On-Premises to Cloud Migration Case Study: QCL
How AJT Managed IT Services Smoothly Moved QCL from Ageing Onsite Servers to a More Secure Cloud Environment
Ageing servers and overcomplicated infrastructure are two of the most common reasons we move businesses to the cloud. Here’s how we helped QCL Ltd go from 14 virtual machines and 3 physical servers to a simpler, more secure cloud setup, with minimum business disruption.
It Services provided:
Company:
QCL, Forest Row
Industry:
Analytical technology
“Huge thanks to the AJT team for their efforts on our server data transfer. Things went as smoothly as possible and that reflects on the well-thought-out planning and technical expertise from everyone involved at AJT Managed IT Services”
Jamie Duncan, Managing Director, QCL
Our ongoing IT support partnership with QCL
The case study below follows on from our first outsourced IT support case study with QCL, where the transition to AJT Managed IT Services resulted in 15-minute response times, proactive fortnightly onsite maintenance visits and reduced IT costs.
The Challenge: Ageing onsite server infrastructure in need of an overhaul
QCL is a UK distributor of scientific equipment, supplying analytical testing products to scientists and businesses across a range of industries for more than 40 years.
As part of their ongoing managed IT support partnership, AJT carries out regular onsite visits to QCL’s Forest Row office to help create a detailed and up-to-date understanding of QCL’s systems and how the team uses them. This then means AJT can be a true partner to QCL and identify strategic improvements to their infrastructure that will benefit the business in both the short and long-term.
Soon into the partnership it became clear that QCL’s on-premises infrastructure, which consisted of 14 virtual machines and 3 physical servers, was not only aged but also more complex than the business needed.
The specific challenges the migration needed to address were:
An overcomplicated server environment
A large estate of virtual machines and physical servers had accumulated, creating unnecessarily overcomplicated infrastructure for the business.
Ageing hardware
The existing physical servers were old and due for a refresh, making this the right moment to move away from on-premises infrastructure rather than investing in replacements
Security exposure
A VPN service running on the on-premises firewall created an unnecessary point of vulnerability for QCL, and one which could be eliminated if the dependency on onsite servers and systems was removed.
Legacy system dependencies
Certain legacy systems needed to be retained on-premises, so the migration plan had to account for these practically.
Our solution: Comprehensive planning & coordination for rapid multi-site upgrades
AJT Managed IT Services planned and executed a full on-premises to cloud migration for QCL, moving files and workstations to Microsoft 365 while consolidating legacy systems onto minimal retained infrastructure. The move was carefully planned and completed out-of-hours to keep disruption to a minimum.
All file data was migrated from QCL’s on-premises file servers to Microsoft 365 SharePoint. The migration was staged during working hours and the final cutover completed out of hours to ensure a clean transition and minimised disruption.
Full workstation reprofiling to Entra ID and Microsoft 365
All workstations, including three remote engineer laptops, were reprofiled to point to Entra ID and Microsoft 365 rather than the old, on-premises infrastructure.
Server migration, consolidation and decommissioning
Following the migration, AJT consolidated and decommissioned the redundant virtual and physical infrastructure. Of the original 14 VMs and 3 physical servers, 12 VMs and 2 physical servers were eliminated. A single physical server was retained to support the 2 legacy virtual machines that were necessary for QCL to keep.
Network simplification and reduced attack surface
With a large amount of on-premises infrastructure no longer required, the AJT team was able to significantly simplify QCL’s network. The VPN service on the onsite firewall was no longer needed to give remote employees access and therefore could be decommissioned. This removed a meaningful point of vulnerability and reduced QCL’s overall security exposure.
Results: A simpler, easier to manage and more secure IT environment
Greater flexibility and accessibility for safer, more productive remote work
With files now in SharePoint and workstations pointing to Microsoft 365, QCL’s team can access what they need from anywhere without relying on onsite systems and VPNs.
Improved security posture
Decommissioning the VPN service significantly reduced QCL’s attack surface, putting the business in a stronger position against cyber threats.
Substantially reduced on-premises infrastructure
QCL went from a complex estate of 14 virtual machines and 3 physical servers down to a single retained server running just 2 legacy VMs. This reduction in hardware means significantly less to maintain, manage and monitor going forward.
Smooth transition with minimal disruption
Careful planning, staged migration and out-of-hours work meant the transfer had minimal impact on day-to-day operations. As QCL’s Managing Director Jamie Duncan noted: “I think things have gone as smoothly as they could today, which reflects on the AJT team’s planning.”
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