Changing applications with CAST Imaging on Cloud

Overview

CAST Imaging on Cloud provides architects and tech leads with automated impact analysis to support application changes. By offering deep visibility into dependencies and change impact, it helps teams confidently modify applications while mitigating risks.

Why change an application?

Applications continuously evolve due to business needs, regulatory requirements, or technical optimizations. However, changes can introduce unintended consequences if dependencies are not fully understood. CAST Imaging on Cloud simplifies this process by offering automated impact analysis, ensuring that teams can make informed decisions and minimize disruption.

Key capabilities

CAST Imaging offers two methods to run an automated impact analysis from a selected object:

Step-by-Step dependency exploration

This method allows users to gradually explore the vicinity of a selected object, helping to understand its immediate context. Users can:

  • Retrieve callers and callees step by step.
  • Manually add dependencies by right-clicking on objects in the graph.
  • Build a precise impact analysis tailored to specific needs.

Comprehensive impact analysis

For a broader view, users can opt for an automatic dependency analysis to:

  • Identify all paths between a selected object and terminal objects (e.g., screens, pages, tables, or files).
  • Retrieve all start objects, such as UI or batch components, to define a non-regression testing scope.
  • Gain a holistic view of how changes propagate across the system.

How to proceed

  1. Select an object – identify the component where changes will be made.
  2. Choose an analysis method – opt for either step-by-step exploration or full impact analysis.
  3. Review dependencies – examine affected objects, transactions, and flows.
  4. Plan and validate – ensure changes align with system requirements before implementation.

Defining an action plan

To structure and track changes efficiently, CAST Imaging enables users to categorize impacted objects using tags or post-its. This feature allows teams to:

  • Organize modifications by business function or team.
  • Link objects to external tools such as Jira for change tracking.
  • Filter and retrieve tagged elements easily for further analysis.

How it works

  1. Run the analyzer – Scan the application using the Windows or Docker-based Analyzer.
  2. Upload analysis results – Securely upload only the structural analysis results.
  3. Explore and assess – Use CAST Imaging to investigate violations, review dependency graphs, and plan corrective actions.

Conclusion

CAST Imaging on Cloud helps teams confidently implement application changes by providing in-depth impact analysis. Whether exploring dependencies incrementally or performing a full-system scan, the tool ensures that modifications are well-understood, minimizing risks and improving change management efficiency.