Case study · IT services · AWS
Neerja Software Moved Three Laravel Apps from On-Premises to Amazon ECS on Fargate
Neerja Software Private Limited, an IT services provider, migrated a Laravel application and its MySQL database from an on-premises environment to the AWS cloud.
Its on-premises setup struggled at peak traffic, was costly to maintain and relied on manual deployments that often caused errors.
- 70% less deployment time
- About 30% lower operational costs
- 25% better user retention
Results at a glance
70%
Less deployment time, with CI/CD pipelines replacing manual releases
~30%
Lower operational costs from serverless containers on AWS Fargate
40%
Faster average response times during high-demand periods
25%
Higher user retention within three months of the migration
The Challenge
Neerja Software Private Limited's on-premises infrastructure had significant problems. The client wanted a modern, scalable and secure platform for its Laravel applications and MySQL database.
Scalability
It struggled with growing traffic and could not scale dynamically at peak times.
High maintenance costs
Managing and maintaining the on-premises servers was costly and resource-intensive.
Limited reliability
The infrastructure lacked high availability and fault tolerance, which risked downtime.
Inconsistent deployments
Manual deployment often caused errors and delayed updates.
Security
Without modern security measures, the applications were exposed to potential threats.
The Solution
HabileLabs proposed an AWS solution built around Amazon ECS with AWS Fargate. Its key components:
Amazon ECS with Fargate
Migrated three Laravel applications (Greenfinch-Legal, Greenfinch and Greenfinch-Banker) to ECS Fargate, with separate dev and prod services for isolated, controlled testing.
Containerization with Docker
Containerized the Laravel applications with Docker, pushed the images to Amazon Elastic Container Registry (ECR) and deployed the latest tagged images to ECS Fargate.
Infrastructure as Code
AWS CloudFormation templates provision the infrastructure automatically, including ECS clusters, subnets, security groups and load balancers.
Networking and Load Balancing
A dedicated VPC with private and public subnets, an Application Load Balancer (ALB) that keeps the applications highly available, and auto-scaling for traffic spikes.
Database Migration
Migrated the MySQL database to Amazon RDS, a managed database service, for greater reliability.
Security
AWS WAF protects the applications from web threats. IAM roles, security groups and private networking secure the infrastructure.
Automation with CodePipeline
AWS CodePipeline automates build and deployment, with stages that build Docker images and deploy them to the ECS services.
Domain Management
Created a hosted zone in Amazon Route 53 and updated the domain's nameservers for DNS resolution.
Solution Architecture
Operational Improvements
The solution changed how Neerja Software Private Limited operates.
Scalability
The ECS Fargate architecture scales the applications automatically with traffic, eliminating downtime at peak usage.
Lower costs
With serverless Fargate, the client pays only for the resources it consumes, significantly reducing operating expenses. Automated deployments cut manual labor and its associated costs.
Reliability
ECS and RDS provide high availability and fault tolerance, minimizing downtime and improving the user experience.
Faster deployments
Automated CI/CD pipelines make deployments faster and error-free, so new features and updates roll out sooner.
Security
AWS WAF, IAM roles and VPC-based networking reduce security risks and protect sensitive application data.
Business Impact
40%
Scalability
The ECS-based architecture scales dynamically to handle peak traffic. Average response times improved by 40% during high-demand periods.
~30%
Cost Optimization
AWS Fargate's serverless container management saved approximately 30% in operational costs, because infrastructure no longer had to be provisioned and managed manually.
25%
User Satisfaction
Faster media uploads, image resizing and AI-driven captions increased engagement and satisfaction. User retention improved by 25% within the first three months after the migration to ECS.
Deployment Efficiency
The CI/CD pipeline cut deployment time from hours to minutes, speeding up feature rollouts and reducing downtime.
Security
AWS Secrets Manager and secure VPC settings addressed key security concerns and protect user data.
Global Availability
The load balancer and ECS provide low-latency access for users worldwide, improving the application's reach and performance.
Return on Investment (ROI)
30%
Cost Savings
Infrastructure maintenance costs fell by 30% compared with the on-premises systems. Auto-scaling optimized resource use and reduced the cost of idle resources.
50%
Increased Productivity
Automated deployment reduced manual effort by 50%, so the team can focus on innovation rather than maintenance.
70%
Faster Time to Market
CI/CD pipelines reduced deployment time by 70%, so application updates are delivered sooner.
25%
Improved User Experience
Better availability and responsiveness led to a 25% increase in user satisfaction and retention.
40%
Scalability for Growth
The new architecture can handle a 40% increase in traffic without additional infrastructure investment.
Conclusion
Planning something similar?
HabileLabs moved Neerja Software Private Limited's legacy infrastructure to a scalable, cost-effective cloud architecture on Amazon ECS with AWS Fargate. The solution addressed the client's immediate challenges and positions it for future growth, with significant return on investment.