Java Modernization
EJB Migration

EJB to Spring Boot Migration

Migrate your legacy EJB applications to modern Spring Boot—incrementally, safely, and without business disruption.

The Challenge

The EJB Problem

Your EJB application works, but it's holding you back:

  • WebLogic/WebSphere licensing costs are eating your budget
  • Modern developers avoid EJB like the plague—recruitment is hard
  • Deployments take hours instead of minutes with CI/CD
  • You're stuck on Java 8 with no clear upgrade path
  • Docker/Kubernetes adoption is blocked by legacy infrastructure
Our Approach

The Strangler Fig Solution

Don't rewrite—incrementally strangle the legacy system

1

Wrap

Create Spring Boot APIs that delegate to existing EJBs. New features go directly into Spring Boot.

2

Migrate

Gradually move business logic from EJBs to Spring services, module by module, with full test coverage.

3

Decommission

Once an EJB has zero callers, remove it. Eventually, the old system is empty and can be shut down.

Why Strangler Fig Works

This pattern is named after the strangler fig tree, which grows around an existing tree and eventually replaces it. In software, we build the new system around the old one, gradually shifting traffic until the legacy system can be removed. Zero big-bang rewrites. Zero business disruption.

Migration Scope

What Gets Migrated

From EJB...

  • Stateless Session Beans → @Service
  • Stateful Session Beans → @Component + HTTP Session
  • Message-Driven Beans → @JmsListener / @KafkaListener
  • Entity Beans (EJB 2.x) → JPA Entities
  • EJB Timers → @Scheduled / Spring Batch
  • Remote EJB → REST APIs with Spring MVC
  • JNDI lookups → Dependency Injection

...To Spring Boot

  • Spring Boot 3.x / Spring Framework 6
  • Spring Data JPA with Hibernate
  • Spring Security for authentication
  • Spring Integration / Spring Cloud Stream
  • Embedded Tomcat (no app server!)
  • RESTful APIs with JSON
  • Docker containers + Kubernetes
Benefits

Benefits You'll See

Eliminate Licensing Costs

Ditch WebLogic/WebSphere. Run on open-source Tomcat or containerized environments. Save $50K-$500K+ annually.

Zero Business Risk

Migrate incrementally with full rollback capability. Test each module thoroughly before moving to the next. Business keeps running.

Modern DevOps

Deploy with Docker, orchestrate with Kubernetes, automate with CI/CD. Go from quarterly releases to daily deployments.

Attract Talent

Spring Boot is the #1 Java framework. Modern developers actually want to work with it. Improve recruitment and retention.

Timeline

Migration Timeline

Typical 3-6 month engagement

Month 1

Setup & Architecture

Create Spring Boot foundation, set up CI/CD pipeline, establish testing strategy, and wrap first EJB module.

Months 2-4

Core Migration

Migrate business logic module by module. Start with low-risk modules, build confidence, tackle complex modules later.

Month 5

Decommission & Cutover

Remove legacy EJBs with zero callers, switch production traffic to Spring Boot, shut down old application server.

Month 6

Knowledge Transfer

Train your team on Spring Boot best practices, hand over documentation, ensure they can maintain and extend the system.

Investment

Investment

Custom Quote

Based on application size and complexity

Typical engagements range from $75K-$250K for full migration (3-6 months). ROI is usually achieved within the first year through licensing savings alone.

Get Started

Ready to Escape EJB?

Let's discuss your EJB application and create a safe, incremental migration plan.

Schedule Consultation