One of Karsun Solutions’ government agency customers manages critical certification systems processing millions of applications globally. This agency partnered with Karsun to modernize its legacy Software AG Natural and ADABAS mainframe system used for its certification workflows. It had demonstrated expertise in mainframe modernization and clear competency in these environments. It had also previously delivered secure, compliant cloud solutions meeting federal requirements for this customer.

It migrated the system to Amazon Web Services (AWS) using modern code deployed on Karsun’s container platform. The modernized system eliminated mainframe dependencies, reduced operational costs, enabled modern integrations, and positioned the agency for continuous innovation while maintaining seamless processing for millions of certifications.

About the Customer

The customer’s regulatory portfolio consisted of approximately 10 interconnected systems handling certifications covering both professional certifications as well as equipment registrations. While serving millions of people globally, the internal processing systems are utilized by fewer than 100 examiners, indexers, and supervisors who review and approve certification applications.

Customer Challenge

The certification system operated on legacy mainframe technology using the Software AG Natural programming language and ADABAS databases. It integrated with multiple systems including an external application submission portal, document management relying on screen scraping, and a portal where individuals manage their certifications.

Moreover, documentation of business rules was limited, making maintenance and enhancement difficult. Integration required manually keyed information from digitized documents. Additionally, recruiting developers with mainframe skills was increasingly difficult, threatening long-term system sustainability.

Partner Solution

The solution architecture utilizes Java for backend services and Angular with Angular Material for the frontend. The customer selected AWS for its proven reliability with mission-critical government systems and compliance with federal security standards. 

Tyrion Container Platform

The new system is hosted on Tyrion, Karsun’s Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) High-rated AWS GovCloud container platform based on Amazon EKS. The AWS GovCloud’s isolated region is specifically designed for U.S. government workloads providing the security and compliance framework necessary to meet regulatory requirements.

Karsun previously delivered Tyrion as part of a broader transformation initiative for this customer. It provides agency application owners a platform to build, test, deploy, host, and scale container-based software solutions.

The platform leverages multiple AWS services including Amazon EKS for Kubernetes orchestration, Amazon EC2 for compute resources, Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) for persistent storage, and Amazon RDS for managed database services. Tyrion’s DevOps ecosystem includes Tekton for build pipelines, ArgoCD implementing GitOps for continuous deployment, Karpenter for intelligent node scaling, Datadog for comprehensive monitoring, Kubecost for consumption apportionment across teams, and Backstage as a developer portal providing self-service capabilities.

System Consolidation and Modernization

Karsun consolidated two mainframe subsystems eliminating complex inter-system communication mechanisms. The team replaced legacy screen-scraping interfaces with RESTful APIs. This enabled real-time data exchange and eliminated brittle integration points.

Document Workflow Reimagined

Rather than simply replicating mainframe processes, Karsun reimagined workflows for the cloud environment. The new system retrieves only essential metadata from the document management system while maintaining secure access to document images. Karsun implemented automated processing for routine certification types eliminating unnecessary manual review and streamlining operations.

Requirements Validation Approach

Given the minimal documentation, Karsun established a rigorous requirements validation process. It worked closely with the mainframe sustainment team to analyze mainframe code and database schemas. Working with the customer, the team documented findings and confirmed functionalities. Requirements were captured as user stories with acceptance criteria following agile best practices, ensuring business approval at each increment.

Karsun introduced its ReDuX platform. This AI-powered platform for legacy code analysis accelerates discovery and delivery of complex modernization initiatives. Its parser ingests Natural mainframe code and creates comprehensive system blueprints. Using ReDuX the team validated business rules and identified edge cases often overlooked during traditional requirements gathering.

Results and Benefits

Certification processing transitioned from mainframe to AWS, delivering measurable business and technical benefits:

  • Operational Efficiency: Automated processing of routine certifications eliminates manual examiner workload for specific application types, allowing staff to focus on complex cases requiring judgment.
  • Technical Modernization: API-based integrations replaced screen scraping, improving reliability and reducing integration maintenance. The modern Java and Angular technology stack addresses talent acquisition challenges, with significantly larger developer pools.
  • Platform Leverage: Deploying on Tyrion provides the application with enterprise-grade container orchestration, automated scaling through Karpenter, comprehensive monitoring via Datadog, and streamlined DevOps workflows through Tekton and ArgoCD. The FISMA High-rated platform eliminates the need for separate security authorization, accelerating time to production.
  • Knowledge Preservation: Comprehensive documentation created during the project created a sustainable foundation for maintenance and enhancements, addressing the legacy system’s critical documentation gap.

About Karsun Solutions

Karsun Solutions modernizes enterprise systems enabling agencies to make the next technological advancement their next opportunity to elevate mission capability. Solutions are tailored to meet agencies’ unique needs and optimize operations. These solutions adapt and stay relevant to current trends while using secure, digital architecture built to last. It is a proven modernization partner whose expertise elevates agency capabilities and ensures every next opportunity is within reach.

Learn more about Karsun’s Cloud Solutions or Discover Modernization Accelerated with ReDuX.