Maintenance Scheduling Module Completes Cloud One - Virtual Private Cloud Migration

  • Published
  • By 1Lt Jacob Ruehl

MAXWELL AFB-GUNTER ANNEX, AL -- Integrated Maintenance Data System Maintenance Scheduling Module (IMDS MSM) completed its cutover into Cloud One Production (C1P) on December 2, 2022. The primary concern from MSM’s stakeholders was whether MSM would encounter stability issues that hit IMDS Central Database (CDB) when that program migrated into C1P. However, MSM completed the cutover and allowed users to fully rejoin the program in C1P on December 3 with no dips in performance. As of December 20, 2022, MSM has received no reports from users related to poor program performance.

MSM’s migration was a test of the Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) migration process, which has the potential to be implemented across Business and Enterprise Systems (BES). This VPC migration breaks down the traditional barriers of a normal Cloud migration where two similar programs each have their own separate subscriptions set up. In a VPC migration, one program moves into another’s subscription, but has its own environments carved out. This has the potential to save programs funding by combining subscriptions and simplifying file transfer between them.

Using MSM as an example, MSM has its own development zone in C1 Dev, separate from IMDS CDB. However, its production environment is in IMDS’s VPC. The MSM team did not have to set up its own subscription to achieve this, but instead requested additional users be added to IMDS CDB’s subscription. Once inside, the MSM team carved out their own production environment within IMDS CDB’s resources and began working. MSM’s production environment in no way impacts IMDS CDB, but the file transfer between the two programs is shorter and simpler.

This breakthrough in methodology did come with the risk of schedule slip, which the MSM team faced throughout the migration. However, applying lessons learned, the VPC migration has the potential to simplify Cloud migrations, decreasing the time needed to migrate into the Cloud. Currently, the team is gathering lessons learned across every stage of the migration to Cloud One Production. Once refined, the MSM Capability Delivery Team will share its learnings across BES for other programs that are looking to migrate in this way.