Amazon Web Services (AWS) has expanded its AWS Transform service to better support the modernization of legacy code, applications, and infrastructure using AI-driven techniques. The latest updates aim to reduce technical debt by enabling enterprises to modernize their systems more efficiently and with less manual effort.

New Capabilities for Mainframe and VMware Modernization

Originally launched in May, AWS Transform focused on accelerating the modernization of VMware systems and Windows .NET applications, as well as mainframe environments, through agentic AI. At AWS re:Invent, these areas received significant enhancements, including new mainframe modernization agents that analyze activities to inform decisions on whether to modernize or retire code, blueprints that uncover business functions within legacy code, and automated test plan generation.

For VMware environments, AWS Transform now offers an on-premises discovery tool, support for migrating network security configurations from Cisco ACI, Fortigate, and Palo Alto Networks, and a migration planning agent that interprets unstructured documents, files, chats, and business rules to provide context for migration strategies. Additionally, AWS invites partners like Accenture, Capgemini, and Pegasystems to integrate their proprietary migration tools into the platform through a new composability initiative.

Introducing AWS Transform Custom for Tailored Code Modernization

The platform now features a new agent called AWS Transform Custom, designed to streamline the modernization of bespoke, custom code. This agent learns operational patterns from natural-language instructions, internal documentation, or example snippets, and applies these patterns consistently across large, multi-repository codebases. It automatically identifies similar structures and performs necessary updates at scale, with developers able to review and fine-tune the results.

This iterative process allows the agent to refine its accuracy over time, reducing manual effort and improving modernization outcomes. The approach emphasizes the importance of tailored solutions over generic tools, which often rely on pre-defined rules that may not account for complex legacy systems.

According to Akshat Tyagi, associate practice leader at HFS Research, custom code modernization methods like AWS Transform Custom outperform most generic tools, which tend to struggle with highly intertwined legacy systems. This development marks a significant step toward more effective and scalable modernization strategies for enterprises dealing with complex, aging codebases.

Inspired by

• https://www.infoworld.com/article/4099615/aws-transform-now-supports-agentic-modernization-of-custom-code.html

Sources

• hfsresearch.com
• cio.com
• networkworld.com
• networkworld.com