Implementation of Multi-Tenant Architecture on AWS

Our Customer

A biotech company partnered with us to pioneer a transformative approach to biomedical innovation. Their innovative solution focuses on inducing catalytic failure in real-world human models of disease, utilizing organs from deceased donors unsuitable for transplantation. This unconventional approach harnesses the untapped potential of these organs, providing profound insights into human disease and therapeutic responses.

The Obstacles They Faced

The challenge of effective implementation of a multi-tenant architecture for SaaS boils down to how well a service provider can manage the trade-offs between security (data isolation) and operational efficiency (cost-effectiveness).

How We Helped

We successfully transformed the client’s application infrastructure, enhancing the app’s architecture, data security, tenant management, scalability, and deployment. These improvements have equipped the solution for sustained growth and elevated competitiveness.

In this case, we opted for the latter approach – database-level isolation within a single AWS account. This approach ensures that in implementing a multi-tenant architecture for the biotechnology software development, we maintain the highest standards of data security and optimize the client’s resource use.

Choosing the Optimal Architecture

Faced with the need for swift time-to-market, our experts thoroughly evaluated the Pool and Silo models for building multi-tenancy architecture. The decision to adopt the Pool model, complemented by a shared database with row-level isolation, has struck the perfect balance between resource efficiency and the necessity for data segregation. This approach enables multiple tenants to share a single database infrastructure while maintaining strict data isolation, utilizing Java, Spring, and Hibernate for seamless integration with the data of isolated tenants.

Implementing Row-Level Isolation

To ensure robust data separation and minimize the potential for human error, we have implemented out-of-the-box support for row-level isolation in Spring and Hibernate. This involved leveraging such techniques as the @TenantId annotation, CurrentTenantIdentifierResolver, and JwtTokenFilter with tenant_uuid implementations. A unique “tenant_uuid” field in each database table serves as the cornerstone for segregating tenant data at the database level, effectively enhancing security and privacy.

Introducing the Tenants Microservice

To adeptly manage tenant interactions including invitations, registrations, suspensions, and deactivations, we have proposed developing a dedicated Tenants microservice. This new component, boasting its own database, facilitates seamless communication with other microservices through an event-driven approach using AWS MSK and REST API, further streamlining tenant management processes.

Infrastructure and Deployment Enhancements

Romexsoft experts are set to advance the application’s infrastructure, building on an already robust setup featuring CloudFront and ALB for maximum availability, alongside advanced deployment pipelines and dual Sandbox/Production environments. The objective is to further elevate the application’s performance, scalability, and management efficiency.

Containerization and management

The introduction of a dockerized application environment utilizing AWS Fargate marks a significant step towards enhancing scalability and ease of managing the entire application’s infrastructure. This approach streamlines the deployment of updates and new features, enabling quick adaptation to changing demands or operational requirements.

High availability and traffic management

Enhancements to traffic routing through Amazon CloudFront and Application Load Balancers (ALB) are designed to bolster the application’s resilience to traffic fluctuations and network disruptions. This strategy ensures seamless traffic distribution across multiple resources, minimizing downtime and optimizing user experience.

Database performance and scalability

The integration of the Aurora MySQL database layer offers a leap in performance, reliability, and scalability over traditional MySQL setups. Engineered specifically for cloud environments, Aurora MySQL provides a sturdy, fault-tolerant database solution that supports the further application’s growth.

Log collection and analysis

Adopting Amazon OpenSearch for log collection and analysis brings about a new dimension in monitoring application performance and user interaction. This facilitates timely identification and resolution of issues, significantly enhancing both the application’s security and operational efficiency.

Automated deployment process

The deployment strategy employs AWS CodePipeline, integrating BitBucket for source control and CodeBuild for the build phase, culminating in deployment via ECS. This automated pipeline minimizes manual intervention, accelerates the release process, and ensures that application updates are rolled out smoothly and without errors.

Multi-Tenant Application on AWS – Architecture Diagram

A comprehensive transformation of the client’s application infrastructure has set a standard for modern multi-tenancy software. The enhancements in the app’s architecture, data security, tenant management, scalability, and deployment have positioned the client for sustained growth, market competitiveness, and the ability to meet future challenges head-on.

The Impact of Streamlining Multi-Tenancy

Resource efficiency and data segregation
By implementing the Pool model of multi-tenancy architecture, we ensure resource efficiency and necessary data segregation for the client’s application. This strategic decision has enabled database infrastructure optimized for rapid market entry.

Enhanced data privacy and security
The implementation of row-level isolation using advanced techniques has significantly improved data security and privacy, thus minimizing the risk of data breaches and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

Elevated Tenant interaction and control
The introduction of a dedicated Tenants microservice has totally changed how tenant interactions are managed in the app. This transformation has streamlined the entire process, enabling efficient communication across services and enhancing overall operational agility.

Infrastructure and Operational Excellence

Governed scalability
Our move to a dockerized application environment has dramatically enhanced the scalability and manageability of the client’s application infrastructure. With this setup, updates and new features can now be deployed swiftly, thereby guaranteeing the application’s quick adaptation to meet evolving demands.

Uninterrupted service
Enhancements to the content delivery network and traffic management have strengthened the application’s resilience against traffic spikes and network disruptions, resulting in enhanced availability. In this way, we secure an uninterrupted service experience for users.

Database performance
Migrating to Aurora MySQL has transformed the application’s database management, offering better performance, reliability, and scalability. This robust, fault-tolerant solution supports the application’s continuous growth and expanding data demands.

Proactive monitoring
The adoption of OpenSearch Service for log collection and analysis has ushered in a proactive approach to monitoring. This not only enhances application security but also boosts operational efficiency by enabling swift issue detection and resolution.

Efficient deployment
The automated deployment process has streamlined the release of application updates. This secures a consistent, error-free rollout process, allowing the client to focus on continuous innovation and improvement.