Progress demands motion; standing still is regression.

Businesses that don’t keep up and modernize their applications risk being overtaken by more flexible competitors. The message is clear: around 70% of digital transformation projects fail because of outdated systems and rigid application architectures. As customers seek smooth, personalized experiences and markets change, organizations see that modernizing their applications isn’t optional anymore.

This is where AWS Cloud steps in, helping businesses upgrade their application portfolios for the future. With a wide range of AWS security services, tools, and architectural solutions, AWS offers endless possibilities. From containerization and serverless cloud computing security to advanced analytics and machine learning, AWS provides the essentials for organizations to enhance their applications and deliver outstanding customer experiences. This shift also benefits Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), allowing them to transform traditional products into cloud-based, scalable solutions that better support customer businesses through efficient cloud hosting, core modernization, and improved licensing management.

However, getting started on a journey toward application modernization is no easy task. At every level of the organization, it necessitates careful planning, effective implementation, and readiness to embrace change. Let’s discover the best 10 practices for effective application modernization on the AWS cloud.

Strategies for Application Modernization: 10 Ways to Future-proof Operations on AWS Cloud

It is only the first step to migrate to AWS; real benefits come from modernizing your applications to fully harness the power of the cloud.

1. Evaluate and Plan

The first step in modernizing applications on AWS is to thoroughly assess the current application architectures, infrastructure, and business needs. It’s crucial to involve key people from different departments like business leaders, IT experts, application owners, architects, and sometimes internal users. This ensures that the modernization plan matches the organization’s main goals and objectives. Here’s what it includes:

• Application Inventory: List all existing applications and their dependencies.
• Assessment: Evaluate each application’s current state, including architecture, performance, and technical issues. AWS tools like AWS Application Discovery Service, AWS Migration Hub, and AWS CloudEndure Migration can help.
• Prioritization: Decide which applications to modernize first based on their business value and complexity.

For example, a financial services company might prioritize modernizing its customer payment systems to improve user experience and boost ROI.

2. Embrace a Microservices Architecture

Moving from a monolithic backend to a microservices architecture is key to modernizing applications. Microservices break down applications into small, independent services that communicate via APIs. This approach offers several benefits:

• Scalability: Each microservice can be scaled independently, improving resource use.
• Resilience: A failure in one microservice doesn’t affect the entire application.
• Flexibility: Smaller codebases are easier to manage and deploy, supporting continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD).

To adopt a microservices architecture on AWS, you can use these tools:

• AWS Lambda: Serverless cloud computing security for building and deploying microservices.
• Amazon API Gateway: API management for creating and managing APIs between microservices.
• Amazon ECS and Amazon EKS: Container orchestration for managing and scaling microservices.
• Amazon DynamoDB: NoSQL database for storing and managing data for microservices.
• AWS Step Functions: Workflow management for coordinating microservices and ensuring business logic.

3. Containerization

Essential for AWS modernization, containers package applications and dependencies for consistent performance.

AWS Container Services:

• Amazon ECS (Elastic Container Service): Scales and manages Docker containers effectively.
• Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service): Simplifies running Kubernetes without managing the control plane.

Example of Modernization:

• Break down a legacy e-commerce app into microservices like product catalog, shopping cart, payment processing, and customer reviews.
• Use Amazon ECS to containerize the product catalog for independent scaling.
• Employ Amazon EKS for efficient management of user sessions and cart data in the shopping cart service.

4. Use AWS Application Modernization Services

AWS offers a full range of services to help organizations with application modernization services. These services simplify the process, lower risks, and speed up time-to-market.

• AWS Application Migration Service (AWS MGN): AWS MGN makes it easy to move applications to the AWS Cloud by automating and managing the migration process. It works with various source environments, including on-premises data centers, other cloud providers, and AWS regions. This makes it a great solution for organizations with diverse and complex application setups.

• AWS Modernization Hub: This is a centralized platform that gives a complete view of an organization’s modernization progress. It includes pre-built workflows, tools, and best practices to simplify the modernization process, helping teams to plan, track, and manage their modernization efforts effectively.

