Cloud Migration & Modernization · Case study
Modernizing an on-premises ERP platform through a phased Azure migration.
Executive summary
An organization operating a business-critical ERP platform needed to reduce its dependency on traditional on-premises infrastructure without placing production continuity at unnecessary risk.
The engineering team used a phased migration approach: assess the estate, establish the Azure foundation, rehost suitable Windows workloads, migrate and validate data, prove the application in staging, and then execute a controlled production cutover.
Business challenge
The existing operating model depended on physical infrastructure, local power and cooling, hardware maintenance, and available on-premises capacity.
The migration needed to preserve the ERP application’s dependencies across Windows Server, IIS, SQL Server, identity, networking, DNS, and storage while supporting remote access and business-continuity requirements.
Production was not moved immediately. The delivery approach was deliberately phased to create evidence and reduce disruption before cutover.
Existing environment
Assessment & discovery
Target Azure architecture
The target Azure architecture was designed around security, recoverability, operational visibility, and room for future scale. Optional services were included only where approved for the workload.
Migration approach
Inventory the ERP estate and map application, database, network, identity, and storage dependencies.
Prepare resource organization, networking, security, storage, monitoring, and backup foundations.
Replicate or rehost suitable Windows Server workloads while maintaining application dependencies.
Assess compatibility, verify backups, migrate data, validate integrity, update connections, and validate performance.
Configure IIS, application services, DNS, TLS, dependencies, and network connectivity.
Complete application, database, user-acceptance, security, performance, backup, recovery, and applicable DR validation.
Complete final synchronization, database cutover, endpoint updates, application and user validation, monitoring, and hypercare.
Security & governance
Business continuity & recovery
Azure Backup and Recovery Services Vault simplified centralized backup management and recovery planning.
Azure Monitor and Log Analytics improved operational visibility across the migrated environment.
Azure Site Recovery was considered where approved and implemented; no unverified recovery-time or recovery-point claims are published.
The target model reduced reliance on individual on-premises hardware, while documented procedures and validation remained essential to dependable recovery.
Outcomes
Technology stack
Lessons learned
A relevant priority?