Enabled a Leading Insurance Firm to Seamlessly Migrate a 500TB SQL Database to Azure with 18-Node Scalability & Zero Downtime

Client: Leading Insurance Company

Challenge: Migrating a 500TB Microsoft SQL Server Database to Azure SQL Database

The Problem

A top-tier insurance company relied on an on-premises 500TB Microsoft SQL Server database for mission-critical operations. As business demands grew, they sought to migrate to Azure SQL Database to achieve better scalability, high availability (18-node cluster with SQL Always On), and improved performance.

However, the migration posed several challenges:

  1. Data Migration Complexity:
     Handling terabytes of historical data increased migration time and risk.

  2. Downtime Sensitivity:
    The database was essential for daily operations, making extended downtime unacceptable.

  3. Performance Differences:
    Query execution varied between on-premises and Azure due to hardware differences.

  4. Incomplete Workload Data:
    Missing peak usage insights led to under-provisioning of cloud resources.

  5. SQL Always On Stability Issues:
    Unexpected failovers due to disk throughput bottlenecks.

Our Approach

To ensure a smooth transition, xDACS LLC followed a structured methodology:

  1. Requirement Analysis & Cloud Sizing:

    • Conducted workload analysis to determine database size, CPU, memory, IOPS, and throughput requirements.
    • Selected the right Azure SKU and storage type (Premium SSD v2 vs. Ultra Disk) based on disk-level IOPS and throughput.

  2. Compatibility Assessment & Migration Strategy:

    • Used Azure Migrate Assistant and Database Migration Assistant (DMA) to detect and resolve incompatibility issues.
    • Implemented a hybrid migration approach:

      • Offline Migration: Used Azure Data Box & ExpressRoute for bulk data transfer.
      • Online Migration: Leveraged Azure Database Migration Service (DMS) with continuous sync to minimize downtime.

  3. Performance Optimization:

    • Enabled Query Store to monitor and optimize SQL query performance post-migration.
    • Upgraded from SSD v2 to Ultra Disk to reduce latency and ensure SQL Always On stability.

The Impact

✅ Seamless Migration: The database transitioned to Azure with minimal downtime.

✅ Improved Performance: Optimized queries reduced response times and enhanced application efficiency.

✅ Enhanced High Availability: SQL Always On cluster maintained stability without unexpected failovers.

✅ Scalability & Cost Efficiency: The company now benefits from a fully scalable cloud database with predictable costs.

At xDACS LLC, we specialize in end-to-end cloud migrations that ensure security, scalability, and uninterrupted business operations.

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