SKYLIFTAI
Case Study

Adidas Achieves Near-Zero Downtime Migration of 40TB Oracle Database Across Continents

Adidas successfully migrated its mission-critical Omnihub Oracle databases—totalling 17TB—from IBM Cloud in Amsterdam to AWS RDS in Singapore using SkyliftAI MigDB, achieving full transactional continuity while maintaining 24/7 retail operations.

Oracle → AWS RDS Near-Zero Downtime Cross-Continent 17TB Migration 42-Day Delivery
Adidas Omnihub
Database Migration
IBM Cloud Amsterdam → AWS RDS Singapore
17TB
Data Migrated
42
Days Total Timeline
100%
Data Accuracy
50%
Faster Load vs Standard
Executive Summary

Key Business Outcomes

The migration delivered transformative results across technical, operational, and business dimensions—enabling Adidas to leverage AWS infrastructure for their mission-critical Omnihub system.

⚡
Near-Zero Downtime
Maintained continuous 24/7 retail operations across all global markets throughout the entire migration process with only a brief pause for final synchronization.
✅
Zero Data Loss
100% data accuracy verification achieved with zero discrepancies across all 17TB, validated through comprehensive automated verification at table, schema, and database levels.
🔄
Full Transactional Continuity
Complete transactional integrity maintained throughout migration with bi-directional CDC providing full rollback capability and reversible cutover strategy.
📅
42-Day Total Timeline
From kick-off to production cutover, completed ahead of the enterprise change-freeze deadline while maintaining uncompromising quality standards.
🔀
Reversible Cutover
Bi-directional CDC replication enabled complete rollback capability—Adidas could reverse direction and fall back to IBM Cloud with zero data loss if needed.
🎓
Self-Sufficient Operations
Adidas teams empowered to independently manage CDC operations through comprehensive knowledge transfer, documentation, and hands-on training sessions.
50%
Faster initial data load vs standard migration tools
17TB
Mission-critical Oracle database migrated with optimized LOB handling
8,000+
Kilometers cross-continent distance between Amsterdam and Singapore
<1s
CDC replication latency for sub-second transactional consistency
The Challenge

A Migration Demanding Both Technical Excellence and Operational Precision

Adidas needed to relocate its Omnihub Oracle databases from IBM Cloud in Amsterdam to AWS RDS in Singapore—spanning over 8,000 kilometers.

1

Zero Tolerance for Downtime

Adidas's global retail operations run 24/7 across multiple markets and time zones. Any disruption to the Omnihub databases would directly impact point-of-sale systems, inventory management, and customer transactions worldwide. The migration required near-zero downtime during cutover to protect revenue and customer experience

2

Extreme Data Scale & Complexity

The Omnihub databases totalled 17TB with heavy LOB (Large Object) workloads containing product images, documents, and multimedia content. Traditional migration tools struggle with LOB data, often experiencing performance degradation and extended transfer times. The sheer volume combined with LOB complexity demanded specialized optimization.

3

Cross-Continent Network Latency

IBM Cloud's infrastructure policies prevented installation of migration agents or third-party software on source database servers. This restriction eliminated traditional migration approaches that rely on source-side agents for data capture and replication, requiring an innovative architectural solution.

4

Infrastructure Restrictions:

IBM Cloud's infrastructure policies prevented installation of migration agents or third-party software on source database servers. This restriction eliminated traditional migration approaches that rely on source-side agents for data capture and replication, requiring an innovative architectural solution.

5

Strict Timeline Constraints

Adidas faced an enterprise change-freeze deadline that compressed the migration timeline. The project needed completion within 42 days from kickoff to production cutover, including all validation, testing, and knowledge transfer activities.

6

Uncompromising Data Accuracy Requirements

As a mission-critical system supporting global retail operations, the Omnihub databases demanded 100% data accuracy with zero discrepancies. Any data loss or corruption would have cascading impacts across supply chain, inventory, and customer-facing systems.

Architecture Diagram
The Solution

SkyliftAI MigDB: Target-Side Relay Architecture

SkyliftAI deployed its MigDB platform with a target-side architecture specifically designed to overcome IBM Cloud's infrastructure restrictions—all migration components operated from the AWS target environment, connecting remotely to source databases through secure, encrypted channels.

