UBS innovates on Azure by transforming its critical workloads from mainframe into cloud native solutions

Transition from mainframe to Azure 

Following its strategic acquisition of Credit Suisse, UBS launched a transformative journey to modernize its IT infrastructure by migrating critical mainframe workloads to Azure. At the heart of this enterprise-wide modernization effort lies the Electronic Archive (ELAR) system, the largest records management system of ex Credit Suisse. Previously hosted in Credit Suisse's data centre in Switzerland, ELAR manages an immense dataset of nearly 2 petabytes, spanning 50,000 tables and 200 billion records stored in a Mainframe Db2 database. Due to the inherent complexity of the system, UBS conducted a thorough evaluation to identify key requirements for a target database capable of managing the intricacies of its existing infrastructure. The criteria encompassed seamless automated scaling without application disruption, high availability, disaster recovery, efficient migration, cost management flexibility and managed services provided by Microsoft. Azure SQL Database Hyperscale was selected for essential features, including independent scaling of storage and compute, fast database backups, named replicas, and seamless integration with Azure Storage. 

Transforming the monolith 

To harness cloud-native services, these applications were transformed from a monolithic structure to a distributed microservices architecture. Given the archival nature of the workload, peak activity occurred during specific hours and days, necessitating on-premises systems to be optimized for peak performance. Managing these applications on legacy platforms presented various challenges. The modernization effort empowered UBS to drive innovation, accelerate the introduction of new features, and concentrate on core business objectives. The new solution also offers seamless scalability to accommodate business growth and changing demands.

“Transforming a legacy mainframe archive into a modern cloud solution is not just a technical upgrade; it's an opportunity to innovate, streamline, and future-proof your environment. Embrace the challenge, and you'll unlock new efficiencies and capabilities that were once unimaginable,” says Daniel Tanner, Stream Technical Lead, Client Document & Records Management (CDRM).

Azure-based architecture provides seamless scalability, allowing UBS to accommodate business growth and evolve regulatory requirements with minimal disruption. By embracing cloud-native technologies, UBS benefits from faster data processing, improved security, and enhanced compliance capabilities, positioning the organization to respond even more effectively to market demands and customer expectations.

A simplified solution: Azure SQL Database Hyperscale

After careful consideration of all the critical requirements, Azure SQL Database Hyperscale was chosen for its standout features including scalability, performance optimization, robust database monitoring, high availability, flexible pricing, and dynamic compute scaling. The UBS engineering team led by Kiran Aragonda, Product Owner, Records Management and Governance Services, working closely with the Microsoft team, was able to execute the whole process smoothly.

Azure Web Apps is a fully managed PaaS service is being used to host the Java application to have ease of deployment, scalability with built in monitoring and security. This helps UBS concentrate more on application development and leaving the infrastructure hassles to Microsoft. 

Azure DevOps provides automated deployment and scheduled pipelines at specific times. As applications are modernized into microservices and containerized, it paves the way for flexible deployment strategies. The CI/CD approach helps to modernize and expand portfolios continuously by focusing more on business requirements. 

Azure SQL Database Hyperscale is part of the Azure SQL service portfolio. As hyperscale allows expansion to larger storage limits along with a distributed architecture, which ensures high performance, quick backups, and rapid recovery. The availability of these features and continuous innovation made UBS choose SQL DB Hyperscale as the target database. 

Microsoft Entra ID (previously Azure AD) is the next evolution of cloud identity and cloud access management solutions and was used by UBS to maintain the authentication and authorization that was handled by their mainframe. A key Entra feature, “Block access by Location,” is used to restrict the access based on location. To accomplish this safely and effectively, RACF (Resource Access Control Facility) identities from the mainframe were converted to Azure identities and loaded into Microsoft Entra. 

Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 is being used to store the documents while being closed integrated with the Azure SQL Database. Salient features like immutable storage that enables Write Once Read Many (WORM) and time-based retention and legal hold policies have been crucial to applying the necessary compliance for the ELAR workload.

Business benefits and looking forward

UBS’s modernization of the ELAR platform underscores the strategic value of cloud adoption, demonstrating how migrating from a complex mainframe environment to Azure can unlock agility, scalability, and business innovation. Additionally, the latest functionalities are designed to optimally utilize cloud-native technologies, thereby enhancing efficiency. By moving away from its on-premises infrastructure, UBS has also eliminated system dependencies. This transition has allowed the UBS team to concentrate on core business priorities and accelerate the development of new functionalities, thereby enhancing the company’s return on investment (ROI).

“Embracing cloud technology is one of the essential steps to stay ahead in a fast-changing world. It boosts efficiency, enhances collaboration and unlocks huge potential. We need to seize the opportunity now,” says Romeo Dumitrescu, Crew Technical Lead, Records Management and Governance Services (RMGS, part of CDRM).

Azure’s elastic infrastructure now enables UBS to automatically scale resources up or down, optimizing performance and cost. Additionally, automated maintenance, patching, and backups reduce administrative overhead, allowing UBS to redirect technical resources toward innovation rather than routine maintenance. 

Upon completion of migration, UBS sees around 60% reduction in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). The increased efficiency allows for reinvestment to enhance the experience for customers and end users. UBS continues to prioritize operational excellence and efficiency by moving monolithic workloads to Cloud Native infrastructure. 

About UBS

Headquartered in Zurich Switzerland, UBS stands as the world's largest wealth manager, with assets under management exceeding $5 trillion, employing more than 115,000 people across more than 50 countries. The company delivers financial advice and solutions to private, institutional, and corporate clients globally, while also serving private clients in Switzerland. Its operations are organized into four business divisions, supported by shared functions including Group Functions and Technology Services. For additional information, please visit ubs.com.