Application Migration on Azure for one of India’s leading investment Managers Company with Cloudxchange.io as Cloud Partner.

About the Customer: -

Customer is one of India's leading asset and wealth management company, primarily catering to the HNI and UHNI market in India.

One of the first companies to obtain a portfolio management services license in India and the third largest company in both discretionary listed equity portfolio management services and discretionary equity overall portfolio management services according to assets under management as of May 30, 2018.

Customer's revenues range is INR 100CR – 500CR for the financial year ending on 31 March 2020.

EBITDA has increased by 34.86 % over the previous year. At the same time, it's book net worth has increased by 24.54%.

Customer Challenges:

Before moving to the cloud, they were severely hampered through infrastructure due to the rate at which the business was growing. On top of that, they were expanding their business to perform high-volume.

They needed to get up and running on the cloud quickly, while maintaining service functionality and uptime. A key item to address was that their underlying applications have strong dependencies on network file systems (NFS).

In response to the changing business landscape and market conditions in India, the client wanted to:

Below are the highlighted Challenges we discovered and highlighted pointers:

1. They needed to efficiently host their Windows and Linux - based applications for their Wealth Management System
2. Since their user base was spread across the Central India region, this had to be achieved with no business disruptions or loss of accessibility.
3. On-premises hardware running out of support​ and needed to be migrated in less than a month​
4. Being a technical migration, requirements was to ensure near zero disruption to business.
5. Deliver a compelling TCO on Cloud.
6. Existing core application could not cope with growing business needs which required an immediate Cloud solution.
7. Required a quick transformation to cloud with TCO considerations.
8. On-Premise’s setup of Wealth Management Application to the Azure Cloud in Central India Region.
9. DR and backup and restore mechanism for Cloud migration.
10. Financial Data for all users must be kept in a place where the SLA for storage is high and there is near zero data loss.

Proposed Solution:

Cloudxchange.io approach was to provide the best solution, based upon last 3 months infrastructure utilization and provided with Right sizing Virtual Machines instances family to show confidence in migration to cloud.

A cloud reference architecture comprising of network, security, network connectivity, Azure account, IAM, deployment architecture of all application and detailed migration plan, schedule and cost was provided.

In the cloud build stage, Cloudxchange helped design a virtual network which included networking, web application firewall (NGFW) and detailed cloud monitoring. Cloudxchange.io also provided 99.9% availability by applying CloudOps and ITIL process

As a cloud adaptor, we enabled customer in adjusting to cloud ways of working with 99.95% SLA at VM level and 99.99% at data resilience level using “well architected framework” approach​.

Project Scope:

Assessment of current cloud landscape, Design Azure Architecture, Agile Migration, Validation & Cutover​

The Scope of work for the project includes following:

1. Migrate on Premise Setup application to the Azure Cloud.
2. Deploy Azure set up with Azure Virtual Machines, Virtual Network in Central India region.
3. Assigned Public IP address to the Webserver Virtual Machine.​
4. Enable backups and take Snapshots for All machines
5. Create ASR (DR) in South India region
6. Enable Log-shipping from On Premise to Cloud for SQL Database migration
7. Install monitoring agent and monitor performance of the Server.

Our Approach: -

Assessment: -

1. CTO meeting to understand goals and objectives.
2. Discussion with key IT stakeholders and walkthrough of high-level IT topology.
3. Application portfolio inventory with data elements.
4. Identify long prevailing gaps and come up with de-risking mechanisms for a smooth migration.

Design: -

1. Hybrid cloud approach: we recommended DR on cloud and production on-premises to leverage the life of existing hardware and mitigate the client’s risk associated with the adoption of new technology.
2. Rehost or Lift & Shift methodology: To mitigate unknown risks, we recommended a lift & shift approach to rehosting. Post migration, the scope for refactoring and re-platforming is much more.
3. Creating Azure, a/c, create RG, users & Groups, create network components, deploy compute & storage for Dev, QA, and Production environment
4. Implement infra security – OS hardening, apply security policy etc.

Migration: -

1. Moving applications from the on-premises environment to the cloud with no changes to the underlying application.
2. Significant reduction of their on-premises data center footprint.
3. Strategy allows users to migrate quickly and easily with lesser application breakdown issues.
4. Setup Azure Site Recovery
5. Create RG, users & Groups, create network components, deploy compute & storage for Dev, QA, and Production environment
6. Implement security policy.

Validation and Cutover: -

1. Pre and Post Migration Benchmark validations for disk IOPS, to ensure uncompromised performance. Seamless cutover with minimal downtime for cutover < 3 hours
2. Pick the right type and size of Virtual Machines as a part of Cost Optimization Activity.
3. Reduce the configuration based on monthly utilization report analysis.
4. Perform & Validate backup and restore.

