Modernizing .NET Applications

Chapter 9. Applying Proven Modernization Recipes

Building software is inherently a creative task. In past years, businesses thought they could build “software factories” in which interchangeable people churned out lines of code. That era is thankfully ending, as wise leaders recognize that well-designed, smartly constructed software is a business differentiator. That said, there are software patterns we can follow over and over again to accomplish foundational goals while not diminishing the overall creativity of the software delivery process. In this chapter, we look at five patterns, or recipes, for modernizing your software. By implementing these, you can accomplish many of your cloud-native goals and still maintain the freedom to innovate.

Use Event Storming to Decompose Your Monolith

You have a million-line-of-.NET-code behemoth that runs your business. The thought of deploying an update to this monster makes you break out into a cold sweat. It’s chewed up and spit out any developer that tried to make improvements. Today is the day that you slay this foul beast. But how? How do you even begin to tear this creature apart and get it under control? Event storming is one effective approach.

Created by Alberto Brandolini, event storming is a technique for creating a domain model. When you’re finished, you’ll better understand what the software does and how to tackle decomposition.

Event storming is usually done in a workshop with a small group—perhaps 5 to 10 people made up of ...