Use Case | Logius legacy modernization for Dutch government
Logius, with CGI and Axual, modernizes Dutch government communication using a scalable Kafka platform for efficient, secure, and future-proof digital services, streamlining interactions between government, citizens, and businesses.
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Logius is an agency within the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Hague, the Netherlands. As such, Logius develops products and services for the digital government. In addition, it is responsible for setting standards that all government organizations need to use within their digital services. Logius was established in January 2006 under the name GBO.Overheid. This organization has been known by the name Logius since January 2010. Logius is an income and expenditure service of the Netherlands Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK). The organization, however, does work for other ministries as well.
Why Logius needed to evolve
This use case is about how Logius is working with CGI to implement the Axual’s Kafka platform for the Federated Message system. The goal of this project is to make communication between government, citizen and businesses simpler and more efficient. To do this, the organization wants to modernize their legacy infrastructure and make their platform future-proof and based on Open-Source components.
Axual offers a Strimzi-based Kafka solution. Our platform combines the data streaming capabilities of the open-source Kafka on Kubernetes framework with a user interface that enables large organizations to utilize Apache Kafka. The platform comes with enterprise features such as access control, data governance, and a visual way to see where data is flowing. The goal of our platform is to take the complexity out of Kafka, so Logius can focus on building their use case without having to give up security.
The goal of the platform
Within logius, our platform is used to build the Federated Message System (FBS). The FBS makes sending messages to citizens and entrepreneurs easier and more efficient. FBS is a system that uses a number of generic services, the affiliated organizations’ own message warehouses, and one central facility, the Message Box for Citizens and Entrepreneurs (BBO). The BBO is required to be:
- Future-proof: fits in with the government’s objective of moving from paper to digital
- Efficient: one message in one place, no double storage
- Citizens can choose: they choose the communication channel for their messages
- Reusability: the generic services, built according to the latest microservice technologies, can be used more widely within the government and, in the long term, beyond.
For this project, Logius required a data streaming platform that would be controllable, scalable, reducing development cycles and manageable in costs both for development and maintenance. In addition, the organization requires on-premise deployment. Axual provides just that, a reliable and scalable solution around Kafka that doesn’t need a lot of technical knowledge.
The platform enables you to assign roles and visualize the data flows. This way, Message data is efficiently collected, processed, and sent to the teams and other destinations.
How this project was approached
To enable Logius to really get going with Kafka, CGI provided support with the implementation and enabled teams by providing training to speed up their adoption path. Axual was approached by CGI about a potential use case at Logius. CGI was aware of one of the first use cases at Rabobank; Real-Time Financial Alerts and figured our organization was the go-to player within the real-time data space. Based on the requirements provided by CGI, Axual provided a reference architecture.
Axual’s all-in-one Kafka platform
For those looking to simplify the implementation of Apache Kafka and optimize event streaming, Axual offers an effective platform. Axual provides a managed, secure, and scalable event streaming service that integrates seamlessly with existing microservices architectures. With Axual, you can focus on building your business logic while leveraging powerful tools for event processing, monitoring, and governance. Axual handles the complexities of Kafka. Enabling you to implement real-time data with ease, ensuring reliable, consistent, and scalable event delivery across your system.
Answers to your questions about Axual’s All-in-one Kafka Platform
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To modernize legacy applications, assess their architecture, adopt microservices or cloud-native solutions, refactor code, integrate APIs, enhance user interfaces, and implement DevOps practices. Prioritize incremental improvements, ensuring compatibility with current technologies while minimizing disruptions to existing workflows.
Legacy modernization refers to updating outdated software systems and technologies to improve performance, maintainability, and functionality. It involves migrating to modern architectures, adopting cloud solutions, enhancing user interfaces, and integrating current technologies to meet evolving business needs and improve agility.
Modernizing legacy applications is essential for several reasons: Improved Performance: Modern applications can utilize updated technologies and architectures, leading to enhanced performance and faster response times. Cost Efficiency: Legacy systems often require high maintenance costs. Modernization can reduce these expenses by leveraging more efficient technologies and reducing the need for specialized skills. Scalability: Modern applications are typically designed to be scalable, allowing organizations to easily accommodate growth and increased demand.
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