Introduction
Public sector agencies face unique challenges in maintaining, updating, and securing their digital environments. Many federal agencies operate on legacy infrastructure, requiring modernization to meet current security, compliance, and operational efficiency standards. CTAC supports several public sector agencies to address these challenges through the implementation of a Multi-Tenant Virtual Network Operations Center (NOC) within AWS.
Customer Challenge
Our customers were burdened by outdated, in-house server environments that were difficult to maintain and scale. Their primary pain points included:
- Aging Infrastructure: Existing websites and systems were hosted in legacy self-hosted or older cloud environments, making them difficult to update and secure.
- Resource Constraints: Many agencies had limited in-house IT staff, making it challenging to monitor, maintain, and resolve incidents effectively.
- Feature Scalability: Agencies desired new features and functionalities for their websites without the burden of managing infrastructure.
Our Solution
To address these challenges, our firm developed a Multi-Tenant Virtual Network Operations Center within AWS, delivering a modern, scalable, and secure solution. Key aspects of our approach included:
Technology and Tools
- Infrastructure as Code: Utilizing Terraform and AWS CloudFormation, we implemented a version-controlled, replicable infrastructure model, ensuring consistency, visibility, and auditability.
- Replicable Environment Models: We created standardized “cookie-cutter” elements (OS images, dashboards, IaC templates) that allow seamless replication of environments. Maintaining one system meant maintaining all, eliminating redundant efforts.
- Centralized Operations & Monitoring: Our virtual NOC provided a shared operational overview across multiple agencies and environments, enabling proactive issue resolution and automated monitoring.
- AI and Automation Enhancements: The flexibility of our IaC-based Virtual NOC approach allowed CTAC to integrate AI-powered search capabilities (e.g., AWS Bedrock at CPSC) for agencies quickly and efficiently , without the need for costly and time-consuming infrastructure overhauls.
- Amazon Partnership Leverage: Our strong relationship with AWS enabled us to stay ahead of technology advancements, optimizing cloud resources for cost efficiency and security.
Process Improvements
- Force Multiplier Effect: Instead of multiple junior IT staff maintaining separate environments, our approach allowed a single senior team to oversee all environments simultaneously.
- Automated Security and Patching: The system automatically applies patches and security updates, eliminating vulnerabilities from outdated infrastructure.
- Continuous Innovation: The NOC was designed for ongoing updates, balancing operations & maintenance (O&M) with the introduction of new functions and services.
Challenges Overcome
- Building Modular, Secure, and Maintainable Infrastructure: Creating scalable “Lego block” components within AWS that could be efficiently deployed across agencies.
- Adapting to Evolving DevOps Practices: Keeping up with advances in Infrastructure as Code, DevOps practices, and cloud-native development since the NOC’s inception in 2014
- Integrating New Features Seamlessly: Ensuring that the NOC could easily accommodate new AWS resources and services as they emerge.
Results and Impact
The implementation of the Multi-Tenant Virtual NOC delivered significant benefits to the participating agencies:
- Reliable, Secure, and Repeatable Systems: A standardized approach ensured consistency and minimized disruptions.
- Optimized Staffing & Cost Efficiency: Agencies required fewer in-house resources, relying on CTAC’s senior-level expertise instead of maintaining large in-house IT teams with inconsistent levels of skill and expertise.
- Faster Feature Deployment: New features, such as AI-powered search at CPSC, were implemented rapidly without additional infrastructure overhead.
- Enhanced Security & Compliance: Automated updates and patches reduced security vulnerabilities, ensuring compliance with federal IT standards.
- Elimination of Legacy Infrastructure: Agencies no longer needed to manage old servers, hardware or their own cloud environments, reducing maintenance costs and security risks.
Conclusion
Through the implementation of our Multi-Tenant Virtual NOC, we provided public sector agencies with a scalable, automated, and cost-effective solution that streamlined IT operations, enhanced security, and allowed them to focus on mission-critical initiatives. We limit repetitive and error prone tasks compared to vendors who don’t use a vNOC. Our expertise in DevOps, Infrastructure as Code, and cloud automation has positioned us as a trusted partner for agencies seeking to modernize their IT environments while ensuring long-term sustainability and efficiency.
