Migration of Kubernetes Workloads from GCP to AWS
Successfully migrated a complex Kubernetes infrastructure from Google Cloud Platform to AWS, improving performance and reducing costs.
The Challenge
The client was experiencing performance issues and rising costs with their Kubernetes workloads on GCP. They needed a seamless migration to AWS without disrupting their 24/7 services or losing data integrity. The migration involved multiple microservices, stateful applications, and complex networking configurations.
The Solution
I designed a comprehensive migration strategy that involved creating a parallel infrastructure on AWS using Terraform for infrastructure as code. I implemented a multi-phase migration approach with thorough testing at each stage. Using Velero for backup and restore, I ensured data consistency across environments. I also redesigned the networking architecture to take advantage of AWS-specific features like VPC and security groups.
Results & Impact
- Achieved zero downtime during the migration process
- Reduced infrastructure costs by 20% through optimized AWS resource utilization
- Improved application performance with 30% faster response times
- Enhanced security posture with AWS-native security controls
- Implemented automated disaster recovery procedures with cross-region replication
Technical Implementation
The migration process involved several key technical components:
- Infrastructure as Code: Used Terraform to define the entire AWS infrastructure, including EKS clusters, node groups, VPC, subnets, and security groups.
- State Management: Implemented Velero to back up Kubernetes resources and persistent volumes from GCP and restore them on AWS.
- Networking: Redesigned the network architecture to leverage AWS VPC features, including private subnets for worker nodes and public subnets for load balancers.
- CI/CD Pipeline: Updated CI/CD pipelines to deploy to both environments during the transition phase, then fully migrated to AWS-specific configurations.
- Monitoring and Logging: Set up CloudWatch for monitoring and logging, with custom dashboards to track cluster and application performance.