By Nellaiappan L | Published on June 27th, 2017 | Last updated on September 30th, 2024 |
Macrosoft Migration Milestones
When it comes to migrating VFP application to .NET, be noted that there is no magical wizard that converts the VFP application to .NET in one go. Various migration strategies are employed based on the complexity of the VFP application. It may be a combination of structured methodology, best practices, standardized coding and ensuring strict quality assurance procedures to manage migration of large scale VFP applications. A suitable strategy for migrating a VFP application can only be determined after thoroughly studying the feasibility of the application. Following points are used as a benchmark for planning and strategizing the VFP to .NET migration process:
- Assessment – A thorough documentation of the existing VFP system is required to determine the size and scope of the project, understand the overall application and its business implications. Use an assessment tool to analyze the FoxPro application to understand issues and estimate the approximate cost and effort.
- Planning – Prepare a project plan by determining the scope and migration requirements. Elucidate maximum information about the application by individually examining each section and understanding the functions required to convert the application. This varies depending on the project requirements with some needing a direct conversion to its .NET equivalent or a complete rewrite of the application.
- Strategy – Establish a migration strategy that best suits conversion of the VFP application. Application can either be rewritten as the original system with a provision for enhancement or replaced with enhanced functionality taking advantage of the latest .NET framework. This is considered based on the revisions in the existing application and ongoing changes to the business.
- Budgeting – Asses the amount of effort required for converting each of the functional parameters of the application. It is necessary to sample each type of conversion and estimate the time required to complete the conversion. Measuring the time required to convert each of the forms will facilitate arriving at a more accurate estimate.
- Testing – It is of utmost importance to test the resulting conversion when it comes to performance of the converted/enhanced application. Testing is performed at every stage of the conversion process to ensure the new functionalities match with the old ones. Application is thoroughly tested to verify each corrective action is effectively implemented.
It is tempting to discard a legacy system and rewrite it from scratch. Re-implementing VFP functionalities in .NET is the cleanest thing to do though it may take more time. It is a daunting task when it comes to migrating entire code to another language ensuring similar results. As the business changes in real-time the new system has to be replicated and modified simultaneously, which in itself is like aiming at a moving target. One of the main hurdle is ensuring that all features are duplicated and the new system is feature complete.
Macrosoft with a proven client testimony have successfully helped many businesses migrate their outdated VFP application to .NET. If you are looking for a dedicated migration partner to migrate your outdated VFP application then we would be glad to provide you an obligation-free evaluation of your application.
Nellaiappan is the Application Delivery Manager for Macrosoft’s .NET migration team. Subsequently, Nellai leads the Migration Service to migrate client legacy systems to the latest technologies such as .NET. As a PMP certified professional, he has received accolades from clients for his efficient leadership. Incidentally, during his first migration project, Nellai accelerated the migration resulting in a new service offering from Macrosoft. Later, Nellai worked on an array of proprietary migration tools that form the backbone of the Migrations Practice at Macrosoft.
Nellaiappan holds a Masters in Computer Applications and has 17+ years experience in developing and leading Windows and Web based Applications using Microsoft Technologies.
