eCommerce | Oracle Database@Google Cloud Consulting Services

eCommerce company optimizes performance and saves on licensing costs with Pythian’s Oracle Database@Google Cloud consulting service

Pythian initially helped this eCommerce company migrate their Oracle ATG eCommerce platform and Oracle Database 19c from Rackspace to Google Cloud Bare Metal Solution (BMS), ensuring performance stability during peak seasons. Pythian then conducted extensive work on a planned migration from Oracle to PostgreSQL to support the customer's effort to efficiently prepare for global expansion. Pythian transitioned their Oracle Database from BMS to Google Compute Engine (GCE) virtual machines, improving flexibility and allowing for the removal of Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC), which resulted in significant licensing cost savings (hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings). Our ongoing engagement with this customer showcases Pythian's expertise in database migrations, performance optimization, and strategic cloud guidance—and positions the eCommerce company for future scalability and cost efficiency.

Pythian migrated this eCommerce company's Oracle platform and database to Google Cloud, optimizing performance, saving on Oracle licensing, and enabling future scalability.
$200K+

In savings by optimizing licensing

By eliminating the need for specific licenses, this eCommerce company saves multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars in unnecessary costs, which they are now able to reinvest into greater innovations that will allow them to realize their business goals and gain a greater competitive advantage.

200

Customer countries worldwide enjoy an improved user experience

With streamlined operations and an enhanced cloud strategy, the company is now able to provide a more reliable, streamlined, and scalable experience for its customers.

Customer

Customer

Industry

eCommerce

Location

California, United States

Solution

Oracle Database@Google Cloud Consulting Services

Platform

Oracle Database and Google Cloud
  

Overview

Pythian initially partnered with this eCommerce company to migrate their Oracle ATG eCommerce platform and Oracle Database 19c from Rackspace to Google Cloud Bare Metal Solution (BMS) in 2022. This critical first phase focused on migration efficiency while stabilizing performance during peak online sales seasons. Pythian also undertook extensive development for a planned migration from Oracle to a new PostgreSQL-based solution, aiming to support the eCommerce company's preparation for their planned global expansion and to reduce Oracle licensing costs. This PostgreSQL migration, including the significant discovery and backend transformation work completed, positioned the customer with a viable future option.

Subsequently, Pythian further optimized their cloud infrastructure by transitioning their Oracle database from BMS to Google Compute Engine (GCE) virtual machines. This move enhanced flexibility, enabled instant provisioning, and allowed for the removal of Oracle RAC, resulting in substantial savings on Oracle licensing fees and operational complexity. Pythian's expertise in navigating complex database migrations, optimizing performance, and providing strategic cloud guidance ultimately enhanced the customer’s ability to scale and be cost efficient when doing so.

  

The challenge

eCommerce company looks to enhance the data stability and optimize their approach to platform licensing

The eCommerce company initially faced a critical challenge with their eCommerce store, which relied on the Oracle ATG platform and an Oracle Database 19c running in Rackspace. Their primary goal was to migrate these production workloads to Google Cloud BMS, driven by their interest in Google's delivery model and a desire to exit Rackspace. Ahead of this migration, the customer also needed to stabilize their Oracle Database 19c RAC environment to ensure it could handle the anticipated surge in online sales during their peak season, including major commerce holidays.

A significant hurdle was their internal capacity and technical skillset. Their teams lacked the necessary expertise to plan and execute the complex migration from Oracle to Google Cloud BMS. This led them to seek external database consultants with extensive experience in both Oracle and Google technologies, ultimately leading them to partner with Pythian, a company with a significant roster of Oracle ACEs and a Google Cloud Premier Partner.

Beyond the technical migration, the customer faced critical business challenges related to their existing infrastructure and Oracle licensing. They were keen to avoid renewing their data center lease with Rackspace and sought to consolidate their operations on Google Cloud. Furthermore, the eCommerce company was looking to optimize their Oracle licensing fees and be proactive about ensuring best practice as it relates to requirements around platform licensing. This proactive approach to licensing, combined with their ambition to expand into new geographies like Europe, the Middle East, and APAC, made them consider migrating from Oracle to a new PostgreSQL-based solution to reduce future licensing costs and simplify expansion.

Hindered infrastructure

The customer's eCommerce store relied on the Oracle ATG platform and an Oracle Database 19c running in Rackspace, which they wanted to move away from so they could scale more confidently.

Strained resources

Their teams lacked the necessary resources and time to plan and execute a complex migration from Oracle to Google Cloud BMS.

High infrastructure costs

The customer was keen to avoid renewing their data center lease with Rackspace and sought to consolidate operations on Google Cloud to reduce costs.

Oracle licensing optimization

The eCommerce company aimed to optimize their Oracle licensing fees and proactively ensure best practices, but needed a database consultant with platform expertise to provide guidance.

