWS Transform empowers teams to make data-driven decisions, thus maintaining business continuity and improving agility.

– **Availability and Pricing:**
– AWS Transform for mainframe is currently available in specific AWS regions and is offered at no cost for core features to AWS customers, enhancing accessibility to modernizing legacy systems.

This detailed examination underscores the potential impact of AWS Transform in transforming organizational infrastructures, reducing technical debt, and navigating the complexities of legacy system modernization effectively. Security and compliance professionals may find value in understanding how these transformations can align with regulatory frameworks and industry standards.