
Definition: For the purposes of this discussion, modernization refers to the re-architecting of traditional workloads into microservices, which can be an exceedingly complex, risky, and expensive undertaking.
In recent years, the tech world has placed significant emphasis on modernization—particularly the transformation of traditional mission-critical applications into microservices architectures using Kubernetes. While modernization is often touted as a strategy for improving flexibility and scalability, it’s crucial to scrutinize the concept more closely when applied to applications that run the core of a business.
In contrast, a more practical approach—particularly for mission-critical workloads—is to lift and shift these applications to the cloud without altering their architecture. By moving them to environments like the IBM Cloud and combining this migration with managed services from providers like GlassHouse Systems, businesses can achieve operational excellence without the steep risks associated with full-scale modernization.
MODERNIZATION: DEFINING THE CHALLENGE
Understanding what modernization truly entails is essential, as there are different paths a company might consider.
1. Full Modernization: This involves re-architecting traditional monolithic applications into microservices architectures. While this approach is theoretically appealing due to its promises of flexibility, scalability, and better resource utilization, it introduces significant complexity. Projects of this scope can cost millions of dollars, take years to complete, and are fraught with risks.
2. Packaged Software Modernization: In this scenario, a business upgrades to the latest version of a pre-existing software package that has been modernized for Kubernetes or microservices architectures. Since the vendor handles the complex re-architecture, this type of modernization is far less risky and costly. However, this is not the typical scenario when companies talk about "modernizing" mission-critical workloads.
In this article, we focus on the first type of modernization: full architectural transformation, which is often oversold as a one-size-fits-all solution.
THE HIDDEN RISKS OF MODERNIZATION
When we talk about modernizing mission-critical workloads, the fundamental issue is that you cannot stop running them. These workloads are integral to a company’s operations, and any disruption can lead to disastrous consequences both financially and operationally. This reality amplifies the risks associated with modernization.
1. YOU CAN’T AFFORD DOWNTIME
Mission-critical applications, by definition, must remain operational. These are the systems on which the business depends—whether it’s an ERP system, a customer database, or a core banking application. Any downtime or service interruption can result in catastrophic financial losses, regulatory penalties, and long-term reputational damage.
Operational Impact: The complexity of modernizing while keeping such systems online is immense. To modernize without interrupting operations, businesses often need parallel systems, phased deployments, or other workarounds that increase the risk of failure. Errors during this transition can lead to degraded performance or system failures, impacting business continuity.
Financial Consequences: Financially, the costs of service disruption can include lost revenue, regulatory fines, and SLA breaches. Additionally, maintaining continuous operations while modernizing requires extra infrastructure, increased IT staffing, and prolonged testing cycles, all of which add to the project’s cost.
2. INCREASED COMPLEXITY
Rewriting monolithic applications into microservices introduces layers of complexity that are difficult to manage, especially when the application has been in operation for years or decades. These workloads often have complex dependencies that must be untangled, restructured, and distributed across microservices, which is difficult and error-prone.
Operational Complexity: As systems become more fragmented, managing inter-service communication, maintaining data consistency, and ensuring fault tolerance all add to the operational burden. The more complex the system, the higher the likelihood of failure, particularly when transitioning critical systems that are already deeply integrated into daily business processes.
Financial Complexity: Complex projects tend to run over budget, and modernization is no exception. What starts as a multi-million-dollar, multi-year effort can easily balloon in cost and duration as businesses deal with unforeseen challenges, rework, and delays. The longer the project takes, the higher the risk of significant budget overruns.
3. UNCERTAIN ROI
The ROI of modernization projects is notoriously difficult to predict. While the promise of agility, flexibility, and scalability is appealing, businesses often find that the expected benefits either don’t materialize or don’t justify the significant investment.
Operational Risks: Modernization often forces businesses to operate in a hybrid mode, running both the old and new systems concurrently. This can lead to inefficiencies and degrade the performance of both systems during the transition period.
Financial Risks: Long timelines, project delays, and unforeseen issues can drive up the costs of modernization significantly, reducing the chances of achieving a positive ROI. Many businesses find that the potential rewards are not enough to justify the significant financial and operational risks.
4. SKILL GAPS
Re-architecting a system to run on Kubernetes or as a collection of microservices requires a specialized skill set. Traditional IT teams, accustomed to managing monolithic systems, may not have the expertise to navigate these new architectures. This necessitates hiring new talent, retraining existing staff, and managing a steep learning curve.
Operational Impact: Skill gaps introduce delays and increase the risk of errors during the transition, potentially leading to outages, performance degradation, or security vulnerabilities. The learning curve can be steep, and teams may struggle to manage and maintain the new system effectively.
Financial Impact: Hiring new talent and retraining staff can be prohibitively expensive, further driving up the cost of modernization projects. This adds yet another layer of financial risk to an already costly and uncertain undertaking.
THE ALTERNATIVE: CLOUD LIFT-AND-SHIFT FOR MISSION-CRITICAL WORKLOADS
Given these significant risks, an alternative approach that can provide many of the same benefits without the risk of downtime or spiraling costs is a lift-and-shift migration to the cloud. This approach involves moving applications to the cloud without re-architecting them, allowing businesses to take advantage of cloud scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency.
KEY BENEFITS OF LIFT-AND-SHIFT:
1. No Operational Disruption: Since the application architecture remains unchanged, there is no risk of downtime during the migration. Businesses can maintain continuity while gaining the benefits of cloud infrastructure.
2. Cost Efficiency: The costs of a lift-and-shift migration are significantly lower than a full modernization effort. There’s no need for complex architectural changes, and the migration can be completed much more quickly.
3. Faster Time to Value: Lift-and-shift migrations are typically completed in months, not years, allowing businesses to start benefiting from the cloud almost immediately.
4. Preserving Existing Investments: Businesses can continue to use their existing mission-critical applications without re-engineering them, while still benefiting from cloud scalability and flexibility.
CONCLUSION: CLOUD OVER MODERNIZATION
While modernization is often promoted as a solution for legacy systems, the reality is that for mission-critical workloads, the risks are far too high. Downtime is not an option, and the complexity, cost, and uncertainty of modernization make it a risky proposition for most businesses. Instead, a lift-and-shift migration to the IBM Cloud offers a safer, more cost-effective solution that delivers immediate value without the risks and costs of re-architecting applications.