  

The solution

Pythian supports eCommerce company in achieving enhanced operations and improved agility through Google Cloud

Pythian's solution for the eCommerce company began with optimizing their Oracle Database 19c RAC environment in Rackspace to handle peak season demands. This initial phase involved a comprehensive technical assessment and performance health check. Following this, Pythian strategically planned and deployed the migration of the customer's Oracle ATG eCommerce platform and database to Google Cloud Bare Metal Solution. The focus during this critical migration was to ensure stability, minimize downtime, and set the stage for the customer's future cloud strategy.

Beyond the initial migration, Pythian conducted extensive work on a planned move from Oracle to a new PostgreSQL-based solution. This initiative aimed to support the eCommerce company's aspirations for global expansion into new geographies like Europe, the Middle East, and APAC, by reducing reliance on Oracle licensing. Pythian’s groundwork for this PostgreSQL solution, including the in-depth discovery work and backend transformation initiatives, provided the customer with a well-developed, future-ready option that can be activated in a streamlined manner as the need arises.

Finally, Pythian further optimized the customer's cloud infrastructure by migrating their Oracle Database from Google Cloud BMS to Google Compute Engine (GCE) virtual machines. This advanced step provided the eCommerce company with greater flexibility, instant provisioning capabilities, and allowed for the elimination of Oracle Real Application Clusters. The "de-RACification" resulted in substantial savings on Oracle licensing costs, in the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, and simplified operations. This comprehensive, multi-phased approach showcased Pythian's ability to deliver end-to-end database migration, performance optimization, and strategic cost-saving solutions, ultimately positioning the customer for enhanced operations and greater in-market agility.

Optimized Oracle Database 19c RAC environment

Pythian enhanced the customer's Oracle Database to manage peak season demands effectively.

Migrated to Google Cloud Bare Metal Solution

We strategically moved their Oracle ATG eCommerce platform and database to Google Cloud, focusing on stability and minimal downtime.

Established groundwork for PostgreSQL solution

Pythian conducted extensive discovery and backend transformation to support their future global expansion and reduce Oracle licensing costs.

Further optimized cloud infrastructure

We migrated the eCommerce company's Oracle Database from Google Cloud BMS to Google Compute Engine (GCE) virtual machines, eliminating Oracle RAC and achieving significant cost savings.

  

Technologies used

  • Oracle ATG eCommerce Platform
  • Oracle Database 19c in Real Application Clusters (RAC)
  • Google Cloud Bare Metal Solution (BMS)
  • Google Compute Engine (GCE)
  • PostgreSQL
  • Google Cloud VMware
  • Rackspace
  

Key outcomes

eCommerce company future-proofs their operations and establishes an agile position with Pythian’s database consultants

Pythian's engagement with this eCommerce company yielded several significant business outcomes, primarily centered on enhanced cloud infrastructure, cost savings, and strategic positioning for future growth. We successfully migrated their Oracle eCommerce platform and database from Rackspace to Google Cloud BMS, which addressed their need to exit Rackspace and consolidate operations on Google Cloud. This ensured stability and optimal performance, particularly during crucial peak sales seasons. Making this strategic move facilitated a smoother operational environment and paved the way for further cloud optimization.

A key achievement was the substantial reduction in Oracle licensing costs and increased operational flexibility.

Pythian later transitioned the eCommerce company's Oracle Database from BMS to Google Compute Engine (GCE) virtual machines, which is more aligned with cloud principles. By eliminating Oracle Real Application Clusters, the customer accomplished an estimated savings in the hundreds of thousands of dollars (annually) on Oracle licensing fees, along with simplified database operations. The move to GCE also provided the customer with instant provisioning capabilities and greater agility in managing their database resources.

In addition to the above, Pythian's extensive work on a planned solution relying on PostgreSQL, represents a significant investment in the eCommerce company's future scalability and cost efficiency. This project, which involved substantial backend transformation and data migration, positioned the customer with a viable alternative to Oracle, placing them in an advantageous position for global expansion into new geographies like Europe, the Middle East, and APAC (should they choose to make that move in the future). This foresight in developing a comprehensive migration path demonstrates Pythian's commitment to providing strategic guidance that empowers the customer with choices for long-term growth and reduced dependency on expensive proprietary database solutions.

Cloud infrastructure transformation

Established enhanced performance, cost-efficiency, and scalability through strategic cloud infrastructure changes.

Oracle migration and optimization

Successfully migrated Oracle eCommerce and database to Google Cloud BMS, then optimized the database on GCE virtual machines.

Cost savings and flexibility

Achieved annual Oracle licensing cost reductions in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, coupled with increased operational flexibility and simplified database management.

Future-ready strategy

Positioned for global expansion, reduced proprietary database dependency, and sustainable growth through a planned solution using PostgreSQL, aligning with an open-source strategy.

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