Legacy to Cloud: Real-Time Synchronization for Seamless Operations

A major financial services provider in the UAE specializing in money transfer, currency exchange, and payroll operations, partnered with Systech to modernize its transaction systems. The organization began a phased migration from a legacy platform to a modern cloud-based environment, with the goal of maintaining uninterrupted service across its branch network. 

As the migration progressed, both the legacy and cloud systems needed to operate side by side for an extended period. However, the lack of real-time data synchronization between the two environments led to inconsistent customer information, operational delays at branches, and a decline in service experience. These issues were further amplified by the performance and scalability limitations in the legacy Oracle environment, which struggled to reliably support the growing transaction volumes. 

To address these issues, Systech designed and implemented a real-time, bi-directional synchronization solution that kept the legacy and cloud systems continuously aligned. This approach enabled both platforms to operate in parallel without disruption, ensured consistent data across branches, and supported a smooth, phased migration with minimal impact on day-to-day operations. 

 Business Needs 

During the migration from Oracle 11g to AWS SQL Server, the organization needed a solution to support phased migration, improve performance, and ensure uninterrupted operations. 

• Enable Seamless Coexistence: Allow legacy and cloud systems to run in parallel without operational conflicts. 

• Ensure Data Consistency: Maintain consistent customer information across systems. 

• Improve Operational Efficiency: Ensure smooth branch operations while both systems run in parallel. 

• Address Legacy Limitations: Improve Oracle 11g performance to support daily operations. 

• Stabilize Customer Experience: Eliminate service delays and data issues causing customer attrition. 

• Reduce Business Risk: Move from batch-based sync to real-time data synchronization. 

 Challenges 

The migration posed several operational and technical challenges that needed to be addressed to ensure reliable system performance, accurate data synchronization, and smooth branch operations. 

• Legacy System Limitations: Oracle 11g was slow and could not handle additional transaction load. 

• Technology Limitations: Commercial CDC products were too expensive, and open-source options were restricted by financial-sector policies. 

• Real-Time Synchronization Needs: Internal batch-based APIs could not support the required low-latency, bi-directional data sync. 

• Phased Migration Complexity: Migration was happening branch-by-branch and module-by-module, requiring both systems to coexist. 

• Data Integrity and Reliability: Ensure accurate, conflict-free, and consistent data across all systems. 

Solution 

Systech implemented a custom, license-free solution to enable real-time, two-way synchronization between Oracle 11g and AWS SQL Server. This approach ensured data integrity, supported a phased migration, and allowed both systems to run in parallel without disruption 

• Real-Time Change Awareness: Instant visibility into updates without disrupting branch operations. 

• Seamless Parallel Operations: Both systems run together with consistent, reliable data during migration. 

• Legacy System Protection: Reduced load on the legacy platform, improving stability during the transition period. 

• Operational Visibility and Control: Clear insight into data movement for faster issue detection and resolution. 

Impact 

• Zero Downtime – Both legacy and new systems ran seamlessly together, keeping all branches operational. 

• Reduced Customer Attrition – Improved branch operations and data reliability, preventing further customer loss. 

• Improved System Performance – Increased efficiency and reduced dependence on the legacy Oracle platform. 

• Zero License Cost – Eliminated expensive commercial CDC tools by implementing a custom, license-free solution. 

Systech’s custom, license-free solution ensured real-time synchronization, stabilized customer experience, and improved system performance, creating a strong foundation for future growth. 

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