Application Migration and Modernization for a Reputed Supermarket Chain in Sri Lanka
The Keells Supermarkets retail chain owned by Jaykay Marketing Services (Pvt) Ltd. (JMSL), currently operates more than 100 supermarket outlets islandwide. To support retail operations, JMSL was running backend processes using multiple APIs, web applications, and scheduled jobs; all through one centralized database. The Central Database itself was a Microsoft SQL Server with 18 sub-databases.
In the present context, JMSL faced two major challenges. The hardware supporting the business’s data center was nearing the end of its useful lifespan, and maintaining on-premise functionality was no longer viable. Secondly, if a total system migration was to be performed, JMSL only had an 8-hour window to complete it. The dilemma required an expert approach based on extensive planning and seamless execution.
The solution proposed by JKIT was ‘migration with modernization’, which held more incremental value than the simple ‘lift and shift’ model. As the first step, all databases were moved from the expiring hardware to another private datacentre using an incremental backup restore. Migration of applications came next, where items dependant on virtual machines were shifted using Azure Site Recovery. Simultaneously, all and any scheduled jobs were loaded on to virtual machines or converted to Azure Functions. Thereafter, the migration of the database to Azure was initiated using a dedicated bandwidth pipe via Data Migration Services (DMS). The process although disrupted several times due to bandwidth limitations, was successfully completed by adopting an alternative approach of linking the incremental backups to the DMS through a virtual machine.
The migration to Azure SQL Managed Instance offered the operational benefit of automatically configuring, patching, and upgrading database software, thus enabling JMSL to save on administration costs. With the entire system now running on Azure, it became possible to couple SQL Managed Instance to Azure Synapse Data Lake for reporting, thus reducing the data load on the SQL engine. In addition, the many built-in backup capabilities allowed JMSL to make significant savings on premium disk usage, especially considering the large number of databases in use. The benefits of flexibility, automation, and data stability realized through the Microsoft Azure integration, became key drivers for improved business competitiveness and profit growth.
