A leading Canadian retail logistics provider contacted Imaginet for a variety of application support. Broadly speaking, they needed assistance in managing several applications that had been written in the old .Net framework. These applications were poorly documented and lacked standardized build processes. Modernizing the applications was necessary as was breaking the larger applications down into smaller ones. This would make them more testable and would allow the client the track any in-application issues. In short, our client needed to adopt modern DevOps practices.   

What We Did  

The client had one massive application that, among other functions, primarily managed the inventory orders coming out and shipments to customers. There were roughly 30 applications built on the same structure. We updated the application rom .Net to .Net 6. With the upgrade, the app no longer had to rely on older practices and libraries. It also became easier to write tests for the application and investigate problems. 

We focused on breaking the application into smaller more understandable pieces, along with writing it in a newer design. There was originally 1 code file with 600 lines – a daunting scenario when finding problems. Breaking it down into small pieces makes it more manageable.  

Additionally, their mobile application was written in React Native with a Node JS API and was written long ago by someone who is no longer with the organization. Currently, they only have .Net developers who lack experience with other technologies. We migrated it to a Blazor web assembly and is a single-page web application. This was moved into the .Net space, so all applications are now under the same tech stack.  

Why It Was Helpful 

The migration to a modern DevOps practice with automated test running helped our client track different versions properly. This led to well-defined records in the source repository where versions were running in production at any given time. Additionally, they were able to roll out changes more quickly and the repeatability of automated tests running on every test led to greater confidence in the functionality of the application. Because of the scale of the original application, this was a longer project for our team (upwards of 12 months to complete).  

With the upgrade to the .Net 6 framework, the application is running much more efficiently. Upgrading applications and testing them for issues is essential for proper functionality. Imaginet’s team of experts can assist in upgrading your applications so you are always getting the most out of them.  

Our team has been working hard these last few months, and we are excited to share our success with you. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on our most recent Microsoft 365  projects. Fill out the form at the bottom of the page if you want to adopt modern DevOps practices.