A transformational infrastructure with key SLA support and maintenance.
Oxford Brookes University, a renowned modern public university located in Oxford, embarked on an ambitious web transformation project aimed at enhancing its web presence. This initiative involved the redevelopment of its core web content management system (CMS) using the Kentico Xperience DXP platform hosted on the Azure platform. To ensure the ongoing smooth operation and optimisation of the solution, the University sought a new supplier to provide consultative Kentico expertise with ongoing comprehensive maintenance and SLA bound support and development services.
System health check and migration
A thorough assessment of the existing Kentico infrastructure was initially undertaken, encompassing a full report of recommended performance improvements including the current management access method, exploring a cloud-based solution to replace the existing on-site reverse proxy, and migrating the Kentico infrastructure from their existing hosting environment to a new rationalised, robust, and cost-effective App service Azure platform.
Ongoing SLA support and management
Comprehensive support and management services for the entire Kentico Xperience platform hosted in Azure were required. This included:
- Monitoring services for website availability
- Issue notification and resolution
- Optimisation of the Kentico and Azure platforms as the site evolved
- Incident support during both core business hours and out of hours for specific periods
A collaborative agreement was required for the implementation of a new incident prioritisation and escalation system, along with infrastructure support covering tasks such as server monitoring, necessary updates, SSL certificate management, database health checks, Azure portal management, and disaster recovery.
Kentico CMS task and development support
We embarked on a series of enhancement tasks and issue resolutions to systematically reduce the platform backlog. Throughout this endeavour, as we assessed, adopted, and migrated the platform, we also tackled other critical platform issues, such as database transaction performance challenges and CDN implementation issues stemming from the initial build.
Support and guidance for Kentico Xperience development tasks, including system upgrades and advice on best practices and for short-term engagements (e.g., 2 - 4 weeks) are in place to augment their internal development team for strategic projects
Systematic success
Oxford Brookes University's collaboration with Ridgeway for maintenance and support services for their Kentico infrastructure in Azure has yielded significant benefits.
Through a systematic approach to system and code health check, migration assessment, ongoing support, release management, and Kentico development support, we have recently provided the University with an outsourced service for a reliable, secure, and optimised web content management system on Kentico Xperience. As a result, the University can continue to focus on its core mission of delivering excellence in teaching and research while leveraging a robust digital platform.