The mainframe as a benchmark

The benchmark for such KPIs was set by mainframe. “The truth that the brand new atmosphere delivers comparable efficiency to the outdated one is essential for inner buyer buy-in,” says Schell. The brand new options had been examined, adjusted and expanded in a number of iterations.

The IT workforce additionally checked the scalability of the brand new platform. “We’ve got to have the ability to migrate extra portfolios and win new clients,” provides Schell. “So we additionally examined whether or not extra volumes may very well be processed.” Utilizing development simulations IT examined whether or not the system would stay useful even with main launch adjustments or upcoming migrations.

“For instance, we measured the utilization of the web channels, used the instances with probably the most entry as a benchmark, and checked whether or not the brand new system additionally labored reliably with a thousand extra simulated clerks,” says Pongratz.

Batch processes had been additionally checked on this approach, for instance, in regard to peak masses in seasonal enterprise. The KPIs for this had been the DB2 accesses per second, which had been simulated within the Linux database, and measurements had been taken each day of the month to cowl all situations.

In parallel, the goal working mannequin of the brand new atmosphere was launched. Allianz IT arrange groups of consultants in Germany, India, and Hungary to function the brand new ABS.

The new section

Round 4 months earlier than the scheduled date for the migration, the workforce stopped additional improvement of the merchandise. The variations developed so far had been ready for the changeover and solely adjusted with particular person fixes. On this foundation, the continual operation simulation began in the previous few weeks earlier than the deadline.

On this section, for instance, the idea for database reorganization, together with backups throughout the nightly relaxation intervals, was revised. “It didn’t go as shortly as deliberate,” Pongratz says. “So we needed to regulate it eight weeks earlier than going dwell.”

The migration itself was intentionally scheduled for the Easter weekend of 2022. The whole stock from the mainframe needed to be transformed, technically checked, cleaned up, and migrated to Linux. “We had 4 days to unravel any issues,” he says. “In the long run, it took 48 hours to switch the entire knowledge set.” 

In an effort to be ready for issues, logistics and communication additionally needed to be ready. “For absolutely the worst-case situation, the place all of our pre-implemented safeguards fail, we ready to roll again to the outdated system,” says Pongratz. Schell provides: “We had 1,000 workers in use to check in all areas, together with businesses and brokers.” As well as, the German banking supervisory authority Bafin was knowledgeable.

Effort and ROI

The core mission workforce consisted of round 500 workers whereas round 3,000 individuals labored at instances in numerous phases, and the price range was a low, three-figure million euro quantity. Bearing that in thoughts, the mission plan is for it to pay for itself after three to 4 years. “We’ve been working the platform for a 12 months now and may see precisely the way it compares to the mainframe prices,” says Schell. “We save a double-digit million quantity in operation.”

In accordance with the CTO, belief in enterprise was achieved by measuring all related transactions of a person from a division earlier than and after. “Within the take a look at earlier than going dwell, we confirmed that the brand new processes are high-performing within the desired areas,” says Schell. And after a short while, each transaction on the brand new platform was demonstrably sooner than it has been on the mainframe.

In accordance with Pongratz, the trendy structure and entry to the most recent instruments drive the modern energy of the corporate. Sources can now be used extra dynamically and allotted extra simply. And builders not have to attend for batch jobs.

The mission additionally contributes to the overarching IT technique as Schell desires to consolidate functions exterior of ABS and swap off legacy techniques. “It’s the preliminary stage for cloudification of the atmosphere,” he says. “We’ve achieved very secure operations and are actually contemplating whether or not and the way we are going to migrate them to the cloud.” However the frequent cloud hyperscalers would first should develop appropriate options that map the efficiency necessities of the system.

Assessing the challenges

Apart from the technical facet, managing the human component was additionally an enormous problem. Within the mainframe world, Allianz had constructed up loads of utility know-how that might stay important for the brand new goal platform, so this data needed to be preserved.

The prevailing workforce was supplemented by consultants, and colleagues from the “outdated world” obtained additional coaching with a purpose to take them and their experience alongside into the Linux atmosphere. However there was concern amongst workers who had labored on the mainframe for many years. 

“Change administration was an enormous subject,” says Schell. “In case you don’t handle it properly, it will probably torpedo a mission.”  

Due to this fact, the workforce was concerned within the mission early on. “We managed to get the entire group dedicated to at least one purpose and make it clear that each particular person will likely be essential for the brand new world,” says Pongratz. The colleagues had been educated in programs or along with inner and exterior consultants.

Within the mission phases, there was additionally a little bit of a crunch. “You must watch out to not copy the mainframe on Linux,” Pongratz says. Sure mechanisms must be transferred to the brand new world, however they labored in another way there. It was subsequently essential, for instance in high quality assurance, to verify whether or not the functions had been constructed Linux-native with a view to the cloud and never in line with legacy ideas.

As well as, executives corresponding to division and workforce leaders had been made chargeable for sub-projects. And in totality, the mission affected everybody at Allianz in Germany as a result of everybody works with ABS, which is a system with 300 interfaces. “They labored in line with the motto, ‘You construct it, you run it,’” says Pongratz. “It’s in your individual curiosity to take your workers with you.”