2021 Year in recap from OpenLegacy

Openlegacy would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, but first a recap on what was a wild but gratifying experience at OpenLegacy. We launched the next generation of our platform, the OpenLegacy Hub.

Why did we decide to build a completely new generation of our platform? Before we explain that, we need to talk about the existing version.

Eclipse-based IDE platform generates full code Java services - primarily REST APIs based on legacy systems assets (Cobol copybooks and other types of data). It still has a large, very happy user base of developers who want complete control of their code and build in Java. But we learned a few things:

• Users who parse the legacy assets and those who build the end services aren’t necessarily the same
• Enterprises want to future proof their investments - may want Java microservices now but serverless functions in the future
• Many enterprises are moving towards low- and no- code environments
• Companies need searchable repositories of their legacy assets
• API Designers frequently want to extend their functionality without coding
• Automation and building in a DevOps manner is critical for sustainability

A platform to service these use cases is quite different from the existing IDE. But we felt given our experience in integrations, it was an achievable goal. Here are the requirements we built from based on that knowledge

• Simplify installation - The designers use the cloud version. For the legacy people doing the parsing, a CLI running on their network simplifies their efforts. All the CLI needs is access to the legacy assets. This allows each type of user to only use the functionality they need to get the job.
• A no-code or low-code solution generating multiple languages and targeting REST APIs, serverless functions, Kafka, and other types of services. This allows users to regenerate for new formats as the needs require it.
• Assets get imported as searchable JSON entities so non-legacy people can leverage them.
• API Designers now have a complete graphical flow engine for designing services. Users can choose to generate in a no-code or low-code format easily.
• The CLI brings home the power of automation quickly and easily. It parses legacy assets, pushes them into the Hub, generates API projects and even deploys them as needed. This functionality makes the OL Hub ideal for integration into any DevOps pipeline and tools like Jenkins.

OL Hub also includes all the functionality our users have come to love, like support for many different types of legacy systems, cloud-agnostic deployment, and support for all run-time environments.

Plus, existing IDE users get some new benefits as well. The CLI can generate complete IDE projects directly from the legacy assets. This means IDE customers get all the automation and testing benefits of the Hub platform but with the benefits of full code.