Legacy Systems and Integration

This chapter outlines the process of interfacing the new system with preexisting applications called legacies. Issues of product fulfillment, connectivity of legacy databases and processes, and integration of multiple systems architecture are covered. This chapter combines many of the suggested approaches to user interface and application specifications development that are covered in previous chapters. The challenges of how to merge legacy data and process attributes are not trivial. Merging different formats of data alone presents a major milestone toward the objective of eventual replacement of any legacy application. Mainframe applications still remain as major interface challenges for analysts. The chapter offers ways to create mainframe gateways that can operate with more modern applications.