AmazonWebServicesApplicationsAutomationGOVDCQualityEngineeringSeleniumSerenityTesting
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, staying ahead means embracing change. That’s exactly what UNSW realized when confronted with the need to adapt and innovate in the face of evolving technological demands.
Recognizing the transformative potential of cloud computing, the university made a strategic decision to transition its data, applications, and infrastructure from Gov DC to the AWS platform.
This pivotal move wasn’t merely about keeping up; it was about leading the charge towards a more agile and efficient future. By embracing AWS’s flexible and scalable pricing model, UNSW sought to achieve significant cost savings and enhance the delivery of services across its diverse faculties and departments.
But undertaking the migration of 500 applications posed a myriad of challenges for UNSW and Planit alike. Chief among these hurdles was the sheer scale and diversity of the applications themselves. Spanning across various faculties and administrative units, each application had its own unique intricacies, dependencies, and data requirements. The university’s lack of resources further made the task more challenging.
Moreover, the stakes were high. With the core operations of the university relying heavily on these applications, any disruption or downtime could have far-reaching consequences. Student enrolment, faculty research, administrative workflows—all hinged on the smooth functioning of these systems. The risk of data loss, downtime, or compromised performance loomed large.
Transition UNSW's data, applications, and infrastructure from Gov DC to the AWS platform.
Migration of 500 applications
Planit’s robust test governance, resource augmentation, and quality engineering service delivered unparalleled benefits to UNSW, guaranteeing optimal performance and reliability in the new AWS environment.
First, we demonstrated our understanding of UNSW’s needs by translating requirements into JIRA tasks and creating detailed test plans for each wave and sprint. We considered the number and complexity of applications that needed to be migrated and chose relevant technologies and tools based on UNSW’s existing tech stack that could meet the project needs.
Our experts in test governance then developed standardized processes for testing migrated services, applications, and integrations. This proved especially effective in managing a large volume of applications, as it allowed us to implement a staged, risk-minimized approach.
Delivery was broken down into waves and sprints starting with small simple applications and progressing to more complex applications.
We crafted detailed Test Approach and Discovery documents for each application, ensuring effective status reporting and project management. These comprehensive guides enabled test resources to seamlessly assume control of the migration process whenever the assigned resource was unavailable or engaged in other responsibilities. This ensured continuity and minimized disruptions. We also overcame hurdles such as resource availability by establishing backup contacts to take over testing tasks if needed, managed technical issues by collaborating with UNSW, and addressed third-party dependencies seamlessly.
In addition, our delivery model included resource augmentation and targeted training. In these coaching sessions, we trained different faculties on what they needed to do to verify their applications and use them safely. This further empowered UNSW staff to navigate the migration process with confidence and competence.
We also focused on infrastructure testing and automation using tools including Selenium and Serenity. These helped us in identifying and addressing potential technical and data issues early in the process. By doing this, we not only mitigated immediate risks but established a streamlined testing infrastructure that UNSW could leverage for ongoing improvements.
To ensure we were on the right track, we maintained clear communication with UNSW through daily status updates and comprehensive Test Summary Reports for each stage of the project.
By establishing a repeatable and efficient testing framework, we enabled UNSW to independently manage similar migrations successfully in the future, ensuring long-term operational efficiency and resilience.
The impact of our contributions was profound. Standardized testing approaches for each migration wave enhanced efficiency and ensured consistency across applications. Quality improvements in drop-in sessions underscored Planit’s commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction.
Post-migration, business operations resumed seamlessly with no material production issues reported, despite the migration involving over 500 applications across multiple faculties. UNSW was highly impressed with our performance, professionalism, and commitment to ensuring all project goals were met and expectations were exceeded.
“You have shown amazing dedication to maintaining the quality of testing and reached out to all the resources to meet that.” – UNSW
Download the full case study to learn why Planit was chosen as the trusted quality partner, and how we went over and beyond to meet the organisation’s goals.
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