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Cloud & Infrastructure
Google Cloud Blog·May 20·5 min read
Urban Outfitters achieves major cost savings by moving Sterling OMS to AlloyDB for PostgreSQL
TL;DR
Urban Outfitters faced high costs and operational complexity with its 11TB Oracle database for order management. They migrated to AlloyDB for PostgreSQL, a cloud-native database solution.
✦ Why It Matters
Engineers can learn how migrating to cloud-native databases can reduce costs and improve scalability in large systems.
Key Takeaways
- Evaluate the cost benefits of migrating from proprietary databases to open-source solutions.
- Implement rigorous testing strategies during system migrations to minimize risks.
- Collaborate closely with technology partners for successful infrastructure upgrades.
- Utilize read replicas to enhance database performance and availability.
Full Summary
Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) upgraded its infrastructure by migrating its IBM Sterling Order Management System (Sterling OMS) from a costly 11TB Oracle database to Google Cloud's AlloyDB for PostgreSQL.
This move was driven by the need to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO), ensure business continuity, and embrace open standards. The migration involved close collaboration between URBN, IBM, and Google Cloud, focusing on meticulous planning and rigorous testing to ensure a seamless transition with minimal downtime.
Key enhancements included enterprise-grade reliability through read replicas and extensive performance tuning, which resulted in significant speed improvements. The successful migration not only lowered operational costs but also provided URBN with the flexibility of an open-source ecosystem, ensuring long-term technical agility and scalability.