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World Congress 2025 • Aug 20, 2025 • Session details

How to Destroy a Monolith?

Babette Wagner

Why do code-first monolith migrations fail? See how Axel Springer dismantled a 500,000-line legacy system with zero downtime by pivoting to a data-first, event-driven cloud strategy.

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#1 about 3 min

Handling peak traffic and user data responsibilities at scale

Managing millions of daily sessions requires dependable flows for authentication, data collection, and partner syndication.

#2 about 4 min

Why extreme flexibility in a monolith creates severe blockages

Attempting to build an endlessly adaptable application results in tight coupling and impossible framework upgrades.

#3 about 3 min

Failing to incrementally refactor tightly coupled legacy monolithic code

Extracting domain services through code-first refactoring fails when the underlying data model forces complex dependencies.

#4 about 4 min

Planning modular migrations via a data-first decomposition strategy

Establishing a parallel data source allows teams to shed redundant fields and rebuild core features cleanly.

#5 about 3 min

Syncing database changes in real time using eventing patterns

Capturing legacy database updates and routing them through a serverless queue ensures seamless state transfer.

#6 about 3 min

Outsourcing complex authentication flows to managed cloud service providers

Leveraging external identity platforms for user authentication provides modern security features without internal maintenance overhead.

#7 about 3 min

Executing a phased zero-downtime migration to modern platform architectures

Running concurrent systems with shared state enables a gradual traffic rollout and a safe final cutover.

#8 about 4 min

Accelerating development cycles through managed services and cloud frameworks

Transitioning to modern frameworks and assembling managed web services limits custom code and lowers maintenance burdens.

#9 about 4 min

Validating microservices directly against production dependencies to simplify pipelines

Testing loosely coupled components independently against live systems removes fragile staging environments and reduces deployment friction.

Matching moments

3:00 min

Refactoring a complex legacy monolith into microservices

Andrew Holway · LIVE

5:06 min

Modernizing legacy applications through proactive leadership

Babette Wagner Babette Wagner · Coffee With Developers

1:59 min

Transforming to a cloud-native modular application architecture

Annette Schelten Annette Schelten +1 · WWC 2025

5:08 min

Overcoming challenges of scaling legacy monolithic frontend applications

Josh Goldberg · WWC 2021

5:02 min

Transforming legacy monoliths into modern software systems

Henning Schwentner · LIVE

2:14 min

Evaluating data storage limitations and monolithic architectural challenges

George Asafev · WWC 2023

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