Transforming IT infrastructure with AWS

Overview

The client, a global organization with a presence across multiple regions (LS, APAC, and NA), faced critical IT challenges that hindered operational efficiency, security, and scalability.

The Challenge

Lack of security measures: Inadequate firewall and outdated security protocols made the IT infrastructure vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches. Also, unsecured application access left sensitive data at risk of unauthorized use
Inefficient backup and recovery: The absence of a robust data recovery plan resulted in increased risk of data loss during disruptions. Additionally, limited disaster recovery systems amplified the organization’s operational downtime
Non-compliance with industry standards: Existing infrastructure failed to meet regulatory and legal requirements, exposing the organization to penalties and reputational risks
Operational disruptions: The outdated infrastructure resulted in frequent system downtime, significantly impacting productivity. Moreover, manual processes created inefficiencies, escalating operational costs and delaying decision-making

The Objective

The goal was to enhance security, improve scalability and reduce operational costs by migrating to AWS.

System evaluation: Analyzed the existing infrastructure and pinpointed areas requiring modernization for better performance and compliance
Migration strategy: Developed a migration plan to ensure minimal disruption and a smooth transition to the cloud

The Solution

HCLTech designed and implemented a customized IT transformation strategy centered on AWS cloud infrastructure.

Cloud migration and modernization: Transitioned the client’s workloads to a scalable AWS environment, adhering to AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall) guidelines and migrated over 5,000 servers to AWS, transitioning to a more scalable and secure environment
Enhanced security: Implemented AWS Identity and access management (IAM) for role-based access control. Integrated AWS WAF and Amazon GuardDuty for continuous threat detection and proactive security measures. Also, deployed AWS CloudTrail for comprehensive activity monitoring and AWS Key Management Service (KMS) for secure encryption
Disaster recovery and backup: Introduced AWS Backup for automated, policy-driven data backups and AWS Elastic Block Store (EBS) snapshots for quick recovery. Built a robust disaster recovery system using AWS Region replication, ensuring minimal data loss and faster recovery times
Operational efficiency: Automated resource provisioning and monitoring using AWS CloudFormation and Amazon CloudWatch. Additionally, optimized infrastructure performance using Amazon EC2 instances with auto-scaling features
Compliance and governance: Utilized AWS Config to ensure continuous compliance with regulatory and security policies and conducted regular audits using AWS Security Hub to maintain governance standards

The Impact

Enhanced security: Reduced the risk of data breaches by 90% with centralized security and encryption measures and achieved 24/7 monitoring with real-time alerts and proactive threat mitigation
Improved operational efficiency: Automated processes reduced manual intervention, saving approximately 30% in operational costs. System downtime decreased by 40%, enabling seamless business continuity
Increased scalability: The cloud infrastructure supported up to 2x workload growth, meeting future demands with ease. Also, elastic scaling allowed for immediate resource allocation during peak usage
Compliance and governance: Achieved compliance with industry standards, mitigating risks of penalties and audits. Real-time auditing enhanced transparency and stakeholder confidence
Cost optimization: Transition to a pay-as-you-go AWS model reduced IT expenditure by 25% annually and improved resource utilization avoided over-provisioning, further lowering costs

AWS services used:

Amazon EC2, AWS IAM, AWS WAF, Amazon S3, AWS CloudTrail, AWS GuardDuty, AWS KMS