10x reduction in codebase after Cobol migration to the web platform

Innowise has migrated the Cobol desktop application suite to the web platform, making it more convenient and user-friendly.

Customer

Industry

Oil & gas

Region

Client since

2024

Our client is a primary US-based software provider for the oil & gas industry. For 40+ years, they have helped exploration, production, drilling, and investment companies embrace digital transformation and simplify operational processes.

Detailed information about the client cannot be disclosed under the provisions of the NDA.

Challenge

Desire to modernize proprietary desktop software suite and migrate to the web platform

A leading US-based software provider for the oil and gas industry struggled with modernizing their long-standing desktop ecosystem of applications. Developed initially on IBM Cobol and then transferred to Micro Focus Visual Cobol, these applications have consistently operated for over 40 years. However, to keep up with the rapid pace of digital transformation and establish a solid online presence, the client sought to migrate their entire product suite to the web.

They wanted to seamlessly transition approximately 900 applications to a web-based platform without compromising quality, retaining familiar interfaces and system logic to ensure user comfort and continuity. Also, the client preferred to maintain their existing robust Cobol code rather than replace it with .NET.

The client wanted to modernize their software suite by switching from legacy desktop apps to a web-based platform while keeping the business logic and user experience intact without much change to the core architecture.

Solution

Cobol migration services to transfer desktop apps through a .NET middleware layer

To solve the client’s challenge of migrating their desktop business suite to the web, we took a multi-faceted approach, minimizing disruption. Based on a thorough investigation, our experts identified two potential migration paths and ultimately chose the most efficient and manageable option.

Micro focus enterprise server

This option involved configuring the Enterprise Server to handle the migration. However, during the setup, our project team discovered that Enterprise Servers operate at the TCP transport level, whereas RESTful APIs operate at the application level, typically over HTTP. Even though RESTful APIs could theoretically be implemented directly over TCP, this would require significant manual work for request routing, state management, data encoding/decoding, and error handling. Consequently, this complexity led us to consider an alternative approach.

.NET middleware

The second option involved creating a middleware layer in .NET to bridge the Cobol backend and the web frontend. Given the challenges and complexities of reconfiguring the Enterprise Server, we pursued the second option, which promised a more straightforward and manageable implementation.

Business logic & database handling

To preserve the core business logic written in Visual Cobol, our specialists first delved into the existing codebase. As we developed the .NET middleware, it became clear that the client’s desktop applications used a directory of files as a database, with many of them acting as indexed databases.

Thereby, our project team restructured the business logic to be entirely class-based, allowing for more modular and targeted access to specific methods from the .NET environment. This was essential since the original applications’ main logic was procedural, making it challenging to call specific methods individually. By converting the procedure into classes, we enabled precise method calls that streamlined the .NET middleware integration.

.NET middleware

Our software engineers developed the backend using .NET 8, implementing a RESTful API with ASP.NET Core Web API. The .NET web application allowed setting the path and filename for applications without redeploying the desktop software. This allowed us to test the new web app suite on the existing infrastructure in a new directory. Overall, the .NET solution comprised three parts:

ASP.NET Core Web API that handled the RESTful endpoints;
Application logic that contained the core business logic interfaced with the Cobol classes;
.NET contracts with Cobol logic that defined open contracts for business logic written in Cobol.

Front-end development

On the user side, we developed the front part using React with Material UI. Our software engineers mirrored the desktop applications for existing users to ensure familiarity and ease of transition. We also implemented standard authentication using Authenticate Identity and utilized SQLite for session management and other lightweight data storage needs.

Technologies

Front-end

React & Material UI

Back-end

Microfocus Visual Cobol 9.0, Asp.Net Core 8, Auth based on SQLite

Database

SQLite for Auth, Cobol indexed files

Process

Our project team began with an introduction phase, during which we got to know the client and understand their specific requirements. So we could get a sense of the scope of the project and the expectations, the client showed us the current system and how it worked. As a result, we proposed a high-level plan outlining our approach to migrating the client’s software suite to the web, breaking down the tasks into manageable segments, such as backend restructuring, frontend development, and integration testing. To validate our approach and ensure alignment with the client’s expectations, we developed a demo version that included:

Setting up the necessary environment in Visual Studio;
Ensuring all references and dependencies, particularly the Micro Focus libraries for Cobol, were correctly configured;
Developing the backend in .NET and the frontend in React;
Demonstrating the integration between Cobol business logic and the new web interface.

Further, we demonstrated the demo app to the client, showing how it worked and looked, explaining the intricacies of modern web development, and giving insight into the architecture. After the demo, we conducted a thorough analysis of the entire product architecture, allowing us to identify potential risks, define the scope of work, and allocate resources for the all-around Cobol migration. We regularly updated the client on our progress, sought feedback, and clarified any uncertainties to stay aligned with the client’s expectations, and promptly addressed any concerns. As of now, we continue to support the migration process, rectifying any issues that arise promptly.

Team

Cobol Developers

.NET Developers

React Developers

DevOps Engineer

QA Engineer

Results

30% decrease in loading time after Cobol migration

Innowise ensured a smooth and stress-free transition of the client’s entire desktop suite to the web. By isolating the business logic written in Cobol from the Windows Forms interface, we simplified the code structure and improved maintainability. Previously, the business logic was intertwined with the user interface, making it difficult to access and modify directly. The transition to object-oriented Cobol (OOP Cobol) enabled seamless integration with the .NET environment. Now, a single Cobol .dll can be referenced in .NET code, creating instances of classes and interacting with necessary methods in a straightforward manner.

The Cobol migration to a web-based platform greatly enhanced the user experience. Clients no longer need to connect to remote machines to access the desktop application. Instead, they can now log in through a web browser using their credentials and access the full functionality of the application directly from their accounts. This transition has modernized the interface, making it more intuitive and accessible.

Project duration

March 2024 - Ongoing

10x

reduction in codebase

30%

decrease in loading time

Related cases

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10x reduction in codebase after Cobol migration to the web platform

Customer

Challenge

Desire to modernize proprietary desktop software suite and migrate to the web platform

Solution