CHARLESTON, SC OPERATIONS

Modernize Mission-Critical Systems on the Ground in Charleston

We are a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) that executes low-risk legacy system modernization for NIWC, port logistics, and regulated industries.

Veteran-Owned SDVOSB
001 / 005 Field Conditions

Your legacy systems are an operational drag and a security risk.

Situation

Your core systems, likely built a decade ago on outdated stacks, are now bottlenecks. They are expensive to maintain, impossible to hire for, and dangerously slow to update. Each new feature request is a six-month project, and every security patch is a major event. This technical debt isn’t just an IT problem; it’s a direct threat to operational tempo and mission readiness, whether you're supporting warfighters at NIWC Atlantic or managing time-sensitive container shipments at the port. The cost of inaction is a slow, grinding failure.

  • Monolithic architecture prevents rapid, independent feature deployment.
  • Outdated dependencies create unpatchable security vulnerabilities.
  • High operational costs for mainframe or on-prem server maintenance.
  • Lack of observability and modern tooling makes troubleshooting impossible.
30-50%
Typical Reduction in Total Cost of Ownership
10x
Increase in Deployment Frequency
Weeks → Hours
Time to Achieve Security Compliance
002 / 005 Operational Approach

Execute a Phased Decommission of Legacy Liabilities.

  1. STEP-01

    1. Mission Systems Assessment

    We map your existing system's architecture, dependencies, and data flows. The output is a clear-eyed assessment of risks and a high-level roadmap, not a 300-page document that gathers dust.

  2. STEP-02

    2. Decompose and Isolate Functionality

    Using the strangler-fig pattern, we identify and isolate a single business capability. This becomes the first piece to be re-built as a modern, containerized microservice, minimizing operational disruption.

  3. STEP-03

    3. Build & Containerize New Services

    We build the replacement service with a modern stack (e.g., Go, Python, .NET Core) and package it in a Docker container. This ensures it runs consistently across any environment, from a local developer machine to a production cloud.

  4. STEP-04

    4. Redirect Traffic and Migrate Data

    Once the new service is field-tested and validated, we redirect live traffic from the old monolith. Data is migrated, and the new service takes over its function permanently. The legacy code path is now dormant.

  5. STEP-05

    5. Decommission and Repeat

    We surgically remove the now-obsolete code from the legacy system. The monolith shrinks. We then repeat this process, strangling the old system piece by piece until it can be fully and safely decommissioned.

DOCKERFILE PATTERN 
FROM eclipse-temurin:17-jdk-jammy

# Set the working directory
WORKDIR /app

# Copy the compiled JAR file from the build stage
# Assumes a multi-stage build, a common modernization pattern
COPY target/app-modern-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar app.jar

# Expose the port the application runs on
EXPOSE 8080

# Create a non-root user for security
RUN groupadd -r appgroup && useradd -r -g appgroup appuser
USER appuser

# Command to run the application
ENTRYPOINT ["java", "-jar", "app.jar"]

A standard Dockerfile for containerizing a legacy Java application. This isolates the application and its dependencies, making it portable and ready for deployment to any modern cloud or on-premise container orchestrator like Kubernetes.

003 / 005 Common Questions

Field FAQ.

→ Why is being an SDVOSB important for NIWC Atlantic contracts?

As an SDVOSB, we help government agencies and prime contractors meet their federally mandated small business contracting goals. For NIWC Atlantic, this means you can access specialized senior engineering talent through a streamlined acquisition process. Our veteran-led team understands the mission context and delivers with the required discipline and focus, providing a reliable on-the-ground partner right here in Charleston.

→ How do you handle sensitive data like CUI or PII during modernization?

We operate on the principle of least privilege and build security in from the start. For regulated data, we architect solutions for cloud environments like AWS GovCloud or Azure Government. We use encryption at rest and in transit, implement strict IAM policies, and ensure all data handling procedures are compliant with NIST 800-171 for CUI or other relevant standards. Modernization is an opportunity to improve your security posture, not just maintain it.

→ What is the 'strangler-fig' pattern and why do you use it?

The strangler-fig pattern is a low-risk method for incrementally replacing a legacy system. Instead of a high-risk 'big bang' rewrite, we build new functionality as separate services and gradually redirect traffic from the old system to the new ones. Over time, the new services 'strangle' the old monolith until it can be safely decommissioned. This approach minimizes operational disruption and delivers value faster.

→ Our legacy system is written in COBOL. Can you still help?

Yes. We don't need to be COBOL experts to modernize your system. Our process focuses on understanding the business logic and data models, not on writing more legacy code. We work with your subject matter experts to document the system's behavior and then build its replacement piece-by-piece using a modern, sustainable technology stack. The goal is to safely retire the COBOL system entirely.

→ How long does a typical application modernization project take?

This depends entirely on the system's complexity. However, our incremental approach is designed to deliver tangible results quickly. We aim to have the first replacement microservice deployed and handling live traffic within 3-4 months. A full decommission might take 12-24 months, but you'll see operational improvements, cost savings, and risk reduction continuously along the way, not just at the end.

→ Why is a local Charleston presence important for this work?

For mission-critical systems, especially those supporting NIWC or the Port of Charleston, direct collaboration is non-negotiable. Having our engineers on the ground means we can work directly with your teams, troubleshoot in real-time, and maintain the high-trust relationships required for complex projects. We aren't a remote firm managing your project from another time zone.

→ Do you only work with cloud migrations or also on-premise systems?

Our primary focus is migrating legacy systems to the cloud to take advantage of scalability, security, and managed services. However, we are fully capable of modernizing applications to run on-premise within modern container orchestration platforms like OpenShift or Rancher if mission requirements dictate that data must remain within a specific physical boundary.

004 / 005 Adjacent Files

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Case Studies

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About VooStack

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Contact Us

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