Our Approach to Modernizing .NET Applications

A disciplined, ATO-aware approach to upgrading the Microsoft .NET Framework
for federal business systems.

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Key Stats

.NET Target

.NET 10 - Default target (LTS through Nov 2028)

30–50%

Throughput gain vs .NET baseline

Architecture Migration

Big-bang vs strangler-fig

5 Phases

Governance → Assessment → Plan → Migrate → Cutover

ATO

Preserved via phased, audit-ready execution

EO 14028

CycloneDX SBOM in every release pipeline

The Challenge: Aging .NET Stacks in Federal Systems

Federal business systems running older .NET Frameworks carry accumulating risk. A naive “lift to the newest .NET” rarely survives contact with reality

Legacy Code, Legacy Risk

Many federal systems still run on .NET Framework 4.7.2 or older — code 10+ years old, increasingly hard to staff, accumulating risk with every CVE cycle.

Hidden Blockers

Commercial libraries lag, Windows Server versions vary, and WCF server hosting, WebForms, Windows Workflow Foundation, and .NET Remoting have no in-place modern equivalents.

ATO Is a First-Class Constraint

Authorizing Officials treat a framework jump as a significant change. SSP, SAR, POA&M, SBOM, and SCA artifacts must be sequenced alongside engineering, not bolted on at the end.

KC’s Approach

Modernization is not a re-write. It is a sequenced, evidence-driven migration that leaves operations and security teams looking at a deployment that is indistinguishable from any other release — only the payload has changed.

Disciplined Agile (CMMI ML3) • Audit-ready ATO sequencing • DevSecOps gates in CI/CD • FIPS 140-3 across the stack

The Solution: Target Selection + Five-Phase Execution

Default to the newest .NET framework version; step down only when a hard constraint blocks it. Then execute through an
ATO-aware, evidence-driven pipeline.

Constraint Funnel

.NET 10

Default (LTS to Nov 2028)

.NET 8

If .NET 10 blocked

.NET Framework 4.8.1

Holding pattern: WCF, WebForms

Five-Phase Execution

0

Governance & ATO Strategy

Engage COR, ISSO, ISSM, AO. Determine significant vs minor change. Sequence SSP/SAR/POA&M alongside engineering.

1

Assessment & Compliance Delta

.NET Upgrade Assistant + Portability Analyzer; NIST 800-53 delta; FIPS 140-3 check; SCRM (800-161) on every NuGet.

2

Architecture & Migration Plan

Big-bang vs strangler-fig. Map blockers: WCF→CoreWCF/gRPC, WebForms→Blazor/MVC, WIF→OIDC, EF6→EF Core.

3

Prepare Codebase & Pipeline

SDK-style projects, PackageReference, test coverage. CI gates: CycloneDX SBOM, SAST, SCA, container scan, DAST. DISA STIG.

4

Migrate to Target

Refactor config, DI, logging, hosting, auth (PIV/CAC per FIPS 201), data access. Secrets to Key Vault Gov / CyberArk.

5

Validation, ATO Update & Cutover

Regression + load vs baseline. ISCA, pen test, 508 regression. Updated artifacts to AO. Canary / blue-green cutover.

Results: Proven on a Navy Defense Business System (DBS)

The same disciplined playbook KC used to modernize the ONR Contract Administration Management Information System (CAMIS) — a designated DBS with ATO on the DoD network.

33

Production releases with zero rollbacks

22.5

Average days between releases

100K+

Invoices/year via WAWF & EDA interfaces

2

Consecutive 3-year ATOs achieved

What KC Delivered on CAMIS

Architecture modernization — Consolidated Oracle Forms, APEX,
VB, ASP, and Java apps into an integrated C#/.NET suite on Oracle
.NET framework upgrades — Upgraded .NET framework, Windows
OS, and Oracle DB while managing three concurrent releases.
Direct XML interfaces — Built .NET XML web services to WAWF/PIEE
and EDA — hundreds of files/hour with XSD validation.
ATO maintained throughout — Two consecutive 3-year ATOs under
NIST SP 800-53A. DASN kudos for software quality.

Key Risks & Mitigations

ATO timeline slippage
Engage COR/AO at kickoff; sequence compliance with sprints.
Third-party rejection
Clear dependencies through SCRM in Phase 1 before designs.
Hidden framework-only APIs
Build end-to-end target slice in Phase 1.
STIG / FIPS drift in dev
Hardened images, IaC, FIPS-mode CI runners from day one

Other Case Studies

Take a look at what KC is doing to contribute to global cyber security, agile software development and cloud services.

View ALL Case Studies

ABOUT US

Karthik Consulting was founded in 2008 to be a reliable and trusted advisor for our customers, providing independent, unbiased, and proven solutions that mitigate risk and help solve enterprise-wide IT challenges.

Our Cyber Security, Software Development and Program Management focus areas (and work methodology) ensure that we can deliver not just solutions, but architecture that scales and grows with the customer's needs over time. We are able to assist in projects ranging from short advisory engagements to assembling a full team to deliver a solution from concept through implementation and on-going management. KC has access to industry experts in various technologies and teaming partners to meet any of your IT challenges.  The vision of KC is to bring the innovation, passion and agility of the commercial IT industry to meet the unique challenges of the federal government. We are a DOD Cleared Facility with a DCAA-approved accounting system.

CONTACT

Felix Martin, 571 435 7632 fmartin@karthikconsulting.com

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PRIME CONTRACT VEHICLES:

GSA MAS
GSA OASIS Pool 1 and 3
NIH CIO-SP3 8(a) & SB
GSA STARS III 8(a)
Air Force SBEAS
Army RS3
Navy Seaport-NexGen
FAA eFAST