Executive Summary
Copy shareable section linkOver the past six months we have completed a phased transition of all client websites, and our own, to Amazon Web Services (AWS). Every site is now distributed across four production servers, improving resilience, performance and headroom. With the exception of a couple of brief instances, the migration was entirely transparent to clients: there were no required actions and no disruption to everyday operations. Since completing the move, our monitoring shows zero downtime across the platform.
Performance has also improved. We validated gains using structured testing via GTmetrix, establishing benchmarks for each site so we can continue to optimise over time.
In parallel, we have migrated client DNS to Cloudflare wherever possible. Cloudflare adds a globally distributed, security focused edge in front of our AWS servers, improving speed, resilience and protection from malicious traffic. All sites are continuously monitored by Site24x7 so we can detect and address issues quickly.
If you would like the same level of reliability and performance for your own website, you can learn more on our Hosting & Domains page.
Six Months, Four Servers: Our AWS Migration and What It Delivers
Copy shareable section linkWhen we began planning this migration, the goal was straightforward: give every client a faster, safer and more resilient hosting platform, without getting in the way of day to day business. AWS was the natural foundation for that goal. Its mature infrastructure, sophisticated security model and operational tooling allow us to design for reliability from the outset, rather than bolt it on later.
Why We Chose AWS for Hosting
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Security that is built in
AWS provides a comprehensive security posture: private networking, granular identity and access management, encryption at rest and in transit, and detailed logging. These controls help us enforce least privilege access, isolate workloads and reduce the impact of potential issues.
You can read more about the platform at Amazon Web Services and about the AWS Shared Responsibility Model, which sets out how security is shared between AWS and customers.
Reliability at scale
AWS is designed for consistent availability as workloads grow. By following the principles in the AWS Well-Architected Framework we can carry out updates, manage capacity and maintain our environments without affecting live sites. That means routine maintenance can remain routine, even during busy periods.
Performance where it matters
Modern compute, optimised storage and current generation runtimes reduce server response times and improve how pages render for visitors.
These are the gains that do not always show on the surface, but they are felt as snappier pages and smoother browsing. Faster load times also support SEO and paid campaigns, reducing the drop off that comes from slow pages. For clients this translates into more engaged visitors, better conversion rates and a smoother experience across both desktop and mobile.
A Four Server Production Architecture
Copy shareable section linkAll client sites now run across four production servers. Spreading workloads in this way provides several practical benefits:
- No single point of failure. If one node is under maintenance or experiencing pressure, traffic is served by the others. This greatly improves resilience during updates or traffic spikes.
- More intelligent capacity management. We can place sites on the servers that best fit their traffic and resource profiles, helping to keep performance consistent as patterns evolve.
- Safer updates. Rolling deployments, where we update one server at a time, reduce risk. If a change does not behave as expected we can pause, roll back and investigate while the rest of the estate continues to run normally.
- Cleaner separation. With clear boundaries between servers it is easier to isolate intensive workloads, run targeted diagnostics and keep the platform healthy as a whole.
A Transparent, Low friction Migration
Copy shareable section linkWe moved sites in carefully planned waves over a six month period. The aim was to keep risk low and the experience smooth for clients. For the vast majority of sites, the transition was completely transparent. There were no content freezes, no credential resets and no changes to day to day processes.
Aside from a couple of short, pre announced instances, cutovers were performed in controlled windows and validated immediately after DNS changes propagated. Our process for each wave included:
- Pre flight audits to catalogue databases, file storage, scheduled jobs and integrations for each site.
- Data synchronisation to ensure databases and media were fully in step before any live traffic was redirected.
- Staging verification with production parity, so we could confirm application behaviour on AWS before the cutover.
- DNS switchover to the new AWS origin endpoints only after checks passed.
- Post cutover testing and monitoring to confirm that traffic patterns and performance matched or exceeded our expectations.
Measured Performance Improvements
Copy shareable section linkWe rely on data rather than guesswork. After each move we ran full performance tests with GTmetrix and recorded baselines for every site for future comparison.
The strongest improvements typically came from:
- Lower server response times due to modern compute and tuned web and application stacks, which reduced time to first byte.
- More efficient asset delivery through better caching strategies and compression for images, stylesheets and scripts.
- Smoother rendering thanks to updated runtimes and asset pipelines that improved key user centric metrics such as Largest Contentful Paint and Total Blocking Time.
