Why strangler-fig wins
Big-bang cutovers fail more often than they succeed in regulated environments. The strangler-fig pattern accepts incremental change as the fundamental unit of progress.
Whitepaper · Modernisation
The strangler-fig playbook for core banking
How to retire a 30-year-old mainframe without a big-bang cutover.
32
Pages
16 min
Read time
Modernisation
Topic
PDF
Format
Key takeaways
- 01 A domain-by-domain decomposition strategy proven over 22 months.
- 02 CDC + dual-write + reconciliation pattern with a working reference.
- 03 Risk register, scope-management discipline, and the cutover playbook.
Mapping the domains
A practical guide to domain decomposition for core banking — covering customer, accounts, payments, lending, treasury, and risk. Each domain gets its own migration strategy.
CDC + dual-write + reconciliation
A reference pattern using Kafka, Debezium, and a custom reconciliation service. Proven on a national bank programme with 18 production releases over 22 months and zero downtime.
Cutover discipline
How to make the cutover a flag flip rather than a war room. Includes the pre-flight checklist, decision rights, and the operational dashboard that earned the regulator’s trust.
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