In this paper we argue that there is a necessity for automating modificatio
ns to legacy assets. We propose a five layered process for the introduction
and employment of tool support that enables automated modification to enti
re legacy systems. Furthermore, we elaborately discuss each layer on a conc
eptual level, and we make appropriate references to sources where technical
contributions supporting that particular layer can be found. We sketch the
perspective that more and more people working in the software engineering
area will be contributing to working on existing systems and/or tools to su
pport such work.