Modernize .NET Applications with AWS Transform

I. Concepts

1. What is AWS Transform?

AWS Transform is a new AWS service that uses agentic AI to automate modernization and migration of infrastructure, applications, and source code to AWS. It reduces the time, effort, and risk of handling legacy or complex systems such as mainframes, VMware, and .NET workloads by analyzing, refactoring, and redeploying on cloud.

2. Primary Use Cases

Mainframe Modernization

Transform COBOL, JCL, CICS, Db2, VSAM into modern Java applications.
Automatically analyze code, extract business logic, generate technical documents, and refactor.

VMware Migration

Migrate virtual machines from on‑premises VMware to Amazon EC2.
Auto-generate migration plans, configure VPC networking, and convert VMs to EC2.

.NET Modernization

Upgrade from legacy .NET Framework to cross‑platform .NET.
Integrates with Visual Studio; automatically resolves dependencies, builds, and tests.

Migration Assessment

Pre-migration cost and feasibility assessment.
AI-driven recommendations for EC2 sizing, BYOL optimization, and cost analysis.

3. Key Capabilities

Agentic AI with human-in-the-loop (HITL) for complex tasks and decisions.
End‑to‑end automation: discovery → planning → code refactor → deployment.
Flexible collaboration: role-based access (Admin, Approver, Contributor, Reader).
Workspaces to isolate projects, with dedicated jobs and connectors.
Worklog & dashboards to track progress and decisions.

4. Typical Workflow

1) Environment setup

Create an AWS account with administrative permissions.
Enable the AWS Transform service.
Configure AWS IAM Identity Center for users and groups.

2) Create a Workspace

Dedicated per transformation project.
Contains connectors, jobs, and artifacts.

3) Create a Connector

Connect to target environments (VMware account, GitHub repository, other AWS accounts).
Configure IAM policies and encryption with KMS.

4) Create a Job

Choose job type: VMware Migration, Mainframe Modernization, .NET Transform, etc.
Upload inputs (RVTools export, source code, JCL, spreadsheets, Git repo, etc.).

5) Execute Workflow steps

VMware: Discovery → Grouping → Generate VPC → Replicate & Migrate
Mainframe: Analyze COBOL → Generate Docs → Extract Logic → Refactor → Build Java
.NET: Connect Git → Resolve Dependencies → Transform Code → Test & Build
Assessment: Upload file → Cost estimation → Migration feasibility

6) Track Progress

Worklog: detailed action log.
Dashboard: overall job status and KPIs.

5. Security & Governance

Data encrypted by default using AWS KMS.
Option to use customer‑managed KMS keys for tighter control.
Comprehensive IAM policies for access control, connector creation, and deployments.
Supports cross‑region processing and compliance validation.

6. Roles

Role	Core Permissions
Admin	Full control: create workspace, job, connector; approve HITL steps
Approver	Near‑admin; cannot modify users, connectors, or workspaces
Contributor	Execute jobs, upload files, respond to HITL; cannot approve critical steps
Reader	Read‑only access to progress and artifacts

7. Highlights by Use Case

VMware Migration

AI‑generated AWS VPC topology mirroring on‑prem networks.
Automatic wave planning from discovery data.
Import from NSX or RVTools via collector or direct file upload.
Supports Hub‑and‑Spoke and Isolated VPC topologies.

Mainframe Modernization

Full support for COBOL, JCL, Db2, and VSAM.
Clear stages: analyze → extract logic → refactor to Java.
Re‑run per stage for iterative validation.
Outputs modern Java applications deployable on AWS.

.NET Modernization

Connect GitHub repository to retrieve code.
Automatically resolve missing libraries and dependencies; refactor to .NET 6/7/8.
Integrate with Visual Studio for review and edits.
Build and deploy to test environments.

8. Core Benefits

Accelerate migration/modernization by 50–80%.
Reduce manual errors on complex workloads.
Preserve critical business logic via intelligent extraction.
Scale for large organizations: multi‑account, multi‑region, IAM governance.

II. Step‑by‑Step Guides

1) Modernize .NET Applications with AWS Transform

1.1 Objectives

Transform legacy .NET Framework applications (often Windows‑based) into cross‑platform .NET (Linux‑ready .NET 6/7/8) for deployment on AWS services such as ECS, Lambda, and EC2.

1.2 Prerequisites

Required Item	Description
✅ Source repo for .NET code	GitHub, CodeCommit, GitLab, etc.
✅ Project files identified	Clear structure with .csproj and/or .sln
✅ Dependencies resolved	Can be handled during transform if needed
✅ AWS account with Transform enabled	Use IAM Identity Center for user access