How This Guide Is Organized | Unix Application Migration Guide (Patterns & Practices)

The UNIX Application Migration Guide consists of the following 15 chapters:

Chapter 1 ” Introduction . This chapter introduces the concepts behind UNIX migration and coexistence and presents the ideas that are discussed in greater detail in the body of the guide. The chapter describes the guide structure and covers the reasons why you should consider moving from UNIX to Windows.
Chapter 2 ” Windows and UNIX Compared . This chapter covers the technical background behind the evolution of UNIX and Windows, pointing out the differences and similarities between the two environments. Chapter 2 also looks at a number of background technologies that can form part of your migration or coexistence plans.
Chapter 3 ” The Migration Process . This chapter takes a detailed look at the migration process and works through the structure that any migration project requires. This information permits you to produce a detailed vision of the effect that migration will have on your organization. Finally, it describes how to create a high-level vision document that will serve as the skeleton for your migration plan.
Chapter 4 ” Assessment and Analysis . You now need to look in detail at the application or applications that you want to migrate to Windows. Chapter 4 discusses the factors that indicate whether an application can coexist, can be migrated , or must be rewritten. It covers the components of the UNIX environment, their equivalents in Windows, and how easy it is to convert one to the other. You can then insert this information into your migration plan structure.
Chapter 5 ” Planning the Migration . This chapter allows you to put the final touches on your plan by combining the high-level approach presented in Chapter 3 with the detailed appraisal of your application discussed in Chapter 4. After completing this chapter, you will have the complete documented framework for your migration, which will help to reduce risk and maximize the probability of a successful transition to the Windows environment.
Chapter 6 ” UNIX and Windows Interoperability . This chapter focuses on enabling Windows and UNIX applications to work together. It provides a high-level overview of the considerations that you must address when you have decided that interoperability best suits the needs of your organization.
Chapter 7 ” Creating the Development Environment . Aimed at both the IT decision maker and the developer, this chapter lists the various tools and technologies that are currently available to make your chosen approach work. If you are a decision maker, this chapter will help you to make the correct budgetary considerations. If you are a developer, it will give you a foundation in the tools that you will use to migrate, modify, or rewrite your code.
Chapter 8 ” Preparing for Migration . Preparing for migration entails a more detailed analysis of the steps that you need to take before you carry out the code conversion itself. Aimed at developers, this chapter covers such areas as source code standards compliance and script migration, and introduces a range of best practices that will ease operations later in the migration cycle.
Chapter 9 ” Win32 Code Conversion . This extensive chapter works through the fundamentals of converting code from UNIX to Windows. Processes, threads, signal handing, memory management, networking, and a host of related subjects are all illustrated with examples.
Chapter 10 ” Interix Code Conversion . Microsoft Interix provides an environment that allows a large number of UNIX applications to run on Windows with little or no adjustment. Chapter 10 deals with the changes that you may need to make so that your current applications can run on Interix. This approach allows interoperation between Windows and UNIX applications, without the additional effort of a full code port.
Chapter 11 ” Migrating the User Interface . For end users, the user interface is the main concern when using the migrated application. This chapter covers the elements that make up good interface design and tells you how to implement UNIX graphical user interface elements in Windows. A significant section covers the X-Windows environment and the particular challenges that arise when migrating from X Windows to Windows.
Chapter 12 ” Testing the Migration . Before you can release your newly migrated application, you must ensure that it meets your quality standards. Chapter 12 deals with creating a test environment, designing the test plan, and evaluating the results. It then covers the release process and release criteria that verify the application s quality and suitability for a production environment.
Chapter 13 ” Creating the Live Environment . This chapter presents methods for deploying your applications efficiently , ranging from the Windows Installer service to software policies to Systems Management Server. It covers additional areas such as maintenance, support, and user training, all of which make a vital but often overlooked contribution to the success of a migration plan.
Chapter 14 ” Migrating Fortran Code . Migrating Fortran code from a UNIX environment to Windows or to Interix presents a slightly different set of challenges. This chapter looks at the Fortran migration options and the factors that you will need to consider when making such a move.
Chapter 15 ” Roadmap for Future Migrations . This final chapter examines the future for application development using Microsoft technologies. The .NET Framework has streamlined the process of creating high-quality , secure code, and gives developers the freedom to use any programming language while making use of common services.