The Challenge

A premier alliance of independent hotel brands grappled with rapidly escalating database licensing costs as their member and booking volumes grew. Compounding these issues was a fragmented support experience that undermined guest satisfaction and loyalty.

The Solution

To address these challenges, the team deployed HexaRocket - an enterprise-grade data migration and replication platform. Key components of the solution included:

• Automated Schema Migration with Code Conversion: Performed static analysis of application code to refactor Oracle-specific SQL and PL/SQL routines for PostgreSQL compatibility. Migrated schema objects such as Tables, Indexes, Triggers, Constraints, Views, Synonyms, Custom Types, Packages, Stored Procedures, and Functions.
• Online Data Migration with CDC: Enabled real-time Change Data Capture (CDC) streams from Oracle into PostgreSQL to ensure continuous synchronization during the migration.
• Seamless Cutover: Used continuous replication with rollback capabilities to switch over to PostgreSQL with no interruption to booking systems. Built-in validation and resynchronization ensured error-free migration.
• Scalable Parallel Processing & Monitoring: Configurable parallel workers enabled the migration of 4 TB of data within a few hours while the Oracle database continued receiving live traffic.

Implementation

• Environment Preparation:

  • Provisioned a non-production clone of the Oracle database for Proof of Concept (POC).
  • Installed HexaRocket on a server with connectivity to both Oracle and PostgreSQL servers.

• Codebase Analysis & Refactoring:

  • Scanned application layers to identify Oracle-standard SQL and translated it into PostgreSQL syntax.
  • Extracted Oracle-specific stored procedures, functions, and packages, migrating them using HexaRocket’s Schema Migration tool.
  • Achieved 88% automated conversion; remaining complex PL/SQL blocks were refactored manually.

• Pilot Migration & Validation:

  • Executed an end-to-end online migration in the cloned environment.
  • Verified data integrity, referential consistency, and application functionality.

• Production Cutover:

  • Configured Oracle and PostgreSQL endpoints.
  • Initiated full load and CDC-based data replication.
  • Monitored sync lag until it reached sub-second levels.
  • Performed cutover during a low-traffic window by switching read and then write traffic to PostgreSQL.

• Ongoing Support:

  • Provided 24/7 HexaRocket specialist coverage during cutover.
  • Enabled rapid remediation of any anomalies post-migration.

Results

• 14x Performance Improvement in query response times and batch processing throughput.
• USD 500,000 in Annual Savings by eliminating Oracle licensing fees.
• Zero Application Downtime during the entire migration process.
• Real-Time Data Availability enabled the development of AI/ML use cases such as fraud detection and member-tier forecasting.

Key Benefits

• Cost Efficiency: Migrating to PostgreSQL eliminated expensive licensing and support fees.
• Data Resilience: Bi-directional continuous replication allowed rollback and protected against data drift.
• Enhanced Analytics: PostgreSQL scalability enabled fast access to real-time data, supporting AI/ML workloads.
• Superior Guest Experience: Improved backend performance reduced booking latency and improved customer support responsiveness.

Next Steps

1. Broaden Migration Scope: Extend the HexaRocket migration framework to more hotel brands within the alliance.
2. AI/ML Rollout: Deploy predictive models for member-tier movement and real-time fraud detection using PostgreSQL data streams.
3. Customer Support Automation: Integrate PostgreSQL-powered insights into support platforms to enable personalized, proactive guest service.

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