Containerisation and replatforming

Move existing applications off ageing servers and application servers into containers on Kubernetes or Red Hat OpenShift, with only the changes that pay for themselves.

Plan a replatformingHow we do it

Gain a modern platform before you rewrite anything

Many applications don't need a new architecture to benefit from a modern platform. Packaged as containers and deployed through a pipeline, the same code starts in seconds, scales with demand, restarts itself when it fails and can be released in minutes instead of over a weekend.

We replatform Java, .NET, PHP and Python applications onto Kubernetes and Red Hat OpenShift, in your data centre or in the cloud, and make the small changes that let them run well there.

When it fits

01

Servers are ageing

Operating systems are near end of support, hardware is due for refresh, or application-server licences are up for renewal.

02

Releases are manual

Deployments are done by hand from a checklist, and environments have drifted apart over the years.

03

Peaks mean more hardware

Salary day, exam results or a tax deadline need capacity that sits idle for the rest of the month.

04

You have a platform to fill

A Kubernetes or OpenShift platform is built or planned, and it needs applications on it to pay back.

What we do

Container readiness checks

Find the blockers in each application: local files, hard-coded settings, sticky sessions, licensing and operating-system dependencies.

Secure images and builds

Minimal images on trusted base images, built, scanned and signed in the pipeline, with a software bill of materials.

Application server moves

Take Java EE applications from WebLogic or WebSphere to JBoss EAP, Open Liberty, Spring Boot or Quarkus where support and licensing favour it.

.NET onto Linux

Port .NET Framework applications to modern .NET to run in Linux containers, or use Windows containers where porting isn't worth it.

Deployment on the platform

Helm charts or operators, health probes, autoscaling, secrets and network policies, all deployed through GitOps.

Virtual machines alongside

Run the VMs that can't move yet next to containers with OpenShift Virtualization, so one platform and one team manage both.

What changes

Five small changes make most applications container-ready

The business logic usually stays exactly as it is. What changes is how the application handles the things a platform now does for it.

Configuration
Settings move out of the code and into the platform, one set per environment.
Logs
Written to standard output and collected centrally, not to local files.
Sessions
Kept in a shared cache such as Redis, so any copy can serve any user.
Files
Stored in object storage instead of on the server's own disk.
Health
Exposed through checks the platform calls to restart or reroute.

How we replatform an application

  1. 01

    Assess

    Profile each application's runtime, dependencies, state and traffic, and decide the order of moves.

  2. 02

    Prepare

    Make the minimum code and configuration changes, build images and write the deployment manifests.

  3. 03

    Deploy and test

    Deploy through the pipeline to test environments, run functional and load tests, and right-size resources.

  4. 04

    Cut over and operate

    Switch traffic with a rollback ready, then monitor, autoscale and patch through the platform.

What you get

  • A readiness report and migration order
  • Hardened, signed container images and build pipelines
  • Helm charts or manifests in Git
  • Load-test results and resource sizing
  • Runbooks for deployment, scaling and rollback
  • Applications running on Kubernetes or OpenShift, with monitoring

Platforms and tools

  • Red Hat OpenShift
  • Kubernetes
  • OpenShift Virtualization
  • Podman and Docker
  • Helm and Kustomize
  • Argo CD
  • Red Hat JBoss EAP
  • Open Liberty
  • Quarkus
  • Spring Boot
  • Modern .NET
  • Redis
  • Harbor and Quay
  • Trivy

Questions about containerisation

Do we need to rewrite our applications to use containers?

No. Most applications run in containers with small changes. We recommend deeper refactoring only where it pays back.

Kubernetes or OpenShift?

Both run containers. OpenShift adds a supported, integrated platform with security defaults, developer tools and virtual machines. We help you choose based on your team, your support needs and your budget.

Kubernetes platforms
What happens to our databases?

Databases can run on Kubernetes with operators, but often stay on dedicated servers or managed services. We decide database by database.

Database modernisation
Can Windows applications run in containers?

Modern .NET runs in Linux containers. Older .NET Framework applications can run in Windows containers or be ported, depending on cost and support.

Put your applications on a modern platform

Tell us what you run today and where you want it to run. We'll check readiness and suggest which applications to move first.

Plan a replatformingAll modernisation services

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