Exploring architectural choices: Options for running IBM TRIRIGA Application Suite on AWS with Red Hat OpenShift

IBM^® TRIRIGA^® Application Suite (TAS) is a market-leading?integrated workplace management system for organizations managing their facility portfolios and assets throughout their lifecycle efficiently. It helps organizations optimize their workplace experience, facility resource scheduling, facility strategic planning, lease accounting and asset disposal, and manage their transactions, capital projects, space, facility maintenance and facility sustainability. 

Data and AI are increasingly critical tools in how organizations are evolving their facilities management. Real-time insights infused with AI support dynamic space planning. Shared data allows occupants to make service requests and book rooms, right-size portfolios and increase the efficiency of lease administration, capital projects and more. Simple, fast and flexible, TAS has the right mix of applications in one modular tool to maximize your building lifecycle while preparing you to meet future needs. 

TRIRIGA Application Suite stands out as a compelling choice due to its focus on simplification and flexibility, addressing the evolving needs of modern enterprises. Consolidating facility management functionalities into a unified platform streamlines deployment and management processes, reducing the complexities associated with enterprise systems. The deployment flexibility across the on-premises, cloud or hybrid-cloud environments of TRIRIGA caters to diverse organizational infrastructures.  

The suite’s simplified licensing model also offers greater adaptability, which enables users to scale their usage according to requirements. With an emphasis on a uniform and enhanced user experience, the TRIRIGA Application Suite boosts efficiency. It offers straightforward expansion into extra capabilities through full-suite access through the simple licensing model of AppPoints, ultimately driving innovation and cost-effectiveness in asset management strategies.  

As TRIRIGA continues to evolve, TAS will be the primary offering for new major enhancements. IBM and our partners are assisting clients in their migrations to help them take advantage of new technologies as they become available on TAS.  

In this blog post, we walk through the recommended options for running IBM TAS on Amazon Web Services (AWS). We discuss the architecture and describe how the IBM, Red Hat^® and AWS components come together and provide a solid foundation for running IBM TAS. We also explore the architectural decisions to consider so you can choose the one that best fits your organization’s needs. 

In this article, we cover three ways to run IBM TAS on AWS:? 

1. TAS on customer-hosted Red Hat^® OpenShift^® 
2. TAS on customer-hosted Red Hat OpenShift Service on AWS (ROSA) 
3. TAS Managed Services by Partners 

1. TAS on customer-hosted Red Hat OpenShift  

This deployment allows customers to use their in-house skilled team members with Red Hat OpenShift expertise, particularly in areas such as security, helping to ensure robust protection for their environment. Customers are responsible for the management of every aspect of this environment, which requires ongoing attention, maintenance and resource allocation.  

This deployment gives customers maximum control over the application and infrastructure in exchange for greater responsibility for managing both. This option remains scalable, providing the flexibility to adjust resources according to fluctuating demand and optimizing efficiency.  

The availability and reliability of the environment hinge upon the customer’s architectural design and proficiency in managing both Red Hat OpenShift and TAS.  

The accessibility of version updates and extra features also depend on the customer’s software update plan for Red Hat OpenShift and TAS.  

Also, since the environment runs on the customer’s AWS account, it draws down against their existing AWS Enterprise Discount Plan, which may bring some cost benefits. 

Ultimately, while offering autonomy and scalability, this deployment option demands careful planning and management to help ensure optimal performance and cost-effectiveness. 

2. TAS on customer-hosted ROSA 

The customer-hosted Red Hat OpenShift Service on AWS (ROSA) deployment option for the TAS is a deployment tailored to simplify the user experience.  

This option reduces the customer’s operational burden, offloading all the (OpenShift) ROSA cluster lifecycle management—including upgrades and security hotfixes—to Red Hat and AWS teams. 

This option allows customers to focus on the TAS application, with platform and infrastructure management and support provided by Red Hat and AWS teams.  

This approach streamlines management and frees up customer resources for other critical tasks making it ideal for customers seeking to focus on their TAS application. 

Moreover, the deployment maintains scalability, which allows seamless resource adjustments to accommodate varying demand levels. 

In this option, the customer has full control over TAS upgrades and deployed versions, allowing the customer to balance the software lifecycle with the deadlines and demands of their business. 

The managed aspect of the ROSA platform also provides robust high availability and fault-tolerance guardrails backed by 99.95% service level agreement. This SLA is designed to satisfy your platform reliability and stability requirements, allowing uninterrupted service delivery for your TAS application. 

Additionally, since the environment operates within the customer’s AWS account, it draws down against their existing AWS Enterprise Discount Plan (EDP), bringing some cost benefits. The ROSA deployment option provides a compelling tool for customers who are focusing on TAS applications and offloading platform monitoring and maintenance to a managed service.   

3. TAS Managed Services by Partners 

The TAS Managed Services by Partners option offers a tailored solution designed to alleviate customers from the complexities of managing their TAS deployment. With