SkyliftAI Target-Side Relay Architecture Diagram
Stage 1
Readiness & Foundation
Days 1–7

The engagement began with comprehensive environment assessment and validation. SkyliftAI teams worked closely with Adidas and Infosys to establish connectivity baselines between IBM Cloud Amsterdam and AWS Singapore, validate source database configurations, and prepare AWS RDS target environments.

Detailed capacity planning for 17TB volume and heavy LOB workloads
Network bandwidth assessment for 8,000+ km data transfer optimization
Establishment of security protocols governing the entire migration
Thorough discovery of database schemas, dependencies, and performance
Stage 2
Network, Security & Deployment
Days 8–14

With IBM Cloud restrictions preventing source-side installations, SkyliftAI deployed its relay architecture entirely within AWS. Secure VPN tunnels were established between IBM Cloud Amsterdam and AWS Singapore, with all MigDB agents and relay components deployed on AWS EC2 instances in the target region.

Relay nodes acting as intermediaries connecting remotely to source Oracle databases
End-to-end encryption with TLS 1.2+ protecting all data in transit across continents
Full migration capability (initial load, CDC, bi-directional) from target side only
Meeting Adidas's enterprise security and compliance requirements
Stage 3
Initial Load Execution
Days 15–28

SkyliftAI executed the initial data load using an optimized approach that separated LOB and non-LOB data streams. This enabled parallel processing optimized for each data type—non-LOB data transferred through high-throughput bulk channels while LOB data utilized specialized streaming protocols.

Intelligent buffering and compression reducing network overhead over 8,000+ km
50% faster load times vs standard tools through parallelization and LOB acceleration
Adaptive network tuning automatically adjusting to real-time conditions
Continuous monitoring with automated alerts ensuring immediate response
Stage 4
Validation & Optimization
Days 29–35

Before activating CDC, SkyliftAI conducted comprehensive data accuracy verification across all 17TB. Automated validation tools compared row counts, checksums, and data integrity markers between source and target systems at all levels.

Special LOB validation with content hash verification for perfect multimedia fidelity
100% accuracy achieved with zero discrepancies across all data types
Performance optimization of AWS RDS configurations, indices, and queries
Target database performance validated to match or exceed source system
Stage 5
CDC, Sync & Cutover
Days 36–42

SkyliftAI activated bi-directional Change Data Capture (CDC) replication, enabling real-time synchronization between Amsterdam and Singapore while maintaining full reversibility. If any issues emerged post-cutover, Adidas could reverse direction and fall back to IBM Cloud with zero data loss.

CDC captured all transactional changes and replicated to AWS RDS with sub-second latency
Near-zero downtime final cutover—applications redirected with a brief pause for final sync
Post-cutover intensive monitoring ensuring stability, performance, and consistency
Knowledge transfer, documentation, and runbooks for Adidas team self-sufficiency
Results & Impact

Transformative Outcomes Across Every Dimension

The migration delivered measurable improvements across technical performance, operational efficiency, and long-term business value—establishing a template for future database modernization initiatives across Adidas's global infrastructure portfolio.

Technical Excellence

50% Faster Load, 100% Accuracy

SkyliftAI achieved 50% faster initial data load compared to standard migration tools through optimized parallelization and LOB-specific acceleration techniques. The migration maintained 100% data accuracy with zero discrepancies across all 17TB, validated through comprehensive automated verification at table, schema, and database levels.

The platform successfully handled extreme LOB workloads across 8,000+ kilometer distance, with specialized streaming protocols ensuring perfect fidelity of product images, documents, and multimedia content.

Operational Transformation

Self-Sufficient, Vendor-Independent Operations

Adidas teams gained self-sufficient CDC management capabilities through comprehensive knowledge transfer, reducing dependency on external vendors for ongoing operations. The reversible cutover strategy eliminated risk, providing a safety net that proved unnecessary due to flawless execution but delivered invaluable peace of mind.

Most importantly, retail operations continued uninterrupted throughout the migration, protecting revenue streams and customer experience across all global markets.

Business Impact

AWS Performance, Reduced Costs, Future-Ready

The successful migration enabled Adidas to leverage AWS's superior performance, scalability, and global infrastructure for their mission-critical Omnihub system. The near-zero downtime achievement protected revenue and customer satisfaction during a critical infrastructure transition.

The self-sufficient operations model reduced long-term operational costs and vendor dependencies, while the proven migration approach established a template for future database modernization initiatives.

