Challenge
Our client, BeautyMatter, is a media and insights platform that delivers thought-provoking content, strategic analysis, and original reporting for professionals in the global beauty industry. Since its founding in 2016, BeautyMatter has grown into a trusted source for brand builders, marketers, investors, and innovators shaping the future of beauty.
As the platform’s reach and readership continued to grow, the client began facing limitations with the way their website was hosted and managed. Frequent performance issues and technical constraints started affecting site stability and scalability.
This led the team to explore a more reliable and sustainable solution for managing their website infrastructure. With a migration already planned, BeautyMatter approached us to carry out the transition with minimal disruption and future scalability in focus.
Challenges:
The migration process involved several infrastructure-level challenges that needed to be addressed thoughtfully.
Complexities Due to Large Database
A key issue within the database was its overall size, which had grown to around 25 GB. A significant portion was filled with outdated data that was no longer necessary. This excess data added complexity during migration, especially when aligning performance expectations with the new environment.
Scalability Limitations Due to Local File Storage
Prior to migration, images and files were stored directly within the application’s source code directory. As the volume of uploaded media grew, this setup became harder to manage and created performance risks. It also made backups and environment replication more cumbersome, especially during deployment or scaling activities.
Our client, BeautyMatter, is a media and insights platform that delivers thought-provoking content, strategic analysis, and original reporting for professionals in the global beauty industry. Since its founding in 2016, BeautyMatter has grown into a trusted source for brand builders, marketers, investors, and innovators shaping the future of beauty.
As the platform’s reach and readership continued to grow, the client began facing limitations with the way their website was hosted and managed. Frequent performance issues and technical constraints started affecting site stability and scalability.
This led the team to explore a more reliable and sustainable solution for managing their website infrastructure. With a migration already planned, BeautyMatter approached us to carry out the transition with minimal disruption and future scalability in focus.
Challenges:
The migration process involved several infrastructure-level challenges that needed to be addressed thoughtfully.
Complexities Due to Large Database
A key issue within the database was its overall size, which had grown to around 25 GB. A significant portion was filled with outdated data that was no longer necessary. This excess data added complexity during migration, especially when aligning performance expectations with the new environment.
Scalability Limitations Due to Local File Storage
Prior to migration, images and files were stored directly within the application’s source code directory. As the volume of uploaded media grew, this setup became harder to manage and created performance risks. It also made backups and environment replication more cumbersome, especially during deployment or scaling activities.
Solution
To address the challenges, Closeloop planned and executed a phased migration strategy, which was carried out across five key phases:
Assessment and Planning
We began with a detailed review of the existing environment. This included identifying all assets, from databases and file systems to third-party integrations, and evaluating risks related to data loss, downtime, and system compatibility. A lift-and-shift migration strategy was selected, with rollback planning included to minimize disruption.
Design and Development
A new AWS architecture was designed using EC2 and RDS for scalability and reliability. Security best practices were implemented through IAM roles, SSL encryption, and firewall configurations. File structures and database schemas were mapped to ensure a clean transfer from the legacy environment.
Testing and Validation
Before the final go-live, we conducted multiple rounds of unit, integration, and performance testing. This included load tests, data integrity checks, and full system validation to confirm that the AWS environment mirrored production functionality without issues.
Deployment and Training
Deployment was carried out in stages, starting with a staging environment, followed by a production launch timed during low-traffic hours. We also trained internal teams on AWS monitoring tools, backup protocols, and environment management best practices.
Post-Deployment Support
Once live, the team implemented ongoing support with real-time monitoring via AWS CloudWatch, database tuning, and performance optimization. Feedback was collected to guide future improvements and make better use of AWS-native capabilities.
To address the challenges, Closeloop planned and executed a phased migration strategy, which was carried out across five key phases:
Assessment and Planning
We began with a detailed review of the existing environment. This included identifying all assets, from databases and file systems to third-party integrations, and evaluating risks related to data loss, downtime, and system compatibility. A lift-and-shift migration strategy was selected, with rollback planning included to minimize disruption.
Design and Development
A new AWS architecture was designed using EC2 and RDS for scalability and reliability. Security best practices were implemented through IAM roles, SSL encryption, and firewall configurations. File structures and database schemas were mapped to ensure a clean transfer from the legacy environment.
Testing and Validation
Before the final go-live, we conducted multiple rounds of unit, integration, and performance testing. This included load tests, data integrity checks, and full system validation to confirm that the AWS environment mirrored production functionality without issues.
Deployment and Training
Deployment was carried out in stages, starting with a staging environment, followed by a production launch timed during low-traffic hours. We also trained internal teams on AWS monitoring tools, backup protocols, and environment management best practices.
Post-Deployment Support
Once live, the team implemented ongoing support with real-time monitoring via AWS CloudWatch, database tuning, and performance optimization. Feedback was collected to guide future improvements and make better use of AWS-native capabilities.
Results
Closeloop successfully migrated BeautyMatter’s website to AWS without major service disruptions or data loss. Key outcomes included:
- Stabilized performance and faster load times due to improved hosting architecture
- Reduced server load by truncating the large database during migration
- Seamless transition to cloud-based file storage using Amazon S3 for scalability
- Full control and visibility over hosting infrastructure, with simplified maintenance
- A scalable, secure, and future-ready environment that aligns with BeautyMatter’s growth goals
Closeloop successfully migrated BeautyMatter’s website to AWS without major service disruptions or data loss. Key outcomes included:
- Stabilized performance and faster load times due to improved hosting architecture
- Reduced server load by truncating the large database during migration
- Seamless transition to cloud-based file storage using Amazon S3 for scalability
- Full control and visibility over hosting infrastructure, with simplified maintenance
- A scalable, secure, and future-ready environment that aligns with BeautyMatter’s growth goals