Outcomes: -

1. Infrastructure is more flexible to scale up and scale down as per customer requirement.
2. Non-Production infra will be run in Business hours only to avoid unnecessary cost.
3. Cost and SLA improved with No need to maintain physical server as a very difficult for huge amount infrastructure.
4. Free-up IT resources - Improve efficiency by freeing up valuable financial and staff resources.
5. Reduced Capital Expenditures - No longer needs to acquire, enterprise software, or hardware system. This eliminates the burden of budgeting for capital equipment well in advance as well as the capital expense.
6. Availability of data for restoring on cloud– No need to locate or retrieve on physical server. During critical events such as on-premises data center outage, when many applications must be restored simultaneously and as soon as possible.
7. Better uptime numbers, no waiting for hardware repairs and Leverage hardware spares at no additional cost.
8. Around 40% TCO reduction by using RI & instance start/stop.
9. Cost-effective low-cost cross region DR solution to address region level failure.
10. Solution with 99.95% SLA at VM level and 99.99% at data resilience level using “well architected framework” approach.

About the Partner

Cloudxchange.io offers you unrivalled choice and flexibility so you can pick the cloud services best suited for your applications, workloads, and business requirements i.e., Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform and Others.

Cloudxchange.io team is passionate about understanding and meeting the unique business requirements of the clients. Our team focuses on applying their diverse range of knowledge and skills to earn trust and confidence. Leveraging years of proven experience, we strive to anticipate the needs of our clients and exceed their expectations. We develop a deep understanding of our clients' business challenges and objectives and take a personal interest in helping them to achieve their goals.

The company strives to give world class services to its customers and aims for the highest customer satisfaction indexes in the industry. It wants to be synonymous with bringing practices which will make difference to customers in improving the way they do business.

Cloudxchange.io: Your Cloud Lifecycle Partner

Infrastructure Migration on Microsoft Azure with Cloudxchange.io for-profit education company that provides online and blended education options through Career Learning Programs

About the Customer: -

Customer is a high-quality analysis survey platform delivering organization and planning to leverage public cloud services to provide quality service to their customers.

Customer is a for-profit education company that provides online and blended education options through Career Learning Programs

These include infrastructure protection, Online training and consultancy, and event and asset security management.

The company’s IT infrastructure hosted on-premises and co-located in East USA, is currently managed by an internal team reporting to the CTO.

Customer Challenges:

1. DR and backup and restore mechanism for Cloud migration.
2. Being a technical migration, requirements was to ensure near zero disruption to business.
3. Full capacity in-house data center​
4. Reliable backup storage, disaster recovery & redundancy, secure data access, scalability & high availability are few challenges with the existing on-premises infrastructure environment.
5. This demands the need of extending or integrating their applications with Cloud to deploy game-changing solutions.
6. Deliver a compelling TCO on Cloud.
7. Required a quick transformation to cloud with TCO considerations.
8. Financial Data for all users must be kept in a place where the SLA for storage is high and there is near zero data loss.
9. DR site availability and physical parameters
10. Company wanted minimum recovery point objective and recovery time objective, avoiding any data loss.

Proposed Solution:

From minimal investments to full-scale availability and fault tolerance, shows how Cloudxchange.io can use Azure services to reduce cost.

Cloudxchange.io worked upon proof of Concept for this customer account with initial implementation of Virtual Machines, Azure Landing Zone

A cloud reference architecture comprising of network, security, network connectivity, Azure account, IAM, deployment architecture of all application and detailed migration plan, schedule and cost was provided.

In the cloud build stage, Cloudxchange helped design a virtual network which included networking, Palo Alto firewall and WAF as an Application Gateway to route their Application URLs with detailed cloud monitoring. Cloudxchange.io also provided 99.9% availability by applying CloudOps and ITIL process

Project Scope:

1. Deploying IAAS (VM, VNET, Storage…) in East US region.
2. Configure network security.
3. Install Monitoring agent on Virtual Machines.
4. Configure VNET Peering
5. Configure Backup policies on the infrastructure.
6. Install Patches/Updates on the servers.
7. Check the Security recommendations.
8. Troubleshoot Infra related issues.

Our Approach: -

Design Architecture: -

1. Multi segmentation of Azure landscape
2. Architectural design as per Azure and industry standard best practices.
3. Hub and spoke modal used with Azure.

