IBM & Red Hat on AWS
Options for running IBM TRIRIGA Application Suite on AWS with Red Hat OpenShift
As customers adopt AWS as part of their overall business goals exploring options for the deployment of existing investments is a common activity. For customers making use of IBM TRIRIGA Application Suite (TAS) this is no exception. IBM TRIRIGA Application Suite (TAS) is a market-leading integrated workplace management system (IWMS) for organizations managing their facility portfolios and assets throughout their lifecycle efficiently. It helps organizations manage and optimize their workplace experience, facility resource scheduling, facility strategic planning, transaction management, lease accounting, capital project management, space management, facility maintenance management, facility sustainability management, and asset disposal.
Data and AI are increasingly critical tools in how organizations are evolving their facilities management. Real-time insights infused with AI support for dynamic space planning. Shared data allows occupants to make service requests and book rooms, right-size portfolios and increase the efficiency of lease administration, capital projects, and more. Simple, fast, and flexible, TAS has the right mix of applications in one modular solution to maximize your building lifecycle while preparing you to meet future needs.
TRIRIGA Application Suite allows customers to focus on simplification and flexibility, addressing the evolving needs of modern enterprises. Consolidating facility management functionalities into a unified platform streamlines deployment and management processes, reducing the complexities associated with enterprise systems. TRIRIGA’s deployment flexibility across on-premises, cloud, or hybrid-cloud environments caters to diverse organizational infrastructures.
In this blog post, we will walk through the recommended options for running IBM TAS on AWS, discuss the architecture, and describe how the IBM, Red Hat, and AWS components come together and provide a solid foundation for running IBM TAS. We will also explore the architectural decisions to consider so you can choose the one that best fits your organization’s needs.
1.TAS on customer hosted OpenShift on AWS
This deployment allows customers to leverage their in-house team members with Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform (OCP) expertise, particularly in areas such as security, ensuring robust protection for their environment. Customers are responsible for managing every aspect of this environment, necessitating ongoing attention and resource allocation.
This deployment gives customers maximum control over the application and infrastructure in exchange for greater responsibility for managing both. This option remains scalable, providing the flexibility to adjust resources according to fluctuating demand and optimizing efficiency. The availability and reliability of the environment hinge upon the customer’s architectural design and proficiency in managing both OpenShift and TAS. Management of updates and additional features depends on the customer’s software update plan for Red Hat OpenShift and TAS.
Ultimately, while offering autonomy and scalability, this deployment option demands careful planning and management to ensure optimal performance and cost-effectiveness.
Figure 1: TAS on customer hosted OpenShift – high-level architecture
2. TAS on customer Managed Red Hat OpenShift Service on AWS (ROSA)
The customer-hosted Red Hat OpenShift Service on AWS (ROSA) deployment option for the TAS is a deployment tailored to simplify the user experience.
This option reduces the customer’s operational burden, offloading all the ROSA cluster life cycle management, including upgrades and security hot fixes, to Red Hat and AWS teams. Which allows customers to focus on the TAS application, with platform and infrastructure support provided by Red Hat and AWS teams.
This approach ensures streamlined management and frees customer resources for other critical tasks. Moreover, the deployment maintains scalability, allowing seamless resource adjustments to accommodate varying demand levels. The customer has full control over TAS upgrades and deployed versions allowing the customer to manage the life cycle to the demand of their business.
This also provides robust high availability and fault-tolerance guardrails (backed by 99.95% service level agreement – SLA) that uphold reliability and stability within the environment, promising uninterrupted service delivery.
Additionally, the environment operates within the customer’s AWS account, it draws down against their existing AWS Enterprise Discount Plan (EDP), bringing some cost benefits. The ROSA deployment option provides a compelling solution for customers focusing on TAS applications and offloading platform monitoring and maintenance to a managed service.
Figure 2: TAS on customer hosted ROSA high-level architecture
3. TAS Managed Services by Partners
The TAS Managed Services by Partners option offers a tailored solution designed to allow customers to avoid the complexities of managing their TAS deployment.
With this option, customers can sidestep the need to acquire OpenShift skills, as the responsibility for managing OpenShift falls upon the partners. The customer is no longer required to manage the platform or application as they engage with a fully managed service with the business partner.
This option allows organizations to focus on their core objectives while benefiting from the scalability inherent in the deployment, facilitating seamless adjustments to resources in line with fluctuating demand. Availability, resilience, and reliability of the environment are the responsibilities of the business partner subject to SLA with the Partner.
Customers rely on partners for TAS version updates and the availability of added features, which may be subject to the Partner’s offerings and timelines. The environment operates within the Partner’s AWS account, and the customers can only see and access the application endpoints for their business operations. The customer should know that their data exists and is controlled in the partner AWS account.
The TAS Managed Services by Partners option presents a compelling proposition for customers seeking a hassle-free, scalable, and well-supported TAS deployment solution.
Figure 3: TAS Managed Services by Partners high-level architecture
Closing thoughts
Running IBM TRIRIGA on OpenShift on AWS aggregates the benefits of all three products to meet the goals of the customer. Each TRIRIGA Application Suite deployment option presents distinct advantages and considerations. Whether looking for granular control and customization, or a shift towards managed TRIRIGA, OpenShift and AWS have an option to cater for customer needs.
Customers should assess their infrastructure, customization, in-house skills, and cost considerations to make an informed decision that ensures a successful and efficient IBM TAS deployment. By understanding the strengths and limitations of each option, customers can choose the deployment option that meets their business objectives.