How We Are Migrating From V1 to V2

Migrating from V1 to V2 with Flowcore: A Step-by-Step Guide

Migrating from a legacy system is a challenge that many developers face. The process can be fraught with risks like downtime, fragmented data sets, and increased code complexity. At Flowcore, we have developed a strategy that leverages our event-driven architecture to ease the transition from V1 to V2 systems.

The Challenges of Migration

When dealing with legacy systems, developers often encounter several pain points:

• Deciding whether to replace the legacy backend and update APIs to point to a new backend
• Replacing the legacy API while maintaining backward compatibility
• Risking downtime, fragmented data sets, and bloated code

Our Solution

By utilizing Flowcore’s event-driven architecture, we adopt a unique approach to migration:

1. Setting Up a New API We start by setting up a new API that generates the required data while considering the legacy system's data structure. This is accomplished using the Flowcore Unified API Service Architecture, incorporating transformers to process events and store them within the new system.
2. Porting New Data to the Legacy System Once the new API is operational, we attach multiple transformers responsible for porting the new data back to the legacy backend. Each transformer performs the following tasks:
   • Parsing the event to obtain the payload
   • Formatting the data for compatibility with the legacy system
   • Sending the formatted data to the legacy backend systems
3. Re-routing Requests in Legacy APIs As new events are ported to the legacy system, we can disconnect the legacy APIs from the legacy backend and re-route requests directly to the new API. This creates a seamless transition where requests take a round trip through the new system before reaching the legacy backend.
4. Gradual Replacement of Legacy References At this stage, it doesn’t matter if you replace the legacy APIs or backend systems first. Both can be replaced simultaneously without one change affecting the other. Calls to legacy APIs are replaced with new ones, and new events support the replacement of legacy backend systems.
5. Data Migration Execute one-off migrations to transfer all relevant legacy data into the new system. Conditional checks ensure that data already created in the new system is not duplicated. With Flowcore’s CLI, this step is effortless, allowing you to test with production data on your local machine, and then run the migration in production once everything is confirmed
6. Phasing Out Legacy Systems Once the legacy systems and APIs are fully replaced, they can be decommissioned.

This approach aligns with the Open-Closed Principle in SOLID design, ensuring our system is open for extension but closed for modification, making the migration process smooth and manageable.

Flowcore’s platform supports this migration strategy by simplifying data infrastructure creation and management. Our event-driven architecture promotes loose coupling, real-time data processing, and flexibility in data storage, making it the ideal solution for scalable and maintainable data systems.