SabreX

Enterprise IT solutions using IBM B2B and Red Hat OpenSource technologies

Case studies

Moving a large bank’s existing non-container based IBM Sterling App suite onto Azure Cloud with Red Hat Open Shift

Evaluation the design principles involved in running Red Hat OpenShift on the Microsoft Azure Cloud with IBM Sterling B2Bi and IBM Sterling File Gateway.

Client context

The client is one of the largest financial services group and one of the largest in the Nordic region, with over 1.7 million internet banking users, including approximately 76,000 corporate customers.

They offer a full range of financial services, including loans, savings, advisory services, insurance, and pension products for retail and corporate customers.​

Customer challenges

  • The bank’s large customer base requires a complex solution in processing files and identification of SSH/SSL connection details.
  • The platform is ‘critical infrastructure’ and therefore has high reliability / availability requirements. Any extended outage has high impact to the business, customers and could trigger regulatory investigation and / or fines. Maintaining the highest level of security is also essential in order for compliance within the financial arena.
  • As Microsoft Azure is a key technology provider, it was essential to integrate into the Microsoft Azure Cloud technology delivery processes already mapped out within the bank.

Solution

This was a 6 month project, with implementation and delivery lead by SABREX with further technical collaboration from Red Hat Norway.

The solution involved finding a technical approach to shift the bank’s existing non-container based IBM Sterling application suite onto the Microsoft Azure Cloud with Red Hat OpenShift. The SABREX consultants’ deep technical understanding of how IBM Sterling operates on-premises was essential in order for the bank to apply new container-based principles.

Value

Red Hat OpenShift provided the bank with the ability to scale on-demand and enable the self-healing of as little as 1 or as much as 101 containers running IBM Sterling integration software. Modernising their platforms to the latest technologies also offered access to new capabilities such as Auto Scaling and Self-Healing, and optimising their CICD pipelines. This enabled the bank to compete by providing flexibility and agility over the way they operate.

OpenSource solutions typically offer enterprises the equivalent or superior capabilities as other solutions yet are much more inexpensive. They also give enterprises the ability to start small and scale, making it a cost-effective solution.