Why SkyliftAI MigDB

Key Differentiators That Made This Migration Possible

SkyliftAI MigDB proved essential through several key differentiators that directly addressed Adidas's unique challenges—capabilities that traditional migration tools simply could not provide.

🏗️

Innovative Target-Side Architecture

The relay-based architecture enabled full migration capability despite IBM Cloud infrastructure restrictions that would have blocked traditional approaches. By deploying all migration components on AWS and connecting remotely to source databases, SkyliftAI overcame the source-side agent installation prohibition while maintaining complete functionality for initial load, CDC, and bi-directional replication.

🔄

Superior CDC Precision

MigDB maintained transactional integrity across 8,000+ kilometer distance with sub-second replication latency. The bi-directional CDC capability provided complete reversibility, enabling Adidas to reverse direction and fall back to IBM Cloud if any issues emerged post-cutover—a critical safety feature for mission-critical systems.

⚡

Optimized LOB Handling

Specialized streaming protocols and parallel processing delivered 50% faster initial load speeds compared to standard tools, particularly for heavy LOB workloads containing product images, documents, and multimedia content. This optimization proved critical for completing the 17TB migration within the 42-day timeline.

🌐

Latency-Aware Architecture

Intelligent buffering, adaptive network tuning, and compression techniques maintained performance despite cross-continent distances. The platform automatically adjusted to network conditions, ensuring consistent throughput and data integrity across the Amsterdam–Singapore connection at all times.

🔍

Comprehensive Validation Framework

Automated validation tools achieved 100% data accuracy verification before CDC activation, comparing row counts, checksums, and content hashes at table, schema, and database levels. This rigorous validation provided complete confidence in data fidelity before proceeding to production cutover.

🔒

Enterprise-Grade Security

End-to-end encryption with TLS 1.2+ protocols protected all data in transit across continents, meeting Adidas's enterprise security and compliance requirements. Secure VPN tunnels and encrypted channels ensured data protection throughout the migration journey without compromise.

Customer Empowerment

Long-Term Operational Independence

SkyliftAI's commitment to knowledge transfer ensured Adidas teams gained self-sufficient CDC management capabilities through comprehensive documentation, runbooks, and hands-on training. This approach reduced long-term operational dependencies and empowered Adidas to manage their own infrastructure independently—a philosophy that distinguishes SkyliftAI from traditional migration vendors who maintain ongoing service lock-in.

Customer Testimonials

Trusted by Global Enterprise Leaders

Hear directly from the teams who executed one of the most complex cross-continent database migrations in enterprise history.

The Adidas Omnihub migration to AWS represented one of our most critical infrastructure initiatives, requiring absolute precision and zero tolerance for disruption to our global retail operations. SkyliftAI's MigDB platform delivered beyond our expectations, migrating 17TB of mission-critical Oracle databases from IBM Cloud Amsterdam to AWS Singapore with near-zero downtime and perfect data accuracy. What distinguished SkyliftAI was their innovative target-side architecture that overcame IBM Cloud's infrastructure limitations, their bi-directional CDC capability that provided complete rollback safety, and their commitment to empowering our teams with self-sufficient operations. The 42-day timeline from kick-off to production cutover, combined with 50% faster data load speeds and flawless execution, demonstrated that SkyliftAI MigDB is the premier choice for complex, cross-continent enterprise migrations.

SS
Swapnil Shingane
Senior Director of Software Engineering, Adidas

As Adidas's implementation partner, we evaluated multiple migration solutions for this complex cross-continent database migration. SkyliftAI's MigDB platform stood out for its ability to handle the unique constraints of our environment—particularly the IBM Cloud infrastructure restrictions that prevented traditional agent-based approaches. Their relay-based architecture, deployed entirely on the AWS target side, enabled us to execute a flawless migration without compromising on security, performance, or data integrity. The bi-directional CDC replication gave us complete confidence during cutover, knowing we could reverse direction if needed. SkyliftAI's comprehensive validation processes and optimized LOB handling delivered 100% data accuracy across 17TB, while their knowledge transfer ensured Adidas teams gained full operational independence. This migration showcased how the right technology partner with innovative architecture can turn complex challenges into seamless execution.

RM
Ritesh Kumar Malpani
Senior Industry Principal, Infosys

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