Kingston & Sutton were looking to move their entire data centre to the cloud, and that included modernising their End-User Computing (EUC) setup. Cloud-bridge partnered with them to transition from on-premise Citrix deployments to a secure and scalable cloud solution on AWS.
The challenge
Kingston & Sutton's on-premise Citrix faced limitations in scalability, reliability, and cost-efficiency. Additionally, managing an entire data center was resource-intensive and lacked agility. Enter cloud-bridge, swooping in to help them switch from those old-school Citrix setups to a slick cloud solution on AWS. But that wasn't all—this move was just the beginning of a bigger plan to shift their entire data center to the cloud.
Kingston & Sutton were grappling with these old Citrix systems that were a pain to scale up, prone to hiccups, and were burning a hole in their pockets. Plus, managing a whole data center was like juggling flaming torches—they needed something more flexible and less of a resource hog.
The Solution
So, Cloud Bridge stepped up with a game plan and approached with a multi-phased strategy.
Phase 1: Data-Driven Assessment and Cloud Infrastructure Build
- Data Acquisition: Cloud Bridge employed a data-driven approach to gather information about Kingston & Sutton's servers. This included leveraging automated tools and manual analysis to understand server workloads, resource utilisation, and application dependencies.
- Cloud Infrastructure Design: Based on the collected data, Cloud Bridge designed a secure and scalable core infrastructure within the AWS cloud. This infrastructure was built to handle their current workload and any extras they threw at it in the future.
Phase 2: EUC Migration and Optimisation
- Hybrid Cloud EUC Strategy: Cloud Bridge assessed user needs and application requirements, recommending a hybrid cloud approach utilising both AWS AppStream 2.0 and Amazon WorkSpaces. This optimised costs while ensuring optimal performance for diverse user workloads.
- Enhanced Security: A robust security architecture was implemented on AWS, meeting strict compliance requirements. They built a fortress around Kingston & Sutton's data, with encryption, access controls, and fancy authentication protocols to keep everything locked down tight.
- Performance and Scalability: AWS's inherent scalability ensured the EUC environment could adapt to changing user demands. Automatic scaling capabilities eliminated manual provisioning, allowing for a responsive and efficient system.
- Disaster Recovery: A comprehensive disaster recovery plan was established, utilising built-in AWS functionalities to ensure business continuity in case things went sideways.
The Benefits
Kingston & Sutton's cloud-based EUC environment delivered significant benefits:
- Increased Reliability: AWS's robust infrastructure provides a highly reliable platform, minimising downtime and smooth sailing for all their users.
- Improved Performance: The inherent scalability of AWS optimises application performance and responsiveness, leading to a more productive user experience.
- Enhanced Security: Cloud Bridge’s security architecture safeguards sensitive data and user privacy, meeting Kingston & Sutton's compliance needs and then some.
- Cost Optimisation: The pay-as-you-go model of AWS significantly reduces upfront capital expenditure and allows for optimisation based on actual usage.
- Foundation for Data Center Migration: The successfully migrated EUC environment served as a model for the migration of additional workloads from the data centre. Talk about laying the groundwork.
Thanks to Cloud Bridge, Kingston & Sutton got themselves a setup that's safe, flexible, and won't break the bank—a perfect example of how data-driven smarts and a bit of tech wizardry can make big things happen in the cloud.
This case study exemplifies Cloud Bridge’s expertise in leveraging data-driven approaches and a suite of technologies to deliver successful cloud migration projects.