Here is a detailed summary of the video transcription in Markdown format, broken into sections for better readability:
Key Takeaways
- MSD, a large pharmaceutical company, has been successfully driving a modernization and migration to the cloud through a program called "Blue Sky".
- The presentation focuses on the learnings and best practices of running a "modernization factory" at scale, which is a crucial part of the Blue Sky program.
- The speaker, Shawn, the global head of infrastructure and cloud at MSD, shares five key lessons learned from running a modernization factory:
- Standardized architectural reviews
- Clearly defined guiding principles
- Strong technical talent and leadership
- Pre-existing knowledge of the applications being modernized
- Continuous feedback between the factory and supporting products/services
Standardized Architectural Reviews
- Architectural reviews are crucial to ensure that applications are built to the company's standards and guiding principles.
- MSD created a "Target State Architecture (TSA)" process, where three dedicated architects reviewed every architecture, no matter the size or complexity.
- This has paid huge dividends, as teams now proactively create their target state architecture before requesting cloud provisioning.
Clearly Defined Guiding Principles
- MSD defined a set of simple guiding principles, such as "go cloud-first," which are used to drive the strategy and decision-making.
- These principles are continuously referred to and used to hold people accountable, ensuring that the factory is building things aligned with the guiding principles.
Strong Technical Talent and Leadership
- Technical expertise is critical for running a successful modernization factory.
- MSD ensured that the program had certified AWS architects and security professionals who could review architectures, provide guidance, and make informed decisions.
- Having a clear architectural hierarchy and decision-making process is essential to avoid disagreements and ensure a high standard of architecture.
Pre-existing Knowledge of the Applications
- It is challenging to modernize applications without prior knowledge of their inner workings, especially for large, complex, and legacy systems.
- MSD leveraged their long-term partner, HCL, who had deep knowledge of the applications and infrastructure, to accelerate the early stages of the modernization process.
- Documenting the knowledge gained during the process is also crucial for scalability.
Continuous Feedback Loop
- MSD has been implementing a product model for their infrastructure, where the modernization factory is considered a customer of these products.
- The feedback generated by the factory is fed back to the product teams, enabling them to enhance the products based on real-world usage.
- This feedback loop has improved both the velocity of the factory and the maturity of the supporting products.