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Financial Services Data Centre Migration

A Critical Data Centre Exit. Successfully Delivered.

Successfully relocated a disaster recovery Data Centre, migrating over 400 devices and 6PB of data while maintaining business continuity and compliance requirements.

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Advisors managing a disaster recovery data-centre relocation
6PBData Migrated
400+Devices Relocated
300+Applications Supported
5,000+Firewall Rules Rebuilt
Zero
Downtime
Ahead of
Deadline

TESTIMONIALS

The successful relocation of our disaster recovery Data Centre was a testament to expert planning, execution, and collaboration. Despite the complexity and scale, the transition was delivered on time, within scope, and without disruption to our business operations. The governance structure provided clarity and confidence at every stage, enabling our teams to stay aligned and focused. This project not only strengthened our infrastructure resilience but also demonstrated what's possible when strategic vision meets disciplined delivery. We are now better positioned to support our business continuity objectives and future growth with a modern, scalable platform.

Chief Information Officer

Overview

A complex disaster recovery Data Centre relocation involving infrastructure rebuilds, application migration, equipment transport, and site decommissioning

When a leading financial institution was notified by IBM of the impending closure of its disaster recovery Data Centre in Baulkham Hills, Sydney, it faced a critical challenge: migrate its entire IT infrastructure to a new facility without disrupting operations. The organisation selected a state-of-the-art Data Centre in Melbourne as the destination, initiating a complex, multi-phase project that spanned over 9 months.

The project began with discovery and planning, followed by infrastructure design, procurement, and a phased migration strategy. The team executed soft migrations of databases and virtual machines before physically relocating servers, mainframes, and storage systems. The final move involved transporting over 400 devices and 6PB of data across 860 kilometres.

Despite procurement delays and dependency project failures, the migration was completed ahead of the contractual deadline. The new facility now supports over 300 disaster recovery applications and meets compliance requirements for geographic separation. The project concluded with a successful decommissioning of the old site and a seamless transition to the new environment, ensuring resilience and scalability for future growth.

About the Customer

A global leader in insurance and financial services, supporting individuals and businesses with tailored risk management solutions. Operating across diverse markets, it combines innovation, digital transformation, and sustainability to deliver long-term value. With a strong reputation for reliability and customer focus, it helps clients navigate uncertainty and secure their future with confidence and resilience.

Project Snapshot
  • Industry: Financial
  • Location: Sydney
  • Duration: 9 months
Service Delivered
  • Service: Data Centre Migration
  • Data Migrated: 6PB
Scope
  • Applications: 300+ DR applications
  • Devices: 400+ relocated

Why Bushey

Programme management

01

Data Centre migration planning & execution

02

Infrastructure design

03

Vendor management

04

Testing & commissioning services

05

The Challenge

A mandatory Data Centre exit with no room for failure

What stood in the way

Data Centre ClosureThe client received notice from IBM that their existing disaster recovery Data Centre would be closed. The initial plan to migrate services to the public cloud was deemed unfeasible, prompting the need for a physical relocation.

Project DependenciesProcurement delays significantly impacted timelines, with critical equipment and contracts, such as Telstra voice services, delivered late. The onboarding of the consulting team itself took seven months, delaying early-stage planning. Dependency projects failed to deliver, forcing the migration of legacy systems originally slated for retirement or transformation.

Technical ComplexityOver 5,000 firewall rules had to be rebuilt from scratch due to a change in firewall vendors and the absence of validated legacy configurations. The project also faced cultural and organisational silos, with teams reluctant to collaborate without mediation. Cabling issues at the new site — missing labels and incomplete patching — further complicated the final migration.

How Bushey solved it

Discovery & PlanningBushey Advisors approached the project with a structured, multi-phase methodology. The initial discovery phase assessed the current state of the Baulkham Hills facility and identified gaps in documentation and infrastructure readiness. This was followed by high-level and low-level design planning, which laid the foundation for procurement and migration strategies.

Migration StrategyThe team developed a comprehensive migration runbook detailing every step of the transition. They coordinated with technology teams to build out the new Melbourne Data Centre, ensuring that network, storage, and server infrastructure were installed and tested in a staged manner.

Data Centre TransitionSoft migrations began with database replication followed by virtual machine replication, synchronised to minimise downtime and ensure data integrity. Physical migrations commenced with the decommissioning of legacy systems. Equipment was securely packed, transported with GPS tracking, and reinstalled at the new site.

End-to-End DeliveryBushey Advisors managed every aspect of the move, from cabling and power distribution to system commissioning and testing. They also oversaw the decommissioning of the old site, ensuring ethical recycling of over 1,800 disks and 422 devices. The project concluded with a successful handover, meeting all compliance and operational requirements.

Facing a Mandatory Data Centre Exit?

Independent programme leadership to plan and execute a complex relocation — on time, on scope, and without disruption.

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The Benefits

A stronger technology foundation for continuity, resilience, and future growth
Business Resilience

The new Data Centre provides a resilient and scalable environment that supports disaster recovery and business continuity.

Compliance & Risk Reduction

The geographic separation from the primary site enhances compliance and reduces the risk of simultaneous outages.

Infrastructure Modernisation

The migration served as an opportunity to modernise infrastructure. Legacy systems were evaluated, with 71 virtual machines retired, reducing technical debt. The rebuilt firewall architecture improved network security and manageability.

Sustainability

The project prioritised ethical recycling, with all decommissioned equipment processed responsibly. Bushey Advisors' structured approach ensured minimal disruption, clear governance, and efficient execution.

Collaboration

The project fostered improved collaboration across teams and highlighted the importance of proactive planning and communication. The client emerged with a future-ready IT environment, better positioned to support evolving business needs and technological advancements.

Planning a Data Centre migration, closure, or technology transformation?

Bushey Advisors helps organisations manage complex infrastructure programmes, reduce delivery risk, and maintain business continuity during critical change initiatives.