3-Tier Web App modernization with Google Kubernetes Engine

With the anticipation of a peak sales season, the stakes were high. The client required a solution that would scale and meet demand flawlessly. The core team, already overstretched, was missing practical containerization experience, making the transition to Kubernetes risky. Modernizing the infrastructure to reduce costs without disrupting core business operations was the key ask the client sought to address by reaching out to Maven Solutions.

The client needed to modernize their infrastructure to support a cost-effective and scalable solution for high-volume online business and peak volume season.

There were a few challenges to be overcome:
1. Licensing and Infrastructure Costs
Following migration to Google Cloud Platform (GCP), unexpected costs appeared. Windows-based virtual machines (VMs) carried large licensing fees. Cloud-native scaling capabilities became financially unsustainable.
2. Low Kubernetes& Containerization Experience
Kubernetes (GKE) offered greater scalability and efficiency, but the core team lacked experience with containerized workloads. This made moving from traditional VMs to a container-based architecture required a challenge for deployments and apps optimized for applications for Kubernetes, and reworking development workflows.
3. Unreliable Scaling Options
The client's three-tier web application processed thousands of transactions per day. But its scaling logic was based on CPU utilization KPI, often leading to under-provisioning or over-provisioning.
4. Complex Workflows, Deployment Bottlenecks
Existing CI/CD pipeline required manual intervention at too many stages, resulting in longer development cycles, increased risk of human error, and deployment delays.
5. Downtime and Performance Degradation
With downtimes and performance issues directly affecting sales, legacy infrastructure could not reliably support rapid scaling, and any error introduced instability.

Therefore, the client sought a solution that would: