ArticlesLegacy applications often lie at the heart of mission-critical operations for many businesses. However, they are often running on aging hardware that is no longer supported or reliable.
This creates significant challenges: security risks, increasing downtime, and escalating maintenance costs.
Gartner estimates that by 2025, 85% of databases will move to the cloud – and it is a trend that is only gaining momentum. For legacy systems, why is it so important?
Because enterprises can’t get the benefits of scalability and efficiency that current platforms like the cloud offers when they stick to legacy hardware.
To leverage these benefits, enterprises must have a cloud migration strategy that connects immediate business needs with long-term goals. Stromasys’s Charon on the Cloud offers a powerful solution for IT decision-makers. It helps enterprises smoothly transition legacy applications to today’s leading cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, Oracle, or Google.
Charon on the Cloud emulator eliminates the problems that come with older hardware without costing you much or disrupting your important processes.
In this blog, we discuss how Charon’s emulation technology operates, its benefits, and key considerations for the migration to be successful.
Charon on the Cloud is a legacy hardware emulator that enables legacy applications to run on cloud platforms without making changes to the application.
It emulates the functionality of legacy hardware like HP 3000, HP 9000, DEC VAX, PDP Alpha & Sun SPARC and creates a similar environment on the cloud, allowing existing legacy applications to run as if they were operating on the original hardware. In this way, companies can keep mission-critical legacy applications while removing legacy hardware.
Stromasys’s Charon is provider agnostic, meaning it works with all the top cloud providers. Consider your company’s needs when selecting a provider. Also, think about costs. Evaluate your current relationships with cloud providers and review security options.
This setup affects the cost of the emulated system because it uses resources. Choose the CPUs, memory, storage, and other options carefully. This ensures the new system can handle the load.
Some systems have large data sets. Transferring them over a WAN connection can be a time-intensive process. Therefore, carefully review the options and select one that meets the project goals and deadlines.
It is important for users to connect to the application. Make sure the organization’s security needs are met and the connections to the cloud provider are attainable. For satisfactory application performance, consider the number of users and the bandwidth available.
As soon as the emulated system is live, check to see if it works as expected. Prior to migration, create a test plan to ensure that functionality is maintained. Prepare test cases based on common and uncommon functions that users must perform, document how to test them, run the tests on the original system before migration, and then perform the tests on the new system.
Migrating legacy applications to the cloud through Charon delivers an array of impactful benefits. The benefits go beyond optimization – they are truly transformative for your business. Here’s why you should add Charon to your Cloud migration strategy:
Aging hardware often fails due to limited reliability and the absence of spare parts. When a part fails, the system can be unavailable for an extended period. Charon eliminates dependencies on outdated hardware, ensuring higher uptime and lower risk.
Gartner estimates that downtime costs businesses $3.6 million annually – costs that Charon minimizes through reliable modern infrastructure.
Rather than struggling with outdated hardware, migrating to a new platform that is still supported by the manufacturer extends the life of the application beyond the lifetime of the aging hardware.
Charon on the cloud does exactly the same. By virtualizing these systems through Charon, businesses retain the full functionality of their business-critical applications without writing a single line of code.
Performance is another issue with these legacy systems. But Charon takes care of that as well. Modern cloud platforms significantly boost application performance. Ultimately, companies experience faster operations and better processing capabilities.
Outdated systems lack crucial security patches, creating significant vulnerabilities. Emulated systems can use the security features of the modern cloud, including security tools. These include access controls, Security Groups, and Web Application Firewalls (WAFs). Consequently, cybersecurity risks are greatly reduced.
Disaster recovery is another crucial aspect of mission-critical systems. Cloud allows multiple instances of legacy systems in diverse data centers. If one instance goes down due to a disaster, another can take over.
With some engineering work, it is also possible to keep the backup instance in sync with the live instance. This improves disaster recovery metrics.
Shifting from legacy hardware eliminates costs associated with maintaining outdated infrastructure. Businesses can reduce power consumption, physical space needs, and ongoing maintenance expenses while benefiting from flexible cloud costs.
From telecommunications, manufacturing, and nuclear power plants to utilities – Charon on the Cloud has a multitude of successful use cases across various industries, delivering tangible results. Here is a recent one:
Orange Business, a leading digital services integrator, has successfully resolved all the challenges linked to its aging SPARC hardware, adding new life to its business-critical ERP systems.
Owing to this technical advancement by Stromasys, Orange Business has ensured business continuity for their mission-critical systems for at least 3 years.
Here is how they expressed their transition:
“This will ensure business continuity for at least 3 years for our legacy ERP system, which is vital for Orange Business.”
CTIO Corporate Finance
Orange Business
Curious to know how Stromasys helped them? Read the complete case study here.
When running legacy applications to execute critical workloads, maintaining the status quo isn’t a smart move. Charon on the cloud’s emulation is a proven method for legacy system migration.
In fact, it is an exception to other migration strategies because of its ability to eliminate the hardware risks while keeping your legacy applications intact and functional. The lift and shift process is seamless, offering scalability and modernization potential without disrupting operations.
Start planning your 2025 cloud strategy now. Using Charon on the Cloud, you’re not just protecting your legacy applications, you’re preparing yourself to compete with modern businesses.
1. What makes Charon on the Cloud different from traditional migrations?
Charon stands out because it is cost-effective, quick, and frictionless. It removes the need for major redevelopment and maintains operational integrity, making it an ideal cloud migration strategy.
2. Is Charon compatible with all cloud providers?
Yes, Charon is cloud-agnostic. Thus, it works well with AWS, Azure, IBM, and Oracle.
3. How long does it take to migrate an application with Charon on the Cloud?
The migration timeline depends on the system size and data transfer methods. Charon’s emulation reduces migration time significantly compared to redevelopment.
4. Can Charon improve the performance of my legacy systems?
Yes, Charon uses modern cloud platforms for faster and more efficient performance. This results in a significant boost compared to older legacy systems.
The Challenge: Aging Hardware Limits M&A Activities Businesses are managing more data and IT systems...
Read More
Many businesses still rely on legacy systems. This may be due to an investment in...
Read More
Despite their age and obsolescence, many organizations still cling to SPARC systems for their operations....
Read More