Security: -

1. Next generation firewall features, comparison between various vendors in market
2. Solution on centralized login to virtual machines. Azure AD and centralized VM login using Azure AD.
3. Networking backbone and architecture with multiple branch locations
4. WAF for customer rules of Geo fencing.
5. Comparison of security in cloud and on-premises security components.
6. Consultation for improvement of Azure security center score
7. Improvement roadmap for security vulnerabilities

Migration solution: -

1. Creation of Plan of action for enhancement of platform with advanced Azure services
2. Plan of action for NGFW implementation
3. Understanding networking topology and design Azure backbone
4. Azure architecture design various Azure services like VM, SQL DB PaaS, etc.
5. Storage blob with LRS for storing backup data..
6. Security Center Configuration
7. Creation of log analytics workspace
8. Configure services like Just in time access.
9. Adding Application Servers behind WAF and Firewall
10. Meeting SLA uptime upto 99.95% for VMs

Outcomes: -

1. Cloudxchange.io enables Azure Security Centre with current deployment Azure AD protection.
2. Due to Hob and spoke model the servers are only access through Log Me in Server.
3. Any Third-party Application URLs or unauthorized access is strictly as per least privilege and had to undergo through Palo Alto Firewall.
4. DR and backup and restore mechanism for Cloud migration successfully with near zero disruption to business.
5. Data Centre’s been moved on Azure Cloud Virtually.
6. Reliable backup storage, disaster recovery & redundancy, secure data access, scalability & high availability are Achieved with the Azure Cloud Migration.
7. Delivered a compelling TCO on Cloud and quick transformation to cloud with TCO considerations.
8. Financial Data for all users are secured and encrypted with SLA for high storage and near zero data loss.
9. Successfully implemented Disaster Recovery with Test Failover run
10. DR with minimum recovery point objective (RPO) and recovery time objective (RTO) is achieved.

About the Partner

Cloudxchange.io offers you unrivalled choice and flexibility so you can pick the cloud services best suited for your applications, workloads, and business requirements i.e., Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform and Others.

Cloudxchange.io team is passionate about understanding and meeting the unique business requirements of the clients. Our team focuses on applying their diverse range of knowledge and skills to earn trust and confidence. Leveraging years of proven experience, we strive to anticipate the needs of our clients and exceed their expectations. We develop a deep understanding of our clients' business challenges and objectives and take a personal interest in helping them to achieve their goals.

The company strives to give world class services to its customers and aims for the highest customer satisfaction indexes in the industry. It wants to be synonymous with bringing practices which will make difference to customers in improving the way they do business.

Cloudxchange.io: Your Cloud Lifecycle Partner

Leading retail ERP solution provider

About the company

• India’s leading retail ERP solution provider.
• They are providing retail ERP to leading retailer like Adidas, Mahindra, Samsung, Samsonite etc.
• Earlier they use to provider dedicated infrastructure for each customer and use to host at any of the traditional DC.
• This was incurring huge operations cost as they had to manage multiple setups & application binaries.
• Due to multiple setups their end customer pricing was also high due to high input cost.

It is a market leader providing business management for the retail and distribution sectors. With over 10000+ customers over the past 20 years, the company has provided comprehensive solutions to organizations of all sizes from an independent outlet to a large chain of outlets. We are present in India.

• Cost effective Virtual machine to run production for limited time of business hours.
• Should be very secure access to environment.
• Backup solution.
• ITIL based complete life cycle of technology based tool to maintain all events for Audit.

Proposed Solution

• Azure cloud services.
• Azure automation.
• Azure IPSec VPN.
• Cloud protect as backup solution.
• Service desk tool for ticketing.
• Cloud support for monitoring system

Process

SaaS based ERP with single ERP software for multiple customers. Helped wondersoft to transform application with SaaS based platform with following:

• Application load balancing with auto scaling.
• Dynamic content moved from application servers to Azure blob storage.
• Always on SQL active configuration for highest availability.
• DR setup on other Azure region with Azure site recovery.

Customer Benefits

• Production environment migrated to Azure platform as legacy content.
• Cost optimization achieved by automation to run the resources.
• Installed and configured the cloud protect as a backup solution.
• Ability to restore data as and when required.
• Even a restoration can be done as a complete Virtual Machine. With this option we achieve Minimum RPO & RTO.

About the company Leading NBFC in business of giving credits to

About the company

• Leading NBFC in business of giving credits to merchants.
• They offer the best products and services in the market. Their in-house technology platform is tailored to meet the unique requirements of their innovative loan products.
• They wanted to run entire IT setup on cloud including DR as customer didn’t wanted to create their own DC and manage the same.

Customer’s business requirements

• Across service provider DR with zero RPO.
• 15 minutes RPO backup for critical servers.
• Secure access from HO, Branches & remote users.
• Production systems wanted to run on stable, robust, user-friendly platform.
• Environment must be secured for operations financial institutions.
• Secure connection between on premise and the production environment.
• Disaster recovery on stable and secure platform geographically different locations.
• Backup solution
• ITIL based complete life cycle of technology

Proposed Solution

• Primary site hosted on Azure Chennai & DR on AWS Mumbai.
• DR configuration with near zero RPO & 30 Minutes RTO.
• Unified IP SEC VPN connectivity from offices & unified VPN access across Cloud service providers for roaming users.
• Dynamic scaling for application servers based on workload.
• Unified AD authentication for server infrastructure & users.
• Azure data center for running production environment.
• AWS data center for running Disaster recovery.
• Service desk as an ITIL based complete life cycle of technology for ticketing and alerting.
• Cloudxsupport as Cloud monitoring tool.

