The NBOME historically operated its applications and database infrastructure within a privately managed data center. While this infrastructure served the NBOME for years, the growth of the organization required an updated and more robust platform. Over the year leading up to the project, the NBOME saw growing demand on its platform, along with an opportunity to strengthen security, availability, and overall performance to support a consistently reliable experience. With this in mind, the NBOME made the strategic decision to migrate to Amazon Web Services (AWS), collaborating with Sierra-Cedar to design and execute the transition.
Sierra-Cedar designed and implemented a cloud-hosted environment on AWS built around Amazon RDS for Oracle, replacing the NBOME’s on-premises Oracle SE2 database while preserving the existing Oracle APEX application layer. The environment was architected to provide high availability, automated backups, point-in-time recovery, and scalable compute resources to address NBOME’s peak load challenges.
Key Project Highlights:
- Reduced Operational Risk — By leveraging AWS RDS managed services, NBOME broadened database administration coverage beyond a single in-house DBA and strengthened operational continuity through staffing transitions
- Improved Platform Stability — The migration enhanced security, availability, and performance by addressing recurring on-premises constraints, delivering a more consistent experience for students and credentialing partners
- Scalability for Peak Events — The AWS environment provides the ability to scale resources to meet demand during high-concurrency events such as score release periods, reducing the risk of performance degradation when it matters most
- Enhanced Security Posture — Cloud-native security controls, automated patching, and infrastructure managed by AWS replaced the manual, resource-intensive security practices of the legacy data center
- Future-Ready Integration Platform — The NBOME is now positioned on a flexible cloud foundation that supports both existing and future integrations with the medical and credentialing ecosystem