Migrating to Object Data Management

We discuss issues of migrating to object data management. We consider reasons for migration, pitfalls in and benefits of migration. We also address risk management, medium term issues and the migration process. We identify options for migration to object data management. In particular, we describe the alternative of storing data in relational databases and building object-oriented applications using C++. 1. Reasons for Migration Let us first consider some reasons for migrating to object data management. Object technology enables application development that can effectively model the organization and structure of the real-world environment. Objects encapsulating both state and behavior can concisely describe the semantics of the application while facilitating code re-use. Using object technology, data can be organized according to the needs of the application. When a company engages in process reengineering, object technology allows information system technology to mirror a company's business. The organization of the * Author's address: Stanford University, Computer Science Dept., Stanford, CA 94305, [email protected]; Dr. Keller is also Chief Technical Advisor to Persistence Software. This work was supported by Persistence Software, but the opinions expressed in this paper are solely those of the author. † Author's address: Persistence Software, 1700 South Amphlett Blvd., Suite 250, San Mateo, CA 94402, [email protected].. company can be reflected in the organization of the software, and the processes of the company can be supported by the processes of the software. Software that allows flexibility can be restructured to reflect new business processes. 2. Benefits of Migrating There are a variety of benefits that companies expect by migrating to object data management. By programming in an object programming language, companies can achieve faster program development, improved maintainability, and better performance. Companies intend to use migration to realign software to better serve the needs to the company. Migration can facilitate support for new applications. The combination of migration and re-engineering allows better integration of various information system processes with corporate processes. Note that migration does not require complete elimination of the old systems: co-existence is possible. Experiences from Persistence’s customers confirm much of the above: several telecommunications customers have reported application extensibility and ease of application upgrade through the use of object technology. 3. Pitfalls to Migration However, there are several potential downsides to consider when migrating to object technology. How will any given application benefit from object technology? What will be lost? One common example is legacy systems. Many companies have a significant investment in legacy software and legacy data. It is critical that any migration