This is third part of series of articles about “Complete Set of Tactics for Reducing Tech Debt: Lessons Learned from 14 Years of Building Java Enterprise Systems”.
In this chapter, we explore the lessons learned in software development while adopting Domain-Driven Design (DDD), Event Storming, and Microservices architecture. Discover the tech debt management strategies and how to mitigate technical debt in Java.
During our transition to microservices architecture, we encountered valuable lessons in software development. We worked in SCRUM methodology with bi-weekly sprint reviews, but faced challenges when features were delayed due to redundant functionality caused by the presence of old code in the monolithic system. Through this experience, we realized the importance of removing old code and maintaining a clean codebase to prevent such issues.
Managing tech debt is crucial for efficient software development.
These strategies helped us tackle tech debt and lay the foundation for a scalable and efficient system.
When it comes to Java development, mitigating technical debt requires adhering to best practices, leveraging appropriate design patterns, and utilizing frameworks like Spring and Hibernate. Continuous monitoring, load testing, and performance optimization with tools like JProfiler are essential for identifying and addressing inefficiencies. Comparative technological audits and event storming can provide valuable insights into the system’s architecture and help identify areas for improvement, ultimately reducing technical debt in Java projects.
By adopting a proactive approach and investing in tech debt reduction, companies can mitigate technical debt and ensure long-term optimization of their Java projects.
In this chapter, we delve into the challenges of scaling systems for business continuity and cloud migration. Discover the strategies and technologies employed to achieve scalability and ensure high-performing systems.
Scaling a system to handle larger volumes of traffic and users presents various challenges and complexities. We learned valuable lessons while dealing with distributed systems, load balancing, and network latency. The importance of embracing the latest tools and techniques, such as containerization, service meshes, and auto-scaling, became evident during our scaling journey.
To address scalability challenges, we adopted horizontal scaling, containerization using Docker and Swarm, and virtualization of servers. The introduction of DevOps tools like Ansible and Terraform helped convert the system to Infrastructure as Code, enabling easier management and scalability. We identified and implemented high-level improvements, such as job scheduling, cache optimization, and communication protocol enhancements, to overcome architectural limitations and improve system performance.
Through large-scale disaster recovery tests, we ensured business continuity by removing single points of failure. This experience led us to develop services that assist clients in preparing recovery plans and scaling their systems to the cloud. Our holistic approach encompasses technology, people, process, and product to create migration plans, perform performance audits, and reduce tech debt.
In this chapter, we explore the migration to Magento and the process of reducing tech debt. Discover how we leveraged our expertise in architecture to integrate Magento with our system and facilitate a seamless transition
Integrating Magento with our legacy system proved challenging in previous attempts due to functional limitations and the monolithic architecture. However, in 2020, with the system’s evolution towards microservices and the maturity of Magento, we seized the opportunity to initiate the migration process. By introducing an additional API layer and leveraging Axon, we facilitated easy consumption of our microservices by Magento, enabling a seamless single sign-on experience for end-users.
The migration to Magento presented an opportunity to reduce technical debt by transferring existing code to Magento features. Our expertise in architecture allowed us to guide clients in identifying suitable software for their future needs and reducing maintenance costs. We provide services that help clients make informed decisions and reduce technical debt across various domains.
Our company’s experience in building modern enterprise systems enables us to propose mature architecture solutions, embracing best practices, monolithic and microservices, as well as PaaS and iPaaS solutions like MuleSoft. With our flagship service “Migrate Monolith to Enterprise Software,” we assist clients in their modernization journey, optimizing their systems and reducing technical debt.
By sharing our experiences and knowledge, we aim to contribute to the advancement of software development and the management of technical debt in the industry.