Architecting Zero-Downtime Re-Platforming: A Decoupled Configuration Driver Model for Legacy-to-Cloud Warehouse Management Migration

Abstract

Retail and logistics enterprises operating legacy warehouse management platforms on mainframe infrastructure face a structural migration problem: business rules are hardcoded into vendor source code, forcing an all-or-nothing cutover when moving to cloud-native infrastructure. This architectural rigidity concentrates operational risk into a single cutover event, where a routing or timing defect can halt physical fulfillment operations. This article presents a Decoupled Configuration Driver Model that separates warehouse routing logic from underlying platform code through a runtime configuration layer, enabling incremental, canary-gated migration with automated rollback. The model comprises three phases: parallel-run telemetry baselining, configuration abstraction of hardcoded logic, and gated cutover with continuous validation. Drawing on enterprise re-platforming practice and the continuous delivery literature, this article argues that configuration-driven decoupling converts legacy modernization from a high-risk rewrite into a reversible, incremental engineering process.