IT informa migrates core store management system from OpenVMS to Linux at major international retailer
Some systems are too critical to replace and too old to leave unchanged. When the platform underpinning store operations across a global retailer has been running on a legacy operating system for decades, migration is not optional, but neither is disruption.
IT informa’s Ola Mattsson has worked on the modernisation of the core store management system at a major international retailer since 2019, migrating business-critical C++ components from OpenVMS to Linux while the system remains in active use. The platform supports store operations across the retailer’s global network, covering logistics, sales, inventory and returns.
The work has involved rewriting system services that relied on VMS-specific constructs to run on Unix/Linux, establishing a new build system using CMake and Conan, and replacing legacy mechanisms with Redis-based solutions. Batch processing has been re-engineered using standard Unix patterns, and Pascal support has been built into the new build environment to preserve compatibility with existing components.
The migration has run continuously since 2019 and has reduced the platform’s dependency on legacy infrastructure, strengthened maintainability and created the foundation for continued system development.
