Strategy for legacy software system code redesign

Basically, process of redesign of old existing software system can be presented as following sequence:

1) Define goal for redesign, and characteristics of system after redesign.

2) Cover by tests and measurements to measure degree of correspondence to characteristics defined.

3) Define methods for improvements.

4) Do redesign by methods defined in 3, keeping 2nd) tests and measurements.

5) If 1) goal of redesign achieved stop.


Other things, that should be kept during redesign, if you want to keep system live long after redesign done:

http://rgritsulyak.blogspot.com/2009/03/survivable-long-living-systems.html

Just some ideas on freemind

I have found freemind application very useful for planning my activities,
as ideas management tool, and as knowledge store.

However with time (1.5 years of continuous maps update) I started to experience lack of the functionality / external tools to better maps organization/analyses.

Most wanted for now:

- Extract history ( list of nodes in chronological order)
- Ability to search all maps linked from map where search started.
- Ability to share some parts of the map between different maps.
- Ability to load multiple linked maps in one screeen