Migrating from mainframes to client-server systems

Abstract

The prevailing trend within the computer industry is to downsize information systems. This quite often entails migrating an application from a centralized mainframe environment to a distributed client-server system. Navy IS managers are often given the mandate to downsize all information systems with out much consideration for the framing issues of strategic planning and Business Process Reengineering(BPR). The decision to migrate off a mainframe is a difficult one to assess, as the issues come from a broad spectrum of sources. This thesis analyzes the management issues, associated with this migration, and looks at both the role of BPR and some of the options to migrate applications off the mainframe to client-server systems. This thesis also aims at educating the Navy IS manager regarding the new client-server computing model as well as providing background to the management practice of BPR.