Sanofi Pharma 

Case Study: Automation and Migration of Citrix Servers to Microsoft Azure for a Global Pharmaceutical Giant

Client Overview:

A leading global pharmaceutical company operating a large-scale Citrix server infrastructure across multiple regions.

Challenge:

The client managed over 20,000 Citrix servers globally, facing scalability limitations, performance inefficiencies, and high operational costs. Manual server management processes, including upgrades and resource allocation, were unsustainable for long-term operations.

Objective:

Automate and migrate the Citrix server infrastructure to Microsoft Azure, ensuring enhanced scalability, performance improvements, and reduced operating costs.

Solution:

QuantumHub executed a multi-phased migration and automation plan, focused on transitioning infrastructure to Azure while improving system operations through automation. Key elements included:

1. Azure Migration Strategy:

  • Developed a migration roadmap to move 20,000+ Citrix servers to Azure with minimal downtime.
  • Utilized Azure Migrate and custom automation scripts for workload assessment, data transfer, and infrastructure reconfiguration.

2. Automation Integration:

  • Automated key server management processes, including:
    • Performance monitoring with Azure Monitor and Application Insights.
    • Server upgrades and configuration management using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Terraform and Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates.

3. Performance Optimization:

  • Applied Azure’s auto-scaling capabilities to dynamically adjust server resources based on demand.
  • Implemented load balancing and workload distribution across regions.

4. Security and Compliance:

  • Hardened server configurations with Azure Security Center and conducted regular vulnerability assessments.
  • Ensured compliance with industry standards through Azure Policy and auditing tools.

Technologies Used:

  • Cloud Platform: Microsoft Azure
  • Automation Tools: Terraform, ARM Templates
  • Monitoring & Security: Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Azure Security Center
  • Performance Optimization: Azure Load Balancer, Auto-scaling Groups

Outcome:

  • 40% Reduction in Operational Costs: Leveraged Azure’s pay-as-you-go model and automation to streamline server management.
  • Enhanced Scalability: Enabled seamless scaling of resources across multiple regions.
  • Improved Performance: Reduced server response times and ensured high availability.
  • Operational Efficiency: Automated core tasks, allowing IT teams to focus on innovation and strategic projects.

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