After evaluating multiple AWS migration service providers, OPENLANE selected Sierra-Cedar, an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, due to its expertise in PeopleSoft applications, flexible engagement model, and experience with IaC tools. The partnership was further supported by AWS’s Migration Acceleration Program (MAP), which provided valuable financial assistance by covering approximately 30% of the migration costs.

Key Project Highlights:

• Improved Operations Automation: Adopting IaC tools enabled OPENLANE to establish a more consistent method for applying changes, such as patches and updates. While full automation of tasks like environment refreshes is still in progress, the move towards IaC has already contributed to reducing manual effort and improving system stability.
• Accelerated Migration to Cloud-Native: Sierra-Cedar’s expertise supported a swift migration to AWS cloud-native services. Custom accelerators addressed specific application and operational needs, while SRE team collaboration and application team training facilitated a smooth transition.
• Cost Savings: OPENLANE anticipates a 50% reduction in costs compared to its VMware VMC expenses, supported by AWS’s funding programs that provide resources for exploring additional services.
• Improved Governance and Security: The transition to AWS cloud-native services, supported by IaC, has laid the foundation for enhancing governance and security at OPENLANE. Although the segregation of duties between the Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team and application teams is still being refined, efforts to clearly delineate responsibilities are underway to create a more controlled and secure operational environment.