Case Study
Cloud-native architecture enables HR provider and staffing firm to scale globally
OUR CLIENT
The client, the world’s second-largest human resources provider and temporary staffing firm, helps businesses adapt to workforce demands and individuals find meaningful job opportunities. Its services span recruitment, talent management, and training.
THE CHALLENGE
IT architecture hampered global scalability
UST’s client was preparing to expand into 20 countries, and the cost of hosting applications was a major concern. Existing applications relied on a PostgreSQL database with a tightly coupled single-tier architecture that could not automatically adjust to demand fluctuations, leading to downtimes or resource overutilization during peak periods. The rigid hardware configuration and lack of scalability did not allow for easy modifications or upgrades. The IT team struggled to integrate the application seamlessly with third-party products, further limiting the client's ability to enhance functionality and adapt to market demands. Separate databases for each country and region within a country complicated data management, creating silos that hindered efficient reporting and analysis. The lack of single sign-on (SSO) functionality prevented the client from efficiently managing user authentication and authorization across a centralized user data store. The fragmented IT approach, lack of dynamic scaling of the hosting environment, and manual data consolidation from multiple sources made it difficult for company leaders to gain a holistic view of business operations.
THE SOLUTION
Cloud-native architecture, an autoscaling engine, and federated authentication
UST designed and delivered a Microsoft Azure-based cloud-native architecture solution to provide the client with scalability and flexibility to expand operations seamlessly across 20 additional countries while significantly reducing hardware and operational costs. The integration of a rule-based auto-scaling engine and federated authentication ensured optimal performance during demand fluctuations while secure centralized user management enabled a highly efficient and scalable infrastructure. The solution streamlined integration with third-party products while providing secure data management through Azure’s built-in capabilities.
An application was developed using ASP.NET/C# with MS SQL Server as the backend database to enable the overall solution. The application was built using the .NET 4.0 framework and the ASP.NET MVC architecture, making the system more modular and easier to maintain. By hosting the application in the cloud and leveraging SQL Azure for database management, the client achieved greater flexibility, scalability, and cost efficiency to support its expanding operations.
The implementation of the Microsoft Unity framework helped assemble loose components and made it easier to modify or add new functionality. We utilized various Azure services, providing more efficient storage management and asynchronous data processing. A rule-based auto-scaling engine dynamically managed cloud instances, ensuring that the application could automatically scale up or down based on demand to reduce costs during low-usage periods and prevent downtime during high-traffic moments.
UST addressed the authentication challenges by implementing federated access with Windows Identity Foundation, allowing for secure, centralized SSO functionality across different regions and user bases.
THE IMPACT
New cloud architecture ensures scalability, cost management, and international expansion
UST’s cloud transformation laid the foundation for the client’s growth and improved operational efficiency by delivering these benefits:
- Scalable cloud architecture—that reduces infrastructure limitations and minimizes the need for expensive on-premise hardware and maintenance costs
- Cloud-based services—providing dynamic scaling that automatically adjusts resources to meet fluctuating demand, ensuring optimal performance during peak usage times and reducing unnecessary costs during low-usage periods
- Accelerated installation processes—using Azure’s pre-built services that reduce overall development timelines, improving agility and allowing the client to implement new features and capabilities faster
- Ease of maintenance—from modularity and the loose coupling of system components that streamline system updates and new functionality releases
- Improved data management—since integrated databases give the client a holistic view of operations across geographies
To learn more about our cloud transformation services, click here.
RESOURCES
https://www.ust.com/en/our-partners/microsoft/azure-expertise