Case study: Datacenter Evacuation for JobTarget

JobTarget: Seamless Datacenter Evacuation with BUILDSTR and AWS, Delivering Improved Performance and Minimal Downtime.

Background: JobTarget, a leading online job search platform, was facing a critical challenge – they needed to evacuate their on-premises datacenter swiftly while minimizing disruptions to their operations, including their mission-critical MSSQL database. Additionally, they aimed to keep costs optimal and ensure their staff was adequately trained to maintain the migrated environment.

Challenges:

1. Rapid Datacenter Evacuation: JobTarget required a swift and efficient evacuation from their existing datacenter to ensure business continuity and avoid potential downtime. They had more than 200 servers.

2. Minimizing Operational Disruptions: The migration process had to be executed with minimal impact on JobTarget's daily operations, particularly their core MSSQL database, which was the backbone of their platform.

3. Cost Optimization: While migrating to the cloud, JobTarget needed to optimize costs associated with the move, ensuring a cost-effective transition without compromising on performance or reliability.

4. Staff Training: JobTarget's engineering team needed comprehensive training to maintain and manage the migrated environment effectively post-migration.

Solution:

Recognizing the complexity of the situation, JobTarget partnered with their AWS account team and BUILDSTR, a cloud migration and modernization expert, to execute a seamless datacenter evacuation.

The Collaborative Approach:

1. Business Case Development and Cost Review:

   - In collaboration with their AWS account team, BUILDSTR assisted JobTarget in developing a robust business case for the migration, considering factors such as Reserved Instances (RIs), Savings Plans, and network optimization.

   - The AWS account team provided valuable insights and recommendations on cost optimization strategies, ensuring a cost-effective transition to the AWS cloud.

2. Minimizing Disruptions with AWS Site-to-Site VPN:

   - To minimize interruptions during the migration, BUILDSTR and the AWS account team implemented an AWS Site-to-Site VPN connection between JobTarget's on-premises datacenter and the AWS environment.

   - This secure and low-latency connection allowed JobTarget to maintain operational continuity by seamlessly routing traffic between their on-premises and cloud environments during the transition phase.

   - The Site-to-Site VPN played a crucial role in ensuring minimal disruptions to JobTarget's daily operations, including their critical MSSQL database.

3. MSSQL Database Migration with Minimal Downtime:

   - BUILDSTR developed a comprehensive strategy to migrate JobTarget's mission-critical MSSQL database to AWS with minimal downtime.

   - Leveraging AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) and other AWS services, BUILDSTR performed an initial full load of the database to the AWS environment, followed by continuous data replication.

   - During the final cutover, BUILDSTR executed a near-zero downtime migration by enabling database transaction log shipping and performing a quick switch to the AWS environment.

   - This approach ensured that JobTarget's critical database remained available throughout the migration process, minimizing disruptions to their core operations.

4. Meticulous Planning and Communication:

   - BUILDSTR prepared a detailed migration plan, outlining the steps and timelines for a smooth transition.

   - Regular weekly status updates were provided to JobTarget and the AWS account team, ensuring transparent communication and alignment throughout the project.

5. Pilot Migration and Retrospective:

   - A pilot migration was conducted to identify and address any potential issues before the full-scale migration.

   - A retrospective analysis was performed after the pilot, involving the AWS account team, allowing for process improvements and refinements.

6. Agent Installation and Initial Migration:

   - BUILDSTR installed migration agents on JobTarget's systems, preparing them for the upcoming transition.

   - The initial wave was completed without incident, thanks to the meticulous planning and execution by BUILDSTR, with support from the AWS account team.

7. Iterative Migration and Retrospectives:

   - Subsequent migration waves were executed as planned, with retrospectives conducted after each wave to identify areas for improvement and ensure a smoother process for the next wave.

   - The AWS account team participated in these retrospectives, providing valuable feedback and recommendations based on their expertise.

8. Modernization and Optimization:

   - BUILDSTR upgraded JobTarget's MSSQL and Windows versions from 2012 to 2022, enabling them to leverage the latest features and performance enhancements.

   - Clustering was implemented for enhanced reliability and safer maintenance procedures, with guidance from the AWS account team.

   - Latency was reduced, and throughput was increased for end-user-facing services, improving the overall user experience.

   - By leveraging AWS's scalable and high-performance infrastructure, JobTarget experienced significant improvements in application responsiveness, database query times, and overall system performance.

9. Operational Streamlining and Knowledge Transfer:

   - BUILDSTR streamlined JobTarget's operations by leveraging CloudFormation and other Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools, enabling efficient management and scalability.

   - Comprehensive runbooks and documentation were provided for the new services implemented, ensuring smooth ongoing operations.

   - JobTarget's engineering team actively participated in the migration process, collaborating with BUILDSTR and the AWS account team to enhance automation and implement zero-downtime upgrades for their central database system.

Results:

Through the partnership with BUILDSTR and the AWS account team, JobTarget achieved a successful datacenter evacuation while addressing their key challenges:

1. Rapid and Seamless Migration: The datacenter evacuation was completed swiftly, minimizing disruptions to JobTarget's operations and ensuring business continuity.

2. Operational Continuity: The migration process had minimal impact on JobTarget's daily operations, including their critical MSSQL database, thanks to the careful planning, execution by BUILDSTR, and the implementation of an AWS Site-to-Site VPN connection.

3. Cost Optimization: By leveraging Reserved Instances, Savings Plans, network optimization, and the AWS account team's recommendations, JobTarget achieved a cost-effective migration while maintaining performance and reliability.

4. Empowered Engineering Team: JobTarget's engineering team received comprehensive training and hands-on experience during the migration process, enabling them to effectively maintain and enhance the migrated environment going forward.

5. Improved Performance: By migrating to AWS's scalable and high-performance infrastructure, JobTarget experienced significant improvements in application responsiveness, database query times, and overall system performance, resulting in an enhanced user experience for their customers.

6. Minimal Downtime for Critical Systems: The strategic approach to migrating the MSSQL database, leveraging AWS DMS and other services, ensured minimal downtime for JobTarget's mission-critical systems, minimizing disruptions to their core operations.

Additionally, with the guidance of the AWS account team, BUILDSTR provided valuable insights and recommendations for further improvements:

1. AWS Security Posture Review: The AWS account team recommended leveraging AWS Security Posture Review to assess and enhance JobTarget's security posture in the cloud.

2. AWS SCRAM: The AWS account team suggested exploring AWS Simulated Conditions Response and Management (SCRaM) to strengthen JobTarget's security incident response capabilities.

By implementing these recommendations, JobTarget achieved additional outcomes:

- Reduced IAM footprint: JobTarget streamlined their Identity and Access Management (IAM) configurations, enhancing security and reducing potential attack surfaces.

- Improved Root Account Visibility: Greater visibility into root account access was established, enabling better monitoring and control over privileged accounts.

- Strengthened Authentication: Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) with hardware tokens was implemented, adding an extra layer of security for critical system access.

Overall, the collaboration between JobTarget, BUILDSTR, and the AWS account team resulted in a successful datacenter evacuation, operational continuity, cost optimization, and a well-trained engineering team equipped to manage and enhance the migrated environment effectively. The implementation of an AWS Site-to-Site VPN connection played a crucial role in minimizing disruptions during the migration process, ensuring seamless operational continuity for JobTarget's critical systems, including their MSSQL database. By leveraging AWS's scalable and high-performance infrastructure, JobTarget experienced significant performance improvements.