Client Situation

The client, a digital services provider, faced challenges with outdated deployment processes, fragmented infrastructure, and security vulnerabilities. Their existing IT operations relied on manual deployments and inconsistent configurations across environments, leading to inefficiencies and operational risks.

Challenges

  • Manual Deployments & Downtime: Frequent application releases caused system disruptions and required extensive manual intervention.
  • Inconsistent Environments: Differences between non-production and production environments led to unreliable testing and deployment failures.
  • Security Gaps: The client’s infrastructure had limited automation for security patching, increasing exposure to vulnerabilities.
  • Disaster Recovery Risks: Backup and disaster recovery strategies were insufficiently structured, posing risks to business continuity.

What They Needed

To modernise their applications and infrastructure, the client sought:

  • Automated deployment pipelines to eliminate downtime and minimise some errors.  
  • Standardized infrastructure ensures consistency between development, test, and production environments.
  • Security enhancements including automated patching and risk mitigation measures.
  • A comprehensive backup and disaster recovery strategy leveraging AWS services.
  • Knowledge transfer and documentation to empower their internal teams for long-term sustainability.

What We Did

System Standardization & Deployment Modernization

  • Implemented blue/green deployment strategies to enable seamless updates without service interruptions.
  • Automated deployment pipelines using AWS CodePipeline, CodeBuild and CloudFormation to streamline release processes.
  • Standardized infrastructure configurations across environments using AWS CloudFormation.

Security Enhancements & System Upgrades

  • Integrated Patch Management for automated security patching into the code pipelines, reducing vulnerabilities and operational overhead.
  • Upgraded system software components that are installed outside the package management system to the latest patched versions.

Disaster Recovery & Operational Transition

  • Established a dedicated AWS backup and disaster recovery account with automated backup policies, monthly audits, and enforced access controls.
  • Designed and tested comprehensive disaster recovery plans, ensuring operational resilience and minimised downtime.

Documentation & Training

  • Created an extensive deployment and operations guide, detailing release management, security procedures, and incident response protocols.
  • Conducted training sessions for both technical and non-technical teams to ensure seamless adoption of the new AWS-driven infrastructure.

Outcomes & Benefits

  • Zero-downtime deployments: The blue/green strategy eliminated service disruptions during application releases.
  • Reduction in manual deployment errors: Automating the release process reduced human-induced failures.
  • Enhanced security posture: Continuous patching and compliance monitoring improved security resilience.
  • Improved disaster recovery readiness: Automated backups and recovery strategies reduced recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs) significantly.

Conclusion

By leveraging AWS environment optimisation best practices, PolarSeven successfully transformed the client’s deployment processes, security posture, and disaster recovery capabilities. The project not only enhanced operational efficiency but also positioned the client for future scalability and innovation in the cloud.

Contact us

Phone: 1300 659 575
Email: hello@polarseven.com
Address: Level 2/13/15 Wentworth Ave, Sydney NSW 2000
Website: www.polarseven.com