Every site is different, so the numbers vary. The pattern is consistent though: pages load faster and feel more responsive. With baselines in place we can spot regression early and continue to optimise.
Zero Downtime Since Completion
Copy shareable section linkUptime is a measurable outcome for us, not a marketing slogan. Since completing the AWS migration our external monitoring has recorded zero downtime across the estate. We have also been able to perform system maintenance without interrupting service, which is one of the key advantages of distributing workloads across multiple servers.
If you would like to benefit from this hosting approach, you can explore the options on our Website Hosting & Domains page.
Cloudflare and Continuous Monitoring: Protection, Speed and Visibility
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Moving to AWS was the core infrastructure change. The next step was to place a powerful, security aware edge in front of it. Wherever possible, we have migrated client DNS to Cloudflare, making use of its DNS, security and performance features to enhance what our AWS platform already offers.
Why we use Cloudflare for DNS and edge services
Authoritative DNS at global scale
Cloudflare DNS is anycasted across a large global network. This means queries are answered by the nearest Cloudflare location, keeping lookups fast and propagation rapid. DNSSEC support adds an extra layer of integrity to DNS responses.
DDoS protection and a modern web application firewall
Cloudflare is engineered to absorb large scale attacks before they reach our origin servers. Its DDoS protection and Web Application Firewall help block malicious traffic, filter common exploits and reduce noise in our logs, allowing our servers to focus on genuine requests.
A performance focused content delivery network
With the Cloudflare CDN static assets are cached closer to visitors. This cuts round trips, especially for repeat visits, and helps improve page load times. Features such as tiered caching and precise purge controls keep content fresh without putting unnecessary strain on the origin.
Modern transport protocols and encryption
Cloudflare provides automatic SSL and TLS termination at the edge and supports HTTP/2 and HTTP/3. This improves connection setup times and throughput, which contributes to a smoother browsing experience on both desktop and mobile devices.
How Cloudflare complements our AWS servers
Cloudflare effectively acts as the high speed, security aware front door to our four server AWS origin. The benefits include:
- Reduced load on origin servers. Caching at the edge means fewer requests need to travel all the way to the servers. This is particularly valuable at peak times and for sites with rich media.
- Cleaner traffic. Many automated scans, malformed requests and opportunistic attacks are stopped at the edge. That reduces clutter in our logs and makes it easier to identify real issues.
- More consistent performance worldwide. Visitors connect to a nearby Cloudflare location, which shortens the effective distance to your site, even if the origin is centralised.
Bringing DNS under one umbrella
Before this project, DNS records lived in a mixture of registrars and control panels. Consolidating zones under Cloudflare provides:
- Unified management. A single place to manage records, apply DNSSEC, standardise time to live values and enable or disable proxying across client sites.
- Safer changes. Role based access and audit trails help to prevent mistakes, while templates make launches and migrations more predictable.
- Rapid propagation. When we need to repoint traffic for maintenance or to introduce new infrastructure, changes propagate quickly across Cloudflare’s global network.
Continuous monitoring with Site24x7
A strong architecture still needs independent verification. Every site we host is continuously monitored by Site24x7, which acts as an external observer checking availability and performance.
Monitoring covers:
- Global uptime checks. Synthetic pings and HTTP checks from multiple regions confirm that sites are reachable from different parts of the world, not just from within our own network.
- Content verification. We check for specific content, not just status codes, which helps to catch partial failures that simple pings would miss.
- SSL, TLS and DNS health. Alerts notify us about certificate expiry, DNS resolution issues and unusual latency, allowing us to intervene before users are affected.
- Alerts and reporting. Real time notifications are sent to our operations team, and regular reports summarise uptime and response times. Since the migration was completed, these reports show zero downtime.
What This Means For You
Bringing all of this together provides a platform with clear, practical benefits:
- Reliability you can depend on. The four server architecture and our deployment processes mean updates do not have to result in downtime.
- Layered security. AWS security features, combined with Cloudflare’s edge protection and WAF, reduce exposure while maintaining performance.
- Speed your visitors will notice. Faster server responses, cached assets and modern protocols translate into quicker page loads and better user experience.
- Transparent visibility. Continuous monitoring from Site24x7 ensures we see the same reality that your users see, minute by minute.
- One team accountable. With hosting, DNS and monitoring under one roof, there is a single team responsible for uptime and performance.
If you are planning a new website, or considering a move from your current host, we would be happy to discuss how this platform can support your goals. You can find out more on our Website Hosting & Domains page.
