New GCP Environment

Case Study OKO.press

Facing challenges related to IT infrastructure is a key element of strategic development for any organization. For OKO.press, a leading media platform, the priority has become efficiency in cost management, streamlining operational processes, and full engineering support in maintaining and managing the environment. The decision to migrate systems to the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) not only enabled better control over the infrastructure but also laid the groundwork for further optimization of operational activities.

Google Cloud Results

• The migration to the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) enabled the construction of a secure cloud infrastructure and efficient optimization of CI/CD processes.
• Launching applications in the Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) environment facilitated resource scaling for application traffic and eased container deployment and management.
• Automating deployments using Github Actions and ArgoCD accelerated software delivery processes and improved work efficiency.
• Migration and improvement of existing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions enhanced infrastructure configuration management in an automated manner.
• Application and cluster autoscaling allowed for dynamic resource adjustment to workload, thereby increasing performance and flexibility.
• Configuring Cloudflare provided an additional layer of environment protection and accelerated application access, thereby improving user experience.
• Mechanisms such as IAM, meticulously configured VPC networks, integration with Google Secret Manager, and utilization of Customer Managed Keys provided robust foundations for data and application security.
• Backups and monitoring (Google Cloud Storage, Google Cloud Logging, Prometheus, Grafana) allowed for better data protection and infrastructure monitoring, contributing to increased operational stability.

For OKO.press, a dynamically expanding news platform, the key challenge was to find a comprehensive infrastructure solution that not only optimized costs and development processes but also increased security and operational efficiency. The organization sought to integrate its distributed IT environment, which initially incurred additional costs and complicated infrastructure management and monitoring processes. The cornerstone of the strategy became delivering a solution that would relieve development teams from maintenance tasks related to the environment. The best response proved to be migrating OKO.press infrastructure to the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). This decision not only enabled the integration of the distributed IT environment but also improved the efficiency of operational processes and enhanced data security. With this solution, the organization could focus on the strategic development of its platform, confident that its IT infrastructure operates reliably and in line with the latest security standards.

"The decision to migrate the OKO.press environment to the Google Cloud Platform was a result of our pursuit to streamline our operational processes and enhance data security. With the new cloud infrastructure, we were able to manage resources more precisely, eliminating excessive expenses and increasing the efficiency of our operations."

Jarosław Głasek / Chief Operations Officer, OKO.press

New GCP environment

As part of the migration of OKO.press to the Google Cloud Platform (GCP), the Oktawave team undertook a series of actions aimed at optimizing and securing the new infrastructure. Engineers began by preparing a test environment. The team of cloud experts configured the network infrastructure and launched a Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) cluster to manage application containers. Utilizing GKE enabled flexible and scalable resource utilization, as well as simplified application deployment and management, ensuring a high level of availability and reliability. As part of further project activities, the team configured MySQL, PostgreSQL, and ElasticSearch databases.

"Thanks to the modern networking infrastructure from GCP, our news service ensures users have constant and instant access to the latest content, regardless of time or load. This not only means that our readers can easily find the information they need but also guarantees that the OKO.press website operates smoothly and reliably whenever they need it."

Jarosław Głasek / Chief Operations Officer, OKO.press

In the new environment, Oktawave tools were also installed, serving as the foundation for further work, providing monitoring, secure access to the cluster, synchronization with Google Secret Manager, and supporting CI/CD processes. Integrating these tools with the Google Cloud platform enabled process automation and ensured a high level of security and availability for the OKO.press application.

Another key step was launching and isolating the WordPress-based application from public access. The aim was to enhance the security of the existing legacy solution while enabling the use of Cloud Native features to interact with the application. Migration and modernization of this solution were carried out with minimal code modifications, ensuring a smooth process. Concurrently with this operation, microservices were deployed using the ArgoCD solution, enabling flexible application management. Through the integration of GitHub Actions with ArgoCD, the development team gained the ability to automatically deploy and test changes in the test environment. Automation not only accelerated the software delivery cycle but also increased the efficiency of engineers' work, especially those less experienced in working with Kubernetes solutions. Additionally, access to the graphical interface allowed for intuitive monitoring and management of applications in the cluster, further streamlining the team's work.

Stabilization of the test environment involved developing a backup policy, update schedule, and monitoring parameters, ensuring continuity of operations while minimizing the risk of data loss. At this stage, configuration of the Cloudflare solution was also introduced, similar to the entire environment, using Infrastructure as Code (IaC). The Cloudflare service provided an additional layer of protection and accelerated access to the application, while the integration process itself allowed for optimizing application performance by delivering content to users faster and increasing resilience to DDoS attacks.

Next, Oktawave experts focused on preparing the production environment on the GCP platform, implementing best practices and leveraging experiences from previous migration stages. Utilizing GKE facilitated streamlining automation processes and application monitoring and scaling, enabling efficient infrastructure management and ensuring high service availability for end-users.

The transition to the production environment began with the migration of back-office systems independent of the application. Subsequently, applications were moved step by step. Stateless applications were migrated first, followed by services disconnected using a queuing system. The last group comprised closely related applications exchanging significant amounts of data on the internal network. The final stage involved migrating the previously prepared monolith. This approach minimized downtime and ensured continuity of business operations.

Google Cloud implementation results

Throughout the migration process, the collaboration between OKO.press and the Oktawave team was characterized by close communication, regular progress updates, and a flexible approach to addressing encountered challenges. Communication was facilitated through the use of advanced project management tools and the organization of regular online meetings, enabling swift response to project changes and needs. Following the completion of the migration to the Google Cloud environment, collaboration transitioned to a phase of support and optimization, including regular infrastructure reviews and technological development strategy planning.

The migration of OKO.press to the Google Cloud Platform marked a breakthrough in the organization's IT infrastructure management approach. One of the key achievements was the consolidation of the previously dispersed infrastructure. Transitioning to a unified cloud platform not only simplified resource management and monitoring but also significantly reduced operational costs. With flexible resource scaling and optimization, OKO.press gained the ability to precisely adjust infrastructure utilization to current needs while eliminating unnecessary expenses.

A key factor in enhancing operational efficiency was the decision to utilize a compute region located in Poland. The country-based location ensured reduced latency, faster access to data and applications, and significantly improved user experience.

The level of data and network security significantly improved due to the implementation of advanced security solutions available in GCP. Mechanisms such as Identity and Access Management (IAM), meticulously configured Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) networks, integration with Google Secret Manager, and the utilization of Customer Managed Keys provided robust foundations for data and application protection. Additionally, the project benefited from reducing technical debt through the modernization and optimization of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions.

The migration to GCP introduced OKO.press to a new path of technological development, where compliance with industry best practices, operational stability, and high-level technical support became easily accessible. Furthermore, 24/7 technical support and regular infrastructure reviews and technological strategy sessions with the Oktawave team ensure operational stability and enable a focus on innovation and platform development.

"The capabilities of the GCP cloud have significantly impacted our daily editorial work as well. With the flexibility to adjust resources according to needs, our editorial team can efficiently respond to changing reader expectations and needs. The ability to dynamically scale infrastructure allows us to maintain an optimal pace of content delivery and high operational efficiency."

Jarosław Głasek / Chief Operations Officer, OKO.press