CASE STUDY
Safe Software
Empowered migration through building a hybrid cloud and using automation
Who is Safe Software?
Data transformation technology for GIS professionals.
Safe Software Inc. is a global leader in data transformation technology that helps GIS professionals and organizations master their data interoperability challenges. Their FME product is used by thousands of customers in more than 116 countries in a variety of industries. Ranging from small businesses to top international organizations, Safe Software’s customers use FME to unleash the power of their data so people can use it where, when, and how they want.
Industry
Information Technology
Challenge
Developing a hybrid cloud environment with a robust network infrastructure and tools for implementing security policies
Services & Tech
Cloud Infrastructure, Amazon VPC, AWS CloudFormation
Extending the server room: On-prem vs the Cloud
Given the demand on the infrastructure side to satisfy the growing needs of all teams, Safe Software’s IT has been busy over the years ramping up their server room to provision all of the servers the organization required. However, the desire for building better software is hard to satisfy in a company that strives for perfection and getting the the server room to keep pace recently has highlighted the challenges of scalability.
Going Hybrid the Right Way
Safe Software had already been using AWS for some of their testing and demo needs and their FME product now has a SaaS offering available, so it was a no brainer for the executive team to choose AWS as their strategic platform for future IT growth. Safe Software essentially wanted to implement a hybrid cloud that they would maintain in the next little while but wanted to do it right from the start, by following best practices and implementing the right network infrastructure and security policies and building tools for enforcing those policies.
Goals
Implement a hybrid cloud to enable a properly paced migration in the future
Solution
Develop an adaptable hybrid cloud network with automation
Outcome
Successfully built a hybrid network & Implemented a solution that can withstand constant changes
“Onica is very adept at what they do which is guiding companies to take advantage of the AWS Cloud infrastructure. They took all of the many services in AWS and said this is how they fit together to help your business. I would definitely recommend Onica to anyone who is trying to move to the cloud.”
John Lee
Manager, Tech Ops & Infrastructure
AWS and Partner Solutions
After spending enough time with AWS and learning about the different services available to them, Safe realized that the AWS eco-system is complex and vast enough that they would benefit from engaging with someone who knows how to implement the best practices they were seeking for and lay the ground foundation for them to extend their network into AWS. As the largest and most experienced AWS partner in Canada, Onica had been an easy choice for the company that has proven to be very fruitful for them.
Besides laying the groundwork for securing the AWS environment by implementing the right processes and policies for access management and network security, Onica had approached the problem of building the hybrid network with the goal to implement a solution that can withstand constant changes and provide value to multiple departments in the organization, not just IT.
Using the Amazon VPC service, Onica and Safe Software first designed a network architecture that supported the transparent security already in place and enabled deployment of various pieces that require different levels of security, including public access for the mobile workforce and isolated access through VPN for systems that need extra protection. As a next step, Onica implemented a set of CloudFormation templates that componentized the network architecture and some of the core infrastructure services and enabled IT to deploy the entire network with a click of a button. This not only enables Safe Software to handle disaster recovery or expand in a different AWS region in the future, but it empowers IT to create sandbox environments for testing changes before they’re rolled into production. Finally, they used CloudFormation to enable Safe Software to confidently roll changes to the firewall security or routing without worrying about human error or the ability to rollback if doing that manually through the AWS console.
This lead to Safe Software adopting CloudFormation and other AWS deployment management services as their preferred way for rolling infrastructure out into the AWS environment. By doing that they’re treating the new environment with the same approach they take when building their products as the environment is now a code that can be versioned, built, deployed and tested before it goes into production.
OUTCOMES
Results/Benefits
Onica not only implemented a hybrid cloud environment that extends the server room into the cloud, but by working closely with Safe Software’s IT team, they empowered them in taking proper control over the AWS environment and gave them tools to manage the environment efficiently and with confidence.
“We view Onica as our software technology partner. Onica is helping to develop our software technology and mobile products that are used by people all over the world. Six months into the partnership and we’re increasingly satisfied!”
John Lee
Manager, Tech Ops & Infrastructure
WHY US
Why Onica
Onica is one of the largest and fastest-growing Amazon Web Services (AWS) Premier Consulting Partners in the world, helping companies enable, operate, and innovate in the cloud. From migration strategy to operational excellence and immersive transformation, Onica is a full spectrum AWS integrator. Learn more at www.onica.com.