• AWS Fault Injection Simulator (AWS FIS): AWS FIS is a fully managed service that helps organizations improve the resilience and reliability of their applications. It does this by injecting faults and testing how applications respond in a controlled environment. This service is particularly valuable for organizations transitioning to cloud-native architectures, ensuring they can manage failures effectively and recover swiftly.

5. Use Managed Databases

Modernizing databases is just as crucial as modernizing application code. AWS offers several managed database services that ensure scalability, performance, and ease of operation.

• Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service): Simplifies setting up, operating, and scaling a relational database in the cloud.
• Amazon DynamoDB: A key-value and document database that provides single-digit millisecond performance at any scale.
• Amazon Aurora: A MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud, offering the performance and availability of high-end commercial databases with the cost-effectiveness of open-source databases.

For instance, a logistics giant such as DHL or FedEx can migrate its databases used for fleet control, monitoring, and tracking operations to Amazon Aurora. This migration enables real-time shipment tracking, optimizes route planning, and improves inventory management. Similarly, a company like UPS can shift its package tracking and delivery management databases to Amazon Aurora for scalable, uninterrupted service.

6. Monitor Key Metrics

Monitoring metrics effectively ensures you achieve your desired outcomes. Key metrics to track include:

• MTTR (Mean Time to Recovery): The time it takes systems to recover after an incident.
• MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures): The average time between failures of a component.
• CAPA (Capacity, Availability, Performance, and Affordability): How well the company meets capacity needs, availability goals, performance targets within budget, and affordability objectives.
• User Satisfaction Ratings (USRs): User satisfaction with applications or services, helping identify areas for improvement.

To monitor these metrics, AWS provides tools such as:

AWS CloudWatch: Monitors and manages AWS resources and applications.

• AWS X-Ray: Analyzes and debugs distributed applications.
• AWS CloudTrail: Logs AWS account activity for security analysis and compliance.
• AWS CloudFormation: Automates infrastructure provisioning and management.

Benefits of Monitoring:

• Helps organizations identify gaps in modernization efforts.
• Enables adjustments to strategies for better application performance and efficiency.

7. Apply DevOps and Automation

Modernizing applications in the AWS Cloud allows organizations to leverage DevOps technologies and automation, enhancing software delivery speed, quality, and operational efficiency/cost. AWS offers key services and tools for this purpose:

• AWS CodeCommit: A secure, scalable, and managed source control service.
• AWS CodeBuild: A fully managed build service that compiles source code, runs tests, and produces software packages.
• AWS CodeDeploy: A service that automates code deployments to any instance.
• AWS CodePipeline: A continuous integration and continuous delivery service for fast and reliable application modernization.

Implementing continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines and managing infrastructure as code are crucial steps in modernizing applications on the AWS Cloud.

CI/CD Pipelines:

• Automate build, test, and deployment processes for rapid and reliable application modernization.

AWS Infrastructure as Code:

• AWS CloudFormation: Defines and manages cloud infrastructure in a repeatable manner.
• AWS CDK (Cloud Development Kit): Facilitates infrastructure management with code, ensuring consistency across environments.

8. Maintain Cloud Security and Compliance

Cloud security and compliance are essential when modernizing applications in the cloud. AWS security tools encompass:

• AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM): For managing user access and permissions.
• AWS Key Management Service (KMS): For encrypting data.
• AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF): For protecting applications.

AWS also provides compliance tools like:

• AWS Artifact: For accessing compliance reports.
• AWS Config: For tracking resource configurations and ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations.

9. Enhance Cost and Performance

• Efficient Resource Use: AWS provides services and pricing options that help organizations use resources wisely and pay only for what they use.
• Automatic Scaling: Services like AWS Auto Scaling and AWS Elastic Load Balancing adjust application capacity as needed, ensuring optimal performance without unnecessary costs.
• Cost Visibility and Optimization: Tools like AWS Cost Explorer and AWS Trusted Advisor offer insights into cloud spending and recommend ways to reduce costs.
• FinOps Framework: By adopting FinOps on AWS, organizations can form a collaborative team of engineering, finance, and business experts. They manage cloud finances and make data-driven decisions to balance cost, usage, and performance effectively, maximizing AWS Cloud benefits.