Following applications hosted on cloud

• Core lending ERP
• Online credit authorization system with integration with CIBIL.
• Online payment gateway with Yes bank integration.
• Active Directory
• Service desk tool
• Complete Development

Benefits

• Azure is user-friendly cloud platform.
• Old production was running on Microsoft Windows platforms so moving to Azure was a smooth process been a same technology family.
• Enough secure to run financial institutions business process like multifactor authentication for accessing Prod and UAT environment, limited access to environment by allowing authorized IPs.
• Able to achieve secured connection between on premise and cloud platform with VPN. Very cost effective solution to run 24 x7 production system.
• Disaster recovery deployed on AWS. Successful connection between both cloud platforms for transfer of data to DR site without VPN.
• Deployed low cost and low resources on DR site to utilize DR very efficiently. Installed and configured the snapshot based backup solution.
• Ability to take snapshot with 15 min time interval to achieve business requirement of minimum RPO & RTO.
• Environment is made secure to face Ransomware attack.
• Maintain all records to achieve compliance.
• Service desk to log all the events and Cloudxsupport as a monitoring tool to get alerted by all events and to Act as and when required to address the incidents to resolutions.

A leading petrochemical company

About the company

It is an international oil and gas engineering group operating within two market segments:

• Process furnaces for refining, petrochemicals and hydrogen production, an area in which this is a world leader,
• Natural-gas treatment, through its subsidiary Prosernat. In this field, the Group is active as a technology provider and EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction) player…

Its teams have expertise in thermal and mechanical furnace design, natural-gas treatment units,the fabrication and modularization of equipment and project management.The Group offers awide range of furnaces for ethylene and aromatics production units.

Customer’s business requirements

They were looking for cloud based DR with zero RPO & 2 hours RTO. They wanted to archive 25 TB data on cloud & DR for 9 servers. All their engineering workstations with more than 200 GB data, needed to be backed up on cloud and all their user PST as backup.

Proposed Solution

• Cloud based DR with many to one server replication using Double Take DR.
• Real time replication of data to cloud.
• 1 Gbps direct connect to AWS for faster replication and quick restoration of data.
• Cloud based backup to AWS S3 for workstations.
• 25 TB data archived to AWS Glacier

Process

Direct connect to VPN with throughput of 1gbps. Arranged 3rd party replication tool doubletake on AWS server.9 server replication on single server. Via direct connect, tape library data uploaded on AWS server. Cloudberry backup installation, Backup uploaded on S3.

Customer Benefits

• Lower TCO for cloud with many to 1 server DR.
• Zero data loss due to real time replication
• Secure connectivity to cloud with Direct connect & VPN.
• Low cost and reliable data storage of compliance data on AWS glacier, customer removed traditional tape based archival to cloud archival.

A leading petrochemical company

About the company

It is an international oil and gas engineering group operating within two market segments:

• Process furnaces for refining, petrochemicals and hydrogen production, an area in which this is a world leader,
• Natural-gas treatment, through its subsidiary Prosernat. In this field, the Group is active as a technology provider and EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction) player…

Its teams have expertise in thermal and mechanical furnace design, natural-gas treatment units,the fabrication and modularization of equipment and project management.The Group offers awide range of furnaces for ethylene and aromatics production units.

Customer’s business requirements

They were looking for cloud based DR with zero RPO & 2 hours RTO. They wanted to archive 25 TB data on cloud & DR for 9 servers. All their engineering workstations with more than 200 GB data, needed to be backed up on cloud and all their user PST as backup.

Proposed Solution

• Cloud based DR with many to one server replication using Double Take DR.
• Real time replication of data to cloud.
• 1 Gbps direct connect to AWS for faster replication and quick restoration of data.
• Cloud based backup to AWS S3 for workstations.
• 25 TB data archived to AWS Glacier

Process

Direct connect to VPN with throughput of 1gbps. Arranged 3rd party replication tool doubletake on AWS server.9 server replication on single server. Via direct connect, tape library data uploaded on AWS server. Cloudberry backup installation, Backup uploaded on S3.

Customer Benefits

• Lower TCO for cloud with many to 1 server DR.
• Zero data loss due to real time replication
• Secure connectivity to cloud with Direct connect & VPN.
• Low cost and reliable data storage of compliance data on AWS glacier, customer removed traditional tape based archival to cloud archival.