Cutting data load time using Amazon FSx for Windows File Server with Accelya

Accelya powers more than 50 percent of global NDC transactions. It delivers the core functions that keep airline retailing operating at scale, such as fare publication, schedule distribution, order management, and revenue settlement. By processing regularly updated ATPCO fare and rule data, the company generates daily offers that booking sites deliver under the International Air Transport Association’s NDC standard. This helps travelers see accurate flight prices, seat options, and promotions in near real time.

Previously, Accelya’s critical data flow relied on a single, self-managed Samba file server that fed data into the company’s Windows compute fleet. This legacy design introduced operational risk, lengthened data unavailability windows, and added the maintenance burden of managing backup and recovery. In aviation, even short outages can halt critical operations. “Airlines aren’t a public utility, but they’re nearly the same, so they can’t stop,” says Gaurav Roy, chief technology officer at Accelya.

Accelya needed a path to modernization to support its Windows code base, which it had been using for more than 15 years, without requiring a rewrite. To preserve compatibility and improve performance, Accelya selected Amazon FSx for Windows File Server, which provides highly available, high-performance storage to Windows applications with full Server Message Block support.

FSx for Windows File Server worked seamlessly with Accelya’s Windows environment, removing the need for costly redevelopment. The teams remapped Accelya’s instance fleet to mount FSx for Windows File Server, shift ingestion pipelines, and decommission the legacy file share server. Meanwhile, the teams maintained hourly ATPCO data flow with minimal disruption (see figures 1 and 2).

By using FSx for Windows File Server to support massive parallel throughput, Accelya removed the bottleneck of a single-server setup. Pricing and shopping applications now process fare files quickly, delivering updated data to airlines and agencies with sub-millisecond responsiveness. As a fully managed service, FSx for Windows File Server also reduced events and maintenance, freeing up engineers to focus on innovation instead of infrastructure. “The move to FSx for Windows File Server shows how modernization can improve reliability and performance,” says Roy. “Both are essential for regulated industries, such as airlines, especially as these sectors embrace modern retailing and the resulting demands.”

The company also strengthened its operating model on AWS. The AWS team provided Accelya’s staff with design guidance and cross-industry expertise throughout design and implementation. Together, the teams built a resilient storage backbone that can better meet the availability requirements of airline retailing. “Using AWS, we can scale with high reliability, robust performance, low cost, and regional deployments while managing global latency,” says Roy.

Accelya can now provide agencies and airline channels with up-to-date prices more quickly because data load time dropped by 66 percent, from 45 to 15 minutes. Production reliability also improved by up to 80 percent, and bug reports fell by 92 percent, underscoring the stability of a managed file system. With this foundation, Accelya can reliably deliver fare data at a global scale while preparing for future innovation in modern airline retailing.

By reclaiming engineering time, the cloud-based modernization also speeds up Accelya’s broader strategy to expand its use of serverless architectures. For example, the company plans to migrate databases to Amazon DynamoDB, a distributed NoSQL database with single-digit millisecond performance at nearly any scale.

Looking forward, Accelya is working alongside AWS on AI initiatives such as its FLX AIViator intelligence layer, which targets pricing, forecasting, and developer productivity. The strategy ahead is clear: Forget the heavy lifting and focus on innovating airline retailing. “We went serverless, and now we are pushing the industry, nonprofits, and airlines along with us on this modernization journey,” says Roy.