10. Use AWS Partner Network (APN) and Managed Services

• Expert Support: Organizations often partner with AWS Partners and Managed Services Providers (MSPs) to enhance their application modernization efforts and ensure successful outcomes.
• APN Partners: APN Partners offer tailored services ranging from consulting to managed solutions, leveraging industry-specific expertise and proven methodologies for modernizing applications on AWS.
• AWS Managed Services Providers (MSPs): MSPs deliver comprehensive cloud management and operations services, allowing organizations to focus on core business activities while ensuring AWS environment optimization, best practices implementation, ongoing compliance, and AWS security.

As an AWS cloud managed service provider, LYSA supports organizations in achieving these goals with AWS-certified professionals and robust cloud management solutions.

Suggested Read: Migrating An On-Premise Database To AWS: Step Walkthrough

LYSA’s Comprehensive Approach to Enterprise Applications on AWS: Building, Modernizing, and Running

Modernizing applications with AWS means moving beyond the constraints of old-fashioned monolithic setups. It’s crucial for strategic advancement.

At LYSA, we grasp the complexities of AWS application modernization. With deep expertise in AWS adoption, migration, and management, we offer a customized strategy to modernize your applications. We use cutting-edge cloud-native services and tools to achieve this. Our approach covers all aspects of the 6R’s Application Modernization Framework, including:

Here’s a breakdown of the 6R’s of Application Modernization:

1. Repurchase: Replacing on-premises software with cloud-based alternatives.
2. Rehost: Migrating applications to the cloud with minimal changes (lift and shift).
3. Replatform: Adapting applications for better performance in the cloud environment (lift, change, shift).
4. Refactor/Rearchitect: Restructuring applications to optimize for cloud-native capabilities, often breaking monolithic architectures into microservices.
5. Retire: Identifying and decommissioning redundant applications to cut costs.
6. Retain: Maintaining legacy applications, usually for critical operations or compliance reasons.

LYSA also offers:

• Comprehensive Services: From initial assessment and planning to migration and ongoing management, ensuring a seamless transition to the cloud.
• AWS Managed Services: Prioritizes application security and compliance, with AIOPs-based monitoring for optimal availability and performance.

LYSA Specializes In:

• Container management
• Modernizing databases and infrastructure
• DevOps practices
• Application Security
• Application performance management (APM)

Enjoy a Complete Cloud Experience with us as these solutions together provide a comprehensive cloud experience.

Contact us to discover how we can assist with your application modernization efforts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do modernization and migration differ?

Migration shifts applications to the cloud, while modernization transforms them to use cloud-native architectures, DevOps methods, and advanced AWS services for better performance and innovation.

What are the reasons to modernize applications on AWS?

Application Modernization on AWS means using cloud-native architectures, adopting DevOps methods, cutting costs with scalable and serverless models, boosting AWS security, meeting rules, and gaining speed and innovation. This lets businesses plan for the future, cut down on old technical problems, and offer top-notch customer service to stay in the lead.

What does the cloud modernization strategy involve?

A strategy for cloud modernization includes evaluating applications, prioritizing modernization, using cloud-native architectures, utilizing AWS modernization services, and continually improving cost efficiency and performance.

How does AWS contribute to automation? 

AWS uses tools such as AWS Lambda for serverless cloud computing, AWS CloudFormation for managing infrastructure through code, and AWS Step Functions for orchestrating workflows. These tools automate tasks and enhance operational efficiency within the AWS cloud environment.

What is AWS security?

AWS security encompasses various tools, services, and practices to safeguard data, applications, and infrastructure on Amazon Web Services (AWS). It includes encryption, identity management (IAM), network security, and ongoing monitoring. AWS security ensures compliance and protects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of resources in the cloud.