Cloud migration case study

ICEFLO Cloud Migration Case Study: IBM Delivers Migration to IBM Cloud

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IBM Cloud Migration

ICEFLO Top-tier Cloud Migration Tools & Strategies

 

Customer Context: IBM’s Cloud Migration Factors

At ABN AMRO, IBM Global Business Services are managing the IT infrastructure that supports the Bank's operations globally. Part of this agreement includes the implementation of a private IBM Bluemix Cloud alongside further standardisation and simplification of the IT landscape.

Through continued optimisation and a cloud infrastructure migration, the Bank aims to improve service quality, drive greater operational efficiencies and provide new and innovative products that meet the changing digital needs of its global customer base. This is what makes it one of our premier cloud migration examples.

Other Cloud Migration benefits for IBM included increased security, cutting costs, and improving remote collaboration.
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The Problem: Complex Cloud Migration Architecture Needed

IBM faced a huge challenge when confronted with the goal of migrating 1,100 ABN Amro applications to the IBM Bluemix Cloud.  

 The Cloud Migration Process had to be delivered in waves, with minimal disruption to the Business and absolutely no unplanned service outages. IBM knew that traditional methods of runbook construction and execution wouldn't cut it in this context.

Based on previous success with other Clients, IBM elected ICEFLO and our cloud migration products as their chosen cutover solution.

The Goal: To Execute Seamless Cloud Migration Techniques

  • To mobilise and manage a global, multi-party cutover migration team
  • To rapidly deliver a significant quantity of application migrations to the Cloud, building confidence in people, process and tools
  • To deliver Cloud Data migrations in waves of up to 30 applications
  • To repeatedly deliver Go-Live cutovers, containing risk and minimising planned service outages 
  • To ensure that all Business systems were fully operational after each cutover event

The Challenge: Finding the Ideal Cloud Migration Strategy

A Cloud Migration of this scale had rarely been attempted at the start of this programme. And, as with any business, IBM’s Cloud Migration methods needed to include unique approaches to address issues specific to their existing data structure and operations. Their data centre migration challenges included the following:

  • Geographically dispersed migration teams, operating from at least 10 countries
  • The critical need to establish common standards, process and vocabulary
  • The need for easy provisioning and a short learning curve for the cutover solution
  • The need for strong, inter-runbook dependency management
  • Effective orchestration of large numbers of people and tasks, all in real-time

 IBM Global Business Services and ABN AMRO decided to partner with Agenor Technology and use their ICEFLO cloud migration platform, based on its track record at other global banks.

ICEFLO’s Cloud Migration solution was trusted to replace "managed chaos" with a sense of calm orderly progression on large-scale complex cutover activities.

[Note: There are many types of Cloud Migration Models  to address virtually any business challenge, not only for basic server migrations to the cloud). Migrating to an application in the cloud managed by SaaS, moving legacy apps to the cloud, cloud to cloud migration (replatforming), and public cloud migration are a few more examples to think about.]

The Result: Seamlessly Moving to the Cloud

The Approach

  • The entire programme was scheduled over a 4-year period  
  • The migration would involve cutovers in a series of waves
  • The scope of initial migration waves was limited to 1 or 2 business services
  • As confidence in the cutovers grew, the content of each wave was gradually increased
  • The aim of achieving waves of up to 30 applications was defined
Growth
Growth
Growth
Growth
Calm, controlled cutover execution
Time, effort and cost efficiencies achieved
Active risk and issue management
Higher confidence leading to higher throughput in larger waves
Cloud migration successful team
“After dress rehearsals, we have a good view of what has changed and which issues were resolved. This gives great input into making preparations for live events. By making progress information available to all that are interested, we reduce the number of checks and calls, saving time and reducing managed chaos.”
 
 
 
 

Cutover Factory Lead, IBM Global Business Services

 
 
 

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