The Legacy Apocalypse is upon us and business, community, and political leaders at all levels need this timely and thoughtful book from a superstar in the field. Aging computer systems present complex technical challenges for organizations both large and small, and Kill It with Fire provides sound strategies for spearheading modernization efforts.Kill It with Fire examines aging computer systems, the evolution of technology over time, and how organizations can modernize, maintain, and future-proof their current systems.In playful and engaging prose, Marianne Bellotti uses real-world case studies to illustrate the technical challenges of modernizing complex legacy systems, as well as the organizational challenges of time-intensive maintenance efforts. The book explains how to evaluate existing architecture, create upgrade plans, and handle communication structures. Team exercises and historical analyses of complex computer systems make this a valuable resource for those in both older and newer companies, and will help readers restore or create systems built to evolve as time goes on.

IntroductionChapter 1: Time Is a Flat CircleChapter 2: Cannibal CodeChapter 3: Evaluating Your ArchitectureChapter 4: Why Is It Hard?Chapter 5: Building and Protecting MomentumChapter 6: Coming in MidstreamChapter 7: Design and DestinyChapter 8: Breaking ChangesChapter 9: How to FinishChapter 10: Future-ProofingConclusion