Caylent Catalysts™
VMware to AWS Strategy
Reduce cloud cost and migration complexities when moving from VMware to AWS.
Leading B2B Payments Provider Streamlines Global Infrastructure and Eliminates M&A Induced Tech Sprawl with a Migration to AWS
Migrations
At a glance
Onyx CenterSource partnered with Caylent to execute a seamless, global migration of their data infrastructure from VMWare to AWS. This initiative consolidated previously fragmented systems into a unified, scalable cloud environment, significantly optimized cost management, enhanced disaster recovery (DR) capabilities, and improved operational scalability across global regions.
Solution Implemented
→ Designed and executed a migration for 160 virtual machines (VMs) and 196TB of data across data centers in the EU and the US.
→ Leveraged AWS native services, including Elastic Disaster Recovery (Elastic DR), AWS MGN and CloudFormation, for resilient and automated infrastructure deployment.
→ Enhanced disaster recovery (DR) by introducing robust, region-specific replication strategies, significantly reducing downtime risk.
→ Positioned infrastructure for modernization with a shift toward real-time, event-driven transactional processing.
Outcomes Expected
→ Projected cost savings of approximately 30% through improved FinOps and infrastructure optimization.
→ Eliminated immediate infrastructure sprawl through migration to AWS, setting the stage for database consolidation and modernization.
→ Improved operational scalability through automated infrastructure.
→ Enhanced DR capabilities with reduced latency and minimal downtime risks.
→ Streamlined operations by standardizing deployment practices and adopting best-in-class AWS practices.
→ Centralized global system observability through a unified monitoring platform on AWS
M&A Brings Growth and Technology Sprawl
Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) often create a perfect storm of technical complexity. Bringing together disparate technology stacks—legacy systems, incompatible platforms, and redundant tools—can lead to painful tech sprawl. Fragmented infrastructures hinder operational efficiency, increase costs, and limit innovation. However, organizations that proactively address these challenges can gain significant competitive advantage by accelerating innovation cycles and responding to market demands more rapidly.
Laying a Scalable Foundation for What’s Next
Onyx CenterSource, a global leader in B2B payments and business intelligence solutions for the hospitality industry, leveraged Caylent’s expertise to navigate these challenges. Following significant growth through M&A activity, Onyx CenterSource needed to unify its inherited tech stacks—disparate hybrid cloud environments built on VMware and a mix of database systems across multiple regions—to simplify management, eliminate duplicate workloads, and optimize resource usage.
Onyx recognized a need to migrate and consolidate their infrastructure. Beyond immediate practical needs, the migration aimed to strategically position the company for future growth initiatives which seeks to expand beyond their traditional markets into new segments. By modernizing their infrastructure, Onyx CenterSource wanted to create a flexible, scalable foundation to support diversification and accelerate expansion into these broader markets.
A Tailored Strategy for Migrating to AWS
Caylent executed a tailored AWS migration strategy that minimized operational disruptions, accelerated infrastructure consolidation, and implemented robust, region-specific disaster recovery capabilities.
The migration immediately enhanced infrastructure observability and resource management. Monitoring and security practices that were previously fragmented across regions—each requiring separate logins and network access—were unified under a centralized AWS environment with Okta-driven single sign-on (SSO), streamlining access and operational oversight. This consolidation significantly improved support efficiency, reduced operational complexity, and enabled faster response times to system issues.
Additionally, by adopting FinOps practices – such as dynamically scaling resources according to demand, implementing cost avoidance resource schedules, and performing rigorous cloud financial governance – the organization reduced infrastructure costs by approximately 30% compared to their previous infrastructure expenses.
The migration also significantly improved operational flexibility, empowering teams to cross-train, collaborate more effectively, and redeploy resources previously dedicated to legacy infrastructure. With a unified, scalable AWS infrastructure and optimized resource management, Onyx CenterSource is now well-equipped to proactively pursue new business opportunities and enhance service offerings to their global customer base.
Problem
Onyx CenterSource needed to consolidate fragmented tech stacks across three VMware-based data centers, stemming from acquisitions involving databases in Norway, Spain, and the United States. Forced by the closure of their US-based data center, Onyx aimed to transition approximately 160 VMs and 196TB of data to AWS. This migration aimed to unify Onyx CenterSource’s infrastructure, better manage operational costs, enhance disaster recovery, and create a scalable foundation to support future innovation.
“This migration was critical for Onyx CenterSource to achieve hyper-scalability and improve how we use our resources to deliver better service to our clients. Internally, the move to AWS empowers us to continue evolving our digital transformation and invest in developing additional products and services.”
Michael Brizendine
SVP of Technology & Chief Architect
“Coordinating a migration of this scope required precise planning. Caylent’s methodical approach enabled a seamless transition to AWS while strengthening system resilience, enhancing observability, and streamlining operations globally. We’ve created an environment that allows us to move faster, operate more efficiently, and deliver better outcomes for a growing global client base.”
Irving Padilla
Principal Cloud Infrastructure Architect & DevOps Manager
Solution
Migration Planning and Execution
Onyx CenterSource’s migration employed a hybrid approach—combining a lift-and-shift strategy for critical production systems with automated Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) practices. Caylent utilized AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) to efficiently migrate workloads from VMware-based environments to AWS. Infrastructure deployments were standardized and automated with AWS CloudFormation, enabling consistent, repeatable infrastructure builds across global regions.
The migration incorporated real-time monitoring and comprehensive resource tagging, enhancing Onyx’s capabilities for cost tracking, operational visibility, and long-term optimization.
Better Reliability Through Disaster Recovery Planning
A key component of the migration was enhancing Onyx CenterSource’s disaster recovery (DR) capabilities. Caylent designed a robust DR strategy that utilized region-specific replication and AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (Elastic DR) to meet stringent SLAs for uptime and reliability. This approach ensured:
- Minimal latency and downtime by leveraging geographically distributed AWS regions.
- Automation of recovery processes, reducing manual intervention and response times during outages.
- High availability and redundancy tailored to Onyx CenterSource’s diverse operational needs across regions.
The DR solution aligned with their business continuity goals, providing them with the reliability necessary to operate effectively in a competitive market.
Empowering Multi-Region Teams
Caylent’s migration success was underpinned by a highly collaborative approach, engaging Onyx CenterSource’s distributed teams across Norway, Spain, and the United States. Region-specific discovery workshops were conducted to identify unique workloads and address localized challenges, ensuring tailored solutions that aligned with both regional and global objectives.
Regular communication channels, including shared Slack workspaces, daily stand-ups, and joint sprint ceremonies, were established to maintain transparency and foster alignment. This seamless coordination between teams ensured that the migration adhered to Onyx CenterSource’s technical and business requirements while minimizing operational disruptions.
