A few scenarios I've come across in my career;
1. Architectural Differences
My old batch cobol application running on an ICL Mainframe, which works ok, isn't much of a goer when all my competitors have gone www!
2. Open Standards
Same Cobol system, who'd like to list the difficulties of XMLing it so that I can speak to my customers XML B2B procurement portal?
3. Choices
I'm being stiffed by the Mainframe Supplier, can I change - nope cos my On-Line App is written in their proprietary Application Master. But if I had a nice shiny new J2EE app it could run on most Servers using any J2EE App Server..... well maybe soon, and even now it wouldn't be too bad a job to shift it.
4.Sheer Complexity
My business users want Customer Relationship Management, Enterprise Resource Planning, Supply Chain Management, do I
a. Buy CRM/ERP etc packages and integrate them with my batch Cobol System, gibber gibber.
b. Build my own CRM/ERP etc which isn't my primary business/wouldn't know where to start/can't find a Cobol developer, at huge cost
c. Start from scratch using off the shelf packages and building bespoke where it is my core business and I know what I'm doing. Integrating the lot using J2EE/Messaging solutions. With a layered architecture which allows new channels and services to be added with ease.
5. Reduced Risk
My systems were written quite recently using XYZ GUI Development Tool with an Oracle 7.3 database all running on an ABC server with Dodah PC Clients, but
XYZ have been taken over by Microsoft/Oracle/IBM/CA... who've ripped out the core clever bits and given notice that support will cease soon, Oracle support for 7.3 ends soon and XYZ doesn't have drivers for 8i, ABC are moving to a thin client model in their new range and support for the cuurent range will cease in a few years. And finally Dodah have done bust - aha but any PC will do so we can migrate to Dell/Compaq/IBM... just need to sort out the backend stuff before we have a problem and my business colapses.
PS No specific gripes about ICL, just an example I'm familiar with. Similar arguments would apply to IBM, Vax, Tandem etc.
And how many of those lines do you suppose are just leftovers from pervious attempts by MS and are not actually used anymore but the programmers were to scared to remove them 'just in case'?
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A few scenarios I've come across in my career; 1. Architectural Differences My old batch cobol application running on an ICL Mainframe, which works ok, isn't much of a goer when all my competitors have gone www! 2. Open Standards Same Cobol system, who'd like to list the difficulties of XMLing it so that I can speak to my customers XML B2B procurement portal? 3. Choices I'm being stiffed by the Mainframe Supplier, can I change - nope cos my On-Line App is written in their proprietary Application Master. But if I had a nice shiny new J2EE app it could run on most Servers using any J2EE App Server..... well maybe soon, and even now it wouldn't be too bad a job to shift it. 4.Sheer Complexity My business users want Customer Relationship Management, Enterprise Resource Planning, Supply Chain Management, do I a. Buy CRM/ERP etc packages and integrate them with my batch Cobol System, gibber gibber. b. Build my own CRM/ERP etc which isn't my primary business/wouldn't know where to start/can't find a Cobol developer, at huge cost c. Start from scratch using off the shelf packages and building bespoke where it is my core business and I know what I'm doing. Integrating the lot using J2EE/Messaging solutions. With a layered architecture which allows new channels and services to be added with ease. 5. Reduced Risk My systems were written quite recently using XYZ GUI Development Tool with an Oracle 7.3 database all running on an ABC server with Dodah PC Clients, but XYZ have been taken over by Microsoft/Oracle/IBM/CA... who've ripped out the core clever bits and given notice that support will cease soon, Oracle support for 7.3 ends soon and XYZ doesn't have drivers for 8i, ABC are moving to a thin client model in their new range and support for the cuurent range will cease in a few years. And finally Dodah have done bust - aha but any PC will do so we can migrate to Dell/Compaq/IBM... just need to sort out the backend stuff before we have a problem and my business colapses. PS No specific gripes about ICL, just an example I'm familiar with. Similar arguments would apply to IBM, Vax, Tandem etc.
And how many of those lines do you suppose are just leftovers from pervious attempts by MS and are not actually used anymore but the programmers were to scared to remove them 'just in case'?