AWS Blu Age Modernization: My Journey Through All 3 Certification Levels
What is AWS Blu Age?
AWS Blu Age is an automated mainframe modernization solution that transforms legacy COBOL applications into modern Java Spring Boot applications running on AWS. It's part of AWS Mainframe Modernization service and uses AI-powered refactoring to convert decades-old code into cloud-native applications.
Key Value: Instead of manually rewriting millions of lines of COBOL code (which takes years), Blu Age automates 85-95% of the transformation in weeks.
Why It Matters
The Problem: Organizations run critical business applications on mainframes but face:
- High operational costs (licensing, hardware, specialized staff)
- Scarce COBOL talent
- Inability to innovate quickly
- Difficulty integrating with modern systems
The Solution: Blu Age transforms:
- COBOL → Java Spring Boot
- JCL batch jobs → AWS Batch/Step Functions
- CICS transactions → REST APIs
- DB2/IMS → PostgreSQL/Aurora
- Mainframe → AWS Cloud
Core Components
- Blu Insights: Assessment tool to analyze mainframe code and create transformation roadmap
- Refactoring Engine: Automated code transformation with customizable rules
- Blu Age Runtime: Modern Java runtime environment for refactored applications
- Blu Age Developer: IDE for post-transformation customization
My Certification Journey
Level 1: Foundations (Black Belt)
Focus: Understanding mainframe modernization fundamentals
What I Learned:
- Mainframe basics (COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2)
- AWS Mainframe Modernization service architecture
- Assessment methodology using Blu Insights
- Transformation strategies (Rehost vs Replatform vs Refactor)
- Business case development and ROI calculation
Key Takeaway: Proper assessment is critical. Blu Insights analyzes your codebase to identify complexity, dependencies, and transformation effort before you start.
Level 2: Advanced Refactoring
Focus: Hands-on transformation and implementation
What I Learned:
- Deep dive into refactoring engine mechanics
- Custom transformation rules and patterns
- Database migration strategies (DB2 to PostgreSQL)
- Batch processing transformation (JCL to AWS Batch)
- Online transaction processing (CICS to Spring Boot REST APIs)
- Testing and validation approaches
Hands-On: Worked with CardDemo sample application - a complete mainframe banking app with COBOL programs, CICS transactions, VSAM files, and DB2 databases. Transformed it end-to-end.
Key Takeaway: The refactoring engine is highly accurate, but you need to understand the patterns to customize transformations for complex business logic.
Level 3: Expert Delivery
Focus: Production-ready implementations and customer delivery
What I Learned:
- End-to-end project delivery methodology
- Production deployment strategies (ECS, EKS, EC2)
- Performance optimization and tuning
- Ad-hoc modifications and customizations
- Customer POC execution
- Go-live planning and cutover strategies
Advanced Topics:
- Microservices decomposition
- CI/CD pipeline setup
- Monitoring and observability
- Troubleshooting production issues
- Leading customer workshops
Key Takeaway: Success isn't just about transformation - it's about delivering production-ready, performant applications with proper DevOps practices.
The Modernization Process
1. Assessment (Blu Insights)
- Upload mainframe source code
- Analyze application portfolio
- Identify dependencies and complexity
- Generate effort estimates
- Create transformation roadmap
2. Refactoring
- Configure transformation rules
- Execute automated refactoring
- Generate Java Spring Boot code
- Transform data structures
- Create AWS deployment artifacts
3. Testing
- Automated test generation
- Functional equivalence testing
- Performance benchmarking
- User acceptance testing
4. Deployment
- Deploy to AWS (containerized or VM-based)
- Configure monitoring (CloudWatch, X-Ray)
- Set up CI/CD pipelines
- Implement security controls
5. Optimization
- Performance tuning
- Cost optimization
- Microservices decomposition
- Cloud-native enhancements
Real-World Applications
Financial Services: Core banking systems, payment processing
Insurance: Policy administration, claims processing
Government: Tax systems, benefits administration
Retail: Inventory management, order processing
Certification Path
Prerequisites:
- Basic mainframe knowledge (helpful but not required)
- AWS fundamentals
- Java basics (for Level 2+)
Steps:
- Join AWS Partner Network (APN)
- Complete AWS Mainframe Modernization training
- Pass Level 1 exam (foundations)
- Complete hands-on labs for Level 2
- Pass Level 2 exam (refactoring)
- Participate in customer POCs for Level 3
- Pass Level 3 exam (expert delivery)
Study Resources:
- AWS Skill Builder courses
- AWS Partner Central training
- Blu Age documentation
- Sample applications (CardDemo, GenApp)
- Hands-on workshops
Key Lessons Learned
Assessment First: Never skip the assessment phase. Understanding your codebase complexity saves time later.
Start Small: Begin with non-critical applications to build confidence and refine your process.
Trust the Automation: The refactoring engine is highly accurate (85-95%), but always validate outputs.
Data Migration is Critical: Plan database migration early. It's often more complex than code transformation.
DevOps from Day One: Set up CI/CD pipelines immediately to accelerate testing and deployment.
Business Involvement: Keep business stakeholders engaged throughout the process for validation.
Common Challenges & Solutions
Challenge: Complex business logic in COBOL
Solution: Use custom transformation rules and pattern recognition
Challenge: Data migration complexity
Solution: Leverage AWS DMS alongside Blu Age for seamless migration
Challenge: Testing effort
Solution: Automate test generation and use equivalence testing
Challenge: Skills gap
Solution: Hybrid teams with mainframe + cloud expertise
Why Get Certified?
- Career Growth: Mainframe modernization is a multi-billion dollar market
- Unique Skillset: Combination of legacy and modern cloud skills is rare
- Customer Demand: Enterprises are actively seeking certified professionals
- Hands-On Experience: Certification provides practical, real-world skills
- AWS Recognition: Official AWS partner certification
Conclusion
Completing all three levels of AWS Blu Age certification has been transformative. The technology is mature, proven, and capable of handling the most complex mainframe modernization challenges.
If you're a solutions architect, developer, or IT leader, AWS Blu Age opens doors to exciting modernization opportunities. The mainframe era isn't ending - it's evolving into cloud-native applications that preserve decades of business logic while enabling modern innovation.
Ready to start? Visit AWS Mainframe Modernization service page and begin your Level 1 certification journey.
About: AWS Blu Age certified professional (L1, L2, L3 Black Belt).
Top comments (0)