Case Study

Azure Environment Consolidation for an Insurance Company

 

Client Name: Confidential 

Project Budget: Confidential 

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Client Background

Our client, a leading insurance company, recently acquired several smaller insurance firms, each with its own Azure environment. The challenge was to merge these disparate environments into a unified, large-scale Azure ecosystem under a single Azure Active Directory (AAD) "Microsoft Entra ID". The goal was to create a cohesive and secure cloud infrastructure that adheres to the latest Microsoft recommendations and best practices.

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The Challenge

The primary challenge was to consolidate multiple Azure environments into a single, cohesive infrastructure. This involved merging Azure tenants, redesigning subscriptions and management groups, and ensuring compliance with Azure policies and security standards. The project also required the implementation of advanced security measures, central monitoring systems, and an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) platform to streamline resource management.

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Our Solution

CSP Gurus provided a comprehensive solution to unify and enhance the client’s Azure infrastructure. Our approach included the following key steps:

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• Azure Environment Consolidation

  • Tenant Reassessment and Realignment: We started by reassessing each acquired company’s Azure environment and realigning them into a single Azure Active Directory (AAD) tenant. This included migrating user accounts, groups, and roles to ensure a seamless transition.

  • Redesigning Subscriptions and Management Groups: We redesigned the subscription hierarchy and management groups to reflect the new organizational structure. This ensured efficient resource management and governance across the entire organization.

• Building a New CAF Landing Zone

  • CAF Implementation: We implemented a new Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) landing zone that adhered to the latest Microsoft recommendations. This provided a robust foundation for the unified Azure environment.

  • Massive Networking Architecture: A comprehensive networking architecture was designed, including Hub-and-Spoke topology, to ensure secure and efficient communication between different segments of the infrastructure.

• Advanced Governance and Compliance

  • Azure Policies and Compliance: We assessed and implemented Azure policies to ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements. This included setting up policy models for production and non-production environments.

  • Security Center Integration: Azure Security Center was configured to provide continuous security assessments and threat protection across the entire environment.

• Security Best Practices and Monitoring

  • Security Guardrails: Advanced security guardrails were implemented, including network security groups (NSGs), role-based access control (RBAC), and encryption standards to protect sensitive data.

  • Central Monitoring Systems: Centralized monitoring and logging solutions were deployed using Azure Monitor and Log Analytics to provide real-time insights and alerts for proactive management.

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Platform

  • Azure DevOps and Power Automate: We utilized Azure DevOps and Power Automate to create workflows and pipelines for deploying and managing infrastructure as code.

  • Terraform Integration: Terraform was used to build and manage Azure resources, ensuring consistency and scalability. A central portal was developed where users could submit requests for new Azure resources, which were then provisioned automatically using predefined templates and workflows.

 

Results and Benefits

• Unified Azure Environment: The successful consolidation of multiple Azure environments into a single, cohesive infrastructure improved operational efficiency and management.

• Enhanced Security and Compliance: The implementation of advanced security measures and compliance policies ensured a secure and compliant cloud environment.

• Operational Efficiency: The use of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and automated workflows streamlined resource management and deployment, reducing manual effort and errors.

• Scalability and Flexibility: The new Azure environment provided the scalability needed to handle growing workloads and the flexibility to adapt to future business needs.

 

Client Testimonial

"Partnering with CSP Gurus for our Azure consolidation project has been transformative. Their expertise in Azure and comprehensive approach to governance, security, and automation have ensured a smooth transition and unified our IT infrastructure. The advanced capabilities implemented have significantly improved our operational efficiency and security posture." – CTO, Leading Insurance Company