Top Rated Mainframe to AWS Migration Services

The Challenge

Mainframe to AWS migration is the ultimate “Lift and Shift” vs. “Refactor” debate—and 45% of these projects fail outright. AWS offers specific tools (AWS Mainframe Modernization service) that support both patterns, but the architectural implications are vastly different. Before committing, we recommend a Cloud Readiness Assessment to validate your workloads are suitable for AWS infrastructure.

Technical Deep Dive

1. The “Replatform” Pattern (Emulation)

This involves running your existing COBOL/PL1 code on x86 instances (EC2) using a runtime emulator (like Micro Focus or Blu Age). For language-specific guidance, see our COBOL Migration Services deep dive.

• Pros: Fastest path to cloud; preserves business logic exactly.
• Cons: You still have COBOL code; you don’t get full cloud-native benefits (serverless, microservices).
• AWS Service: AWS Mainframe Modernization (Replatform with Micro Focus).

2. The “Refactor” Pattern (Automated Conversion)

Converting legacy code to Java/Spring Boot to run on containers (EKS) or Lambda.

• Pros: Eliminates technical debt; opens talent pool; enables true agility.
• Cons: Higher initial risk; requires rigorous testing.
• AWS Service: AWS Mainframe Modernization (Refactor with Blu Age).

3. Data Strategy: VSAM to DynamoDB

Mapping flat-file VSAM structures to a NoSQL store like DynamoDB can unlock massive performance gains for read-heavy workloads.

Pattern: Use Change Data Capture (CDC) tools (like AWS DMS or Qlik Replicate) to sync mainframe data to AWS in real-time during the transition period. This allows you to build new “Read Models” on AWS while the “Write Model” stays on the mainframe until cutover.

Migration Architecture: Before & After

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Legacy State"
        MF["IBM z/OS Mainframe"]
        COBOL["COBOL/PL1 Apps"]
        CICS["CICS Transactions"]
        DB2["DB2 Database"]
        VSAM["VSAM Files"]
        JCL["JCL Batch Jobs"]
        
        COBOL --> CICS
        CICS --> DB2
        COBOL --> VSAM
        JCL --> COBOL
    end
    
    subgraph "AWS Target State"
        direction TB
        subgraph "Compute"
            EC2["EC2 + Micro Focus"]
            EKS["EKS Containers"]
            Lambda["Lambda Functions"]
        end
        subgraph "Data"
            RDS["RDS PostgreSQL"]
            DDB["DynamoDB"]
            S3["S3 Data Lake"]
        end
        subgraph "Integration"
            API["API Gateway"]
            SF["Step Functions"]
            MQ["Amazon MQ"]
        end
        
        EC2 --> RDS
        EKS --> DDB
        Lambda --> S3
        API --> EKS
        SF --> Lambda
    end
    
    MF -.->|"CDC Sync"| RDS
    MF -.->|"Replatform"| EC2
    MF -.->|"Refactor"| EKS

Key architectural decisions:

• Replatform path: COBOL runs on EC2 with Micro Focus emulator → fastest, keeps technical debt
• Refactor path: Convert to Java/containers on EKS → slower, eliminates debt
• Data sync: CDC keeps both systems in sync during 6-18 month parallel run

Blu Age vs Micro Focus: Which Conversion Tool?

Our take: Use Micro Focus if you need to exit the data center in <18 months (hardware refresh deadline). Use Blu Age if you have 2+ years and want to eliminate COBOL entirely.

Compliance Considerations for Regulated Industries

For banking, insurance, and government mainframe migrations:

Critical: Your compliance team must sign off on the AWS control mappings BEFORE migration begins. Retrofitting compliance is 3x more expensive.

AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) Credits

AWS MAP provides funding credits for qualifying mainframe migrations:

How to qualify:

1. Engage an AWS Partner with MAP certification (TCS, DXC, Infosys all qualify)
2. Complete AWS Migration Readiness Assessment (MRA)
3. Commit to 3-year Reserved Instances or Savings Plans
4. Document workload inventory and migration plan

Pro tip: MAP credits can offset parallel run costs—negotiate this upfront.

How to Choose a Mainframe to AWS Migration Partner

If you have massive data volumes (50TB+): TCS. Their MasterCraft suite is proven for handling petabyte-scale data migrations for Global 2000 firms.

If you want a “Lift & Shift” (Replatform) first: Heirloom Computing. Their PaaS solution allows you to run existing COBOL code on AWS Elastic Beanstalk with minimal changes.

If you need risk-averse, steady hands: DXC Technology or Infosys. They have deep heritage in mainframe operations and won’t break your core banking system.

If you want to refactor to microservices: SoftServe. They specialize in cloud-native development and can help break the monolith into AWS Lambda/Fargate services.

If you need business process modernization: Cognizant. They focus on optimizing the business workflows, not just the code.

Red flags:

• Partners who ignore “Data Egress Costs” in their TCO model
• No experience with “Hybrid State” latency management (Mainframe ↔ AWS calls)
• Suggesting a “Big Bang” cutover for a system with >1M daily transactions
• Lack of specific expertise with AWS Mainframe Modernization service
• No references from banking/insurance mainframe migrations

How We Select Partners

Modernization Intel evaluates mainframe migration partners based on objective criteria, not pay-to-play rankings:

Our commercial model: We receive a referral fee from partners when you engage them through our shortlist. This doesn’t affect our rankings—partners cannot pay for placement. We only recommend firms we’d hire ourselves. See our Modernization Strategy page for how we approach vendor-neutral guidance.

When to Hire Mainframe to AWS Migration Services

1. Hardware Refresh Cycle ($5M+ CapEx)

Your IBM z14/z15 lease is expiring. Upgrading to z16 will cost $10M+ in capital expenditure. The CFO wants to move to OpEx (Pay-as-you-go).

Trigger: Lease renewal notice arrives; CFO mandates “No new data centers.”

2. COBOL Talent Crisis

Your average mainframe developer is 58 years old. You have zero junior developers learning JCL or CICS. The risk of knowledge loss is existential.

Trigger: Key architect retires; inability to fix a critical bug because “nobody knows how that module works.”

3. Agility & Time-to-Market

Competitors deploy features daily. Your mainframe release cycle is quarterly. You cannot integrate with modern mobile apps or 3rd party APIs easily.

Trigger: Business loses a major deal because the product couldn’t support a modern API integration in time.

4. Cost of MIPS (Software Licensing)

IBM MLC (Monthly License Charges) and ISV software (BMC, CA/Broadcom) costs are increasing annually. You are paying millions just to keep the lights on.

Trigger: Software licensing costs exceed 50% of the total IT budget.

5. Data Analytics Needs

Your data is locked in VSAM files. You want to run Machine Learning or Real-time Analytics, but you can’t get the data out fast enough without impacting transaction performance.

Trigger: Data Science team complains they can’t access core customer data; need for real-time fraud detection.

Hidden Costs Most Partners Won’t Tell You

Beyond the TCO Calculator above, watch for these costs that don’t appear in vendor proposals:

Tip: If you’re also evaluating Azure, see our Mainframe to Azure comparison to understand the trade-offs.

Post-Migration: What Happens After Go-Live

Months 1-3: Hypercare

• Performance Tuning: Tune IOPS on EBS volumes and RDS instances. Mainframe I/O is incredibly fast; AWS needs right-sizing.
• Cost Monitoring: Watch out for unexpected Data Transfer costs. Set up AWS Cost Explorer alerts immediately.

Months 4-6: Incremental Modernization

• Strangler Fig: Start breaking the monolithic Java/COBOL code on AWS into microservices.
• API Enablement: Expose core business logic via API Gateway to internal developers.
• Cloud-Native Adoption: Replace batch jobs with event-driven Lambda functions where appropriate.