| Job | CS-014 |
|---|---|
| Revision | A — landing page |
| Subject | Code resurrection for systems still in production |
| Platforms | VAX/VMS · SCO OpenServer · OS/2 · Windows · Linux |
in
production
Resurrect the code the current stack no longer speaks.
Prepared for the person who still has the machine, and for the person who has to defend the plan. Same job. Two readers.
01 — Scope of work
| Keep | Production care for a legacy system the business has not finished with. The operating system can be old. The dependency is current. |
|---|---|
| Rehost | Move the workload forward. Binary compatibility stays on the table, so a SCO OpenServer 5 binary can keep running while the rest of the move is planned. |
| Rebuild | Re-implement the behavior on a modern operating system when the runtime itself is the risk. |
| Sequence | Jeff Armstrong, principal developer, project manager, and lead developer, owns the build and the cutover. 30+ years. |
02 — For the record
A BBX application written on SCO OpenServer was ported to Linux CentOS. SCO OpenServer 5 binary compatibility stayed in the design, so the parts that had to keep running as binaries could keep running as binaries. That is the shape of the work: save what still earns its place, and move what has to move.
The recommendation upstairs is one of three words: keep, move, or rebuild. Each one comes with a date and a name on the cutover.
03 — Assigned
Principal developer, project manager, and lead developer · 30+ years
Jeff Armstrong
Leads the code and the cutover. Off the clock he fly-fishes.
System administrator, implementation, and developer · 30+ years
Ian Saint-Evens
From VAX/VMS and SCO OpenServer through OS/2, Windows, and the BBX port to CentOS. Off the clock he rides and volunteers.
Legacy languages and ports
Laura Bennett
Carries Business Basic and the scripts around it onto the next operating system. Off the clock she volunteers.
Production systems and cutover
Chris Dalton
Backups, the fallback, and the first week the new system has to earn trust. Off the clock he is in a game or on a bike.
Four people on the sheet. Jeff leads development and the project. Ian handles systems, implementation, and development. Laura and Chris cover the language port and the cutover.
04 — Field notes
| Migration | Harbor & Pine Distribution. BBX order system moved from SCO OpenServer to Linux CentOS. SCO 5 binaries kept running while the rest of the move finished. The warehouse kept the same screens. — Lena Ortiz, operations director |
|---|---|
| Rebuild | Kestrel Machine Works. OS/2 shop-floor schedule rebuilt on a current Windows server. Same jobs, same keystrokes, a system a new hire can operate. — Mark Ellison, plant manager |
| Update | Pell & Sons Cold Storage. VAX/VMS billing job still runs every night. Steps documented, breakage fixed, and someone on call besides the one person who used to know it. — Ruth Pell, controller |
05 — Interview
Contact us for an interview. Tell us who you are and what you want to talk about.
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06 — The work, named
Code Salvage is a code resurrection practice. The system is still in production because the business still needs it. We keep that workload running, move it onto a current operating system, or rebuild the behavior when the old runtime has to go.
A legacy system migration here is a specific job, not a rewrite for its own sake. A BBX application written on SCO OpenServer can move to Linux CentOS with SCO OpenServer 5 binary compatibility, so the parts that have to stay binaries can stay binaries. An OS/2 shop-floor schedule can be rebuilt on a current Windows server with the same jobs and the same keystrokes. A VAX/VMS billing run can stay where it is, with the steps written down and someone on call besides the one person who used to know it.
| Keep | Production care for VAX/VMS, SCO OpenServer, OS/2, and Windows systems the business has not finished with. |
|---|---|
| Rehost | Legacy system migration onto Linux or a current Windows server, including SCO 5 binary compatibility when the working program should move before anyone rewrites it. |
| Rebuild | Business Basic, BBX, and other legacy languages re-implemented on a modern operating system. Same job for the business. A system the next person can operate. |
| Cutover | Scope, sequence, and a date. The recommendation is one of three words: keep, move, or rebuild. |
Bring the operating system, the language, and what stops if the machine stops on a Tuesday.