Navigating the Cloudscape: My Journey Migrating a Covid-19 Testing Result System to a Multi-Cloud Environment

Introduction

When the Covid-19 pandemic swept the globe, every industry was forced to adapt rapidly. Hotels were no exception, with guest safety becoming the utmost priority. COVID-19 testing quickly became a part of standard operating procedures, necessitating a reliable, scalable, and secure system to manage testing results and certificates. Facing the limitations of an on-premises setup, I took on the challenge of migrating this crucial application to a multi-cloud environment.

The Challenge

Initially, the system ran on in-house servers. However, growing demand and the need for improved scalability and resilience called for a migration to the cloud. The task ahead involved harnessing different strengths from multiple cloud providers while ensuring uninterrupted service and data integrity.

Why Multi-Cloud?

Why not just stick to a single cloud provider? The rationale lies in exploiting the strengths of Google Cloud Platform’s Kubernetes orchestration and AWS’s reliable storage solutions.

Architecture

Google Cloud Platform (GCP):

— Google Container Registry
— Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) within a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)
— Google Cloud SQL

Amazon Web Services (AWS):

— S3 buckets for storing Covid certificates

The Migration Strategy

Terraform: My Tool of Choice

For orchestrating this migration, I chose Terraform. As a Cloud Specialist, I found Terraform indispensable for managing infrastructure as code, crucial for establishing a multi-cloud setup.

Google Cloud Setup

1. Google Container Registry: Used for storing Docker images, this enabled seamless Kubernetes deployments.
2. Google Kubernetes Engine: Located within a VPC for additional security measures.
3. Google Cloud SQL: Handpicked for database needs due to its smooth integration capabilities with GKE.

AWS Setup

- S3 Buckets: I used AWS S3 to store the COVID certificates, which I then linked to the web application running on Google Cloud containers.

Bridging the Two Clouds

I secured the connection between the application on Google Cloud and the AWS S3 storage using role-based access control and IAM policies, ensuring that only authorised containers could access the S3 buckets.

Lessons Learned

Scalability

Scalability was a significant benefit, invaluable during the unpredictable swings of the pandemic.

Cost-Efficiency

Selecting specific services from the cloud provider that offered the most cost-effective solutions was a win for the budget.

Data Integrity

Maintaining data integrity across a multi-cloud setup was challenging but achieved through careful planning and execution.

Security

Since I was dealing with sensitive health data, security couldn’t be compromised. Both Google Cloud and AWS offer robust security features, which I meticulously configured.

Conclusion

The migration turned out to be a massive success. The hotel now boasts a COVID-19 testing Result System that is as scalable and resilient as it is secure. Although multi-cloud architectures can be complex, they offer unparalleled flexibility and scalability when executed meticulously.

So, if you find yourself wrestling with a cloud-based challenge, remember the cloud is your oyster!

Feel free to leave your thoughts, experiences, or questions about multi-cloud projects in the comments below. Happy cloud navigating!