Challenge
Tecnic was battling a two-front technical crisis that threatened their digital operations:
Security and resource management issues
- Frequent DDoS attacks and security breaches compromised their online platform.
- Inadequate database management systems struggled to handle traffic fluctuations.
- Unpredictable resource capacity planning left them vulnerable during attacks.
- Unsecured network architecture created multiple vulnerability points.
Infrastructure and operational inefficiencies
- An outdated OpenStack Kubernetes environment that fell below industry standards.
- Absence of proper CI/CD pipelines slowed development and deployment cycles.
- Lack of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices made system management manual and error-prone.
- Inefficient cloud configuration resulted in poor cost optimization.
The combined effect threatened Tecnic’s market leadership position and created unsustainable operational costs at a time when digital excellence had become non-negotiable in the driver education industry.
Tecnic was battling a two-front technical crisis that threatened their digital operations:
Security and resource management issues
- Frequent DDoS attacks and security breaches compromised their online platform.
- Inadequate database management systems struggled to handle traffic fluctuations.
- Unpredictable resource capacity planning left them vulnerable during attacks.
- Unsecured network architecture created multiple vulnerability points.
Infrastructure and operational inefficiencies
- An outdated OpenStack Kubernetes environment that fell below industry standards.
- Absence of proper CI/CD pipelines slowed development and deployment cycles.
- Lack of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices made system management manual and error-prone.
- Inefficient cloud configuration resulted in poor cost optimization.
The combined effect threatened Tecnic’s market leadership position and created unsustainable operational costs at a time when digital excellence had become non-negotiable in the driver education industry.
Solution
Dedicatted’s solution leveraged a modern GitOps and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) approach to transform Tecnic’s digital environment. This operational framework applied DevOps best practices typically used for application development—version control, collaboration, compliance, and CI/CD—to infrastructure automation, creating a cohesive and streamlined technical ecosystem.
After careful assessment, the Dedicatted team recommended migrating from the problematic OpenStack environment to AWS EKS for Kubernetes management and AWS RDS for database services.
The implementation followed a comprehensive infrastructure modernization strategy:
- Infrastructure Management
All infrastructure was defined and managed through Terraform using the IaC approach, with code stored in GitHub and state managed by Terraform Enterprise. - Secret Management
Sensitive information was migrated to AWS Parameter Store and retrieved using External Secret Operator, enhancing security practices. - Domain Management
External DNS was implemented to automate domain provisioning into Route 53, simplifying DNS management. - High Availability
A dual-layer scaling solution was deployed combining Karpenter for cluster-level scaling and Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA) for application-level scaling. - CI/CD Pipeline
A modern delivery pipeline was established using GitHub Actions for continuous integration and ArgoCD for continuous deployment, creating a true GitOps workflow.
Dedicatted’s solution leveraged a modern GitOps and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) approach to transform Tecnic’s digital environment. This operational framework applied DevOps best practices typically used for application development—version control, collaboration, compliance, and CI/CD—to infrastructure automation, creating a cohesive and streamlined technical ecosystem.
After careful assessment, the Dedicatted team recommended migrating from the problematic OpenStack environment to AWS EKS for Kubernetes management and AWS RDS for database services.
The implementation followed a comprehensive infrastructure modernization strategy:
- Infrastructure Management
All infrastructure was defined and managed through Terraform using the IaC approach, with code stored in GitHub and state managed by Terraform Enterprise. - Secret Management
Sensitive information was migrated to AWS Parameter Store and retrieved using External Secret Operator, enhancing security practices. - Domain Management
External DNS was implemented to automate domain provisioning into Route 53, simplifying DNS management. - High Availability
A dual-layer scaling solution was deployed combining Karpenter for cluster-level scaling and Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA) for application-level scaling. - CI/CD Pipeline
A modern delivery pipeline was established using GitHub Actions for continuous integration and ArgoCD for continuous deployment, creating a true GitOps workflow.
Results
The migration to AWS EKS and implementation of the GitOps approach delivered meaningful, quantifiable improvements for Tecnic:
Significant Cost Reduction
Migration from the outdated OpenStack environment to a properly configured AWS infrastructure resulted in substantial monthly cloud expenditure savings.
Decreased Operational Overhead
Manual operations required to manage and maintain infrastructure and applications were reduced by approximately 70%, freeing IT staff to focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine maintenance.
Business Impact
The solution transformed Tecnic’s digital operations in several critical areas:
- Increased Automation
The adoption of GitOps principles eliminated numerous manual interventions, creating a streamlined deployment process that reduced human error and accelerated delivery timelines. - Improved Security & Compliance
Centralized secret management through AWS Parameter Store and version-controlled infrastructure significantly enhanced Tecnic’s security posture, effectively addressing their vulnerability to DDoS attacks. - Optimized Resource Utilization
The combination of Karpenter and Horizontal Pod Autoscaler ensured efficient scaling that automatically adjusted to traffic patterns, reducing costs while maintaining optimal performance during peak registration periods. - Faster Deployments
The CI/CD pipeline built with GitHub Actions and ArgoCD enabled rapid and reliable deployments, minimizing errors and reducing deployment time from days to hours. - Enhanced Reliability
Automated infrastructure and application scaling dramatically improved uptime and system resilience, ensuring Tecnic’s website remained available even during periods of unexpected traffic surges.
Long-term Benefits
Beyond the immediate improvements, the solution continues to deliver ongoing value:
- Increased Platform Availability
The new architecture maintains 99.9% uptime, ensuring prospective students can access registration and information services reliably. - Sustainable Cost Savings
The optimized infrastructure continues to provide predictable, reduced monthly cloud expenditures without compromising performance. - Reduced Operational Burden
With minimal human involvement required for infrastructure management, Tecnic’s IT team can focus on business innovation rather than infrastructure maintenance.
The migration to AWS EKS and implementation of the GitOps approach delivered meaningful, quantifiable improvements for Tecnic:
Significant Cost Reduction
Migration from the outdated OpenStack environment to a properly configured AWS infrastructure resulted in substantial monthly cloud expenditure savings.
Decreased Operational Overhead
Manual operations required to manage and maintain infrastructure and applications were reduced by approximately 70%, freeing IT staff to focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine maintenance.
Business Impact
The solution transformed Tecnic’s digital operations in several critical areas:
- Increased Automation
The adoption of GitOps principles eliminated numerous manual interventions, creating a streamlined deployment process that reduced human error and accelerated delivery timelines. - Improved Security & Compliance
Centralized secret management through AWS Parameter Store and version-controlled infrastructure significantly enhanced Tecnic’s security posture, effectively addressing their vulnerability to DDoS attacks. - Optimized Resource Utilization
The combination of Karpenter and Horizontal Pod Autoscaler ensured efficient scaling that automatically adjusted to traffic patterns, reducing costs while maintaining optimal performance during peak registration periods. - Faster Deployments
The CI/CD pipeline built with GitHub Actions and ArgoCD enabled rapid and reliable deployments, minimizing errors and reducing deployment time from days to hours. - Enhanced Reliability
Automated infrastructure and application scaling dramatically improved uptime and system resilience, ensuring Tecnic’s website remained available even during periods of unexpected traffic surges.
Long-term Benefits
Beyond the immediate improvements, the solution continues to deliver ongoing value:
- Increased Platform Availability
The new architecture maintains 99.9% uptime, ensuring prospective students can access registration and information services reliably. - Sustainable Cost Savings
The optimized infrastructure continues to provide predictable, reduced monthly cloud expenditures without compromising performance. - Reduced Operational Burden
With minimal human involvement required for infrastructure management, Tecnic’s IT team can focus on business innovation rather than infrastructure maintenance.
