Analyze and visualize software architecture in CAST Imaging

Created by Arpita Sinha (Cast Software) and James Hurrell (Cast Software)

Environment: Production

Technologies: Modernization

Workload: All other workloads

Summary

This pattern shows how you can use CAST Imaging to navigate a complex software system visually and perform a precise analysis of the software structure. By using CAST Imaging in this way, you can make more informed decisions about your application’s architecture, especially for modernization purposes.

To view your application’s architecture in CAST Imaging, you must first onboard your application’s source code through the CAST Console. The console then publishes your application’s data to CAST Imaging, where you can visualize and navigate your application architecture layer by layer.

Prerequisites and limitations

Prerequisites

• An active AWS account

• The Amazon Machine Image (AMI) for CAST Imaging

• An Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instance that includes the following (a memory optimized r5.xlarge Amazon EC2 instance is recommended):

  • 4 vCPU

  • 32 GB RAM

  • 500 GB minimum General Purpose solid state drive (SSD) (gp3) volume

• CAST Console and CAST Imaging license keys (to get the required license keys, contact CAST at [e-mail])

• The complete source code of the application that you want to analyze in compressed (.zip) format

• Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome

Architecture

The following diagram shows an example workflow for onboarding an application’s source code through the CAST Console and then viewing it in CAST Imaging:

The diagram shows the following workflow:

1. CAST generates application source code metadata by reverse-engineering front-end, middleware, and back-end code.

2. The application data that is generated by CAST is automatically imported into CAST Imaging, where it can be visualized and analyzed.

Here’s a snapshot of how this process works:

Tools

• CAST Imaging is a browser-based application that helps you view and navigate your software system visually, so you can make informed decisions about its architecture.

• CAST Console is a browser-based application that helps you configure, run, and manage CAST AIP analyses.

Note: CAST Imaging and CAST Console are included in the AMI for CAST Imaging.

Epics

Set up the CAST Imaging environment

Task	Description	Skills required
Run the initial CAST Console configuration.	Open your web browser and connect to the CAST Console by entering the following URL: http://localhost:8081 When prompted, enter your CAST Console license key. Then, choose Next. Review the configuration settings. If no changes are needed, choose Save and Finish.	Software architects, Developers, Technical leaders
Run the initial CAST Imaging configuration.	Open your web browser and connect to CAST Imaging by entering the following URL: http://localhost:8083 When prompted, log in by entering admin for both the username and password. When prompted, enter your CAST Imaging license key. Then, choose Update to save the key.	Software architects, Developers, Technical leaders
Configure CAST Extend local server.	(Optional) By default, CAST Extend local server is configured to function in offline mode. If this is acceptable, no additional configuration is necessary. However, if you prefer to configure CAST Extend local server in online/proxy mode with a direct connection to CAST Extend, follow these steps. Note: For CAST Extend credentials, see the CAST Extend registration page. Use the CAST Extend Admin Center shortcut on the desktop to load your web browser and connect to CAST Extend local server. Choose the Online option. Enter your CAST Extend credentials (email and password), and choose Save to complete the process.	Software architects, Developers, Technical leaders

Onboard your application to CAST Imaging

Task	Description	Skills required
Prepare the source code for your application.	Save your application’s source code in a single, compressed .zip file.	Software architects, Developers, Technical leaders
Add your application to the CAST Console.	Open your web browser and connect to the CAST Console by entering the following URL: http://localhost:8081 When prompted, log in by entering admin for both the username and password. Choose Add application. Then, enter the application name and choose Add.	Software architects, Developers, Technical leaders
Open the source code delivery wizard.	Find the application that you created in the CAST Console. Then, choose Add version.	Software architects, Developers, Technical leaders
Upload the source code for your application.	Do one of the following: Drag and drop the .zip file that contains your application’s source code into the source code delivery wizard. ‒or‒ Choose the upload cloud icon. Then, open the .zip file that contains your application’s source code.	Software architects, Developers, Technical leaders
Start the analysis process.	In the delivery wizard, provide the version details and specify the configuration options. For more information, see Standard onboarding for CAST Imaging in the CAST Imaging documentation. Make sure that the Publish to CAST Imaging option is selected. Then, choose Proceed. Note: Choosing Proceed starts the analysis process for the source code. The progress window in the CAST Console shows each step of the analysis process, and displays a notification when the analysis is complete.	Software architects, Developers, Technical leaders

Verify the analysis results and data published to CAST Imaging

Task	Description	Skills required
Check status and logs.	When all analysis actions are complete, verify that there’s a success message in the progress window.   Note: You can check the individual logs for each analysis action immediately after it’s completed. To review the logs for a specific action, choose View log in the Progress window.	Software architects, Developers, Technical leaders
Check the application details.	In the Application details panel, review the details about the analysis results. Make sure to look at the technologies that were discovered and the source code organization.	Software architects, Developers, Technical leaders
Verify and access CAST Imaging.	In the Application Management pane in the CAST Console, verify that the version status of your application is Imaging processed. A CAST Imaging icon appears. Choose the CAST Imaging icon to navigate directly to your application data in CAST Imaging.  Note: The Imaging processed status means that the source code has been analyzed and uploaded to your CAST Imaging instance.	Software architects, Developers, Technical leaders

Start analyzing your application with CAST Imaging

Task	Description	Skills required
Log in to CAST Imaging.	Open Cast Imaging and enter the default admin credentials (admin/admin). Your application’s data appears.	Software architects, Developers, Technical leaders
Explore your application’s data in CAST Imaging.	Start viewing your software architecture by using CAST Imaging features. For a quick tutorial on how to use CAST Imaging’s features, choose the Help icon to display the CAST Imaging Helper. For more information, see the CAST Imaging User Guide.	Software architects, Developers, Technical leaders

Related resources

CAST Console documentation

• Login

• Configuring options via CAST Console

CAST Imaging documentation

• Application onboarding for CAST Imaging - prerequisites

• Add a new application for CAST Imaging

• Standard onboarding for CAST Imaging – check results

• Login

• Configuration options – Admin Center GUI

More resources on CAST Imaging on AWS

• Application Modernization to AWS Accelerated by CAST – Technical (AWS PartnerCast webinar, requires free account)

• Using CAST and AWS Migration Hub Refactor Spaces to Modernize Legacy Applications (AWS blog post)

• Modernize Applications to AWS Architectures with CAST Imaging (AWS workshop)

• AWS Marketplace: CAST Imaging

• All CAST on AWS resources