Using AI tools to teach old apps new tricks | BRK220
Nish Anil, Hazem El-Hammamy, and Jeff Fritz cover how agentic AI can help with application modernization work that is typically slow and risky: understanding large codebases, untangling dependencies, tracing data flows, and making changes without breaking production.
Overview
The session focuses on using GitHub Copilot modernization capabilities as part of a modernization workflow, including analysis, planning, refactoring, and governance at scale.
What modernization problems the session targets
- Analyzing large legacy codebases to understand structure and behavior
- Mapping dependencies and tracing data flows
- Planning upgrades and sequencing changes
- Refactoring in a safer, more controlled way
- Scaling modernization across a portfolio (multiple apps/services)
Principles for building modernization agents
The speakers outline principles for modernization agents, emphasizing:
- Scale (handling large codebases and many applications)
- Customization (tailoring skills/behaviors to the organization and codebase)
- Governance (controls to reduce risk and keep changes aligned with standards)
Azure and GitHub Copilot as a modernization platform
- Discussion of Azure and GitHub Copilot together as a unified approach for modernization work
Demos and scenarios covered
- GitHub Copilot Modernization Agent demo, including custom skills
- Mainframe modernization example: COBOL to Java
- Portfolio modernization at scale using CLI agents
- Governance tooling concepts such as a command center and “rule books”
- Custom skills and execution plans driven by rule books
- .NET legacy modernization, including deployment to Azure, plus a recap of new capabilities
Session chapters
- 0:00 - Welcome and Introduction to AI-Driven Modernization
- 00:01:11 - Modernization Challenges and the Role of AI Agents
- 00:04:09 - Principles of Building Modernization Agents: Scale, Customization, Governance
- 00:06:01 - Azure and GitHub Copilot: Unified Modernization Platform
- 00:10:23 - Demo: GitHub Copilot Modernization Agent and Custom Skills
- 00:12:07 - Mainframe Modernization Demo: COBOL to Java
- 00:17:00 - Portfolio Modernization at Scale Using CLI Agents
- 00:26:00 - Command Center and Rule Books for Governance
- 00:31:04 - Custom Skills and Execution Plans with Rule Books
- 00:33:19 - .NET Legacy Modernization, Deployment to Azure, and Recap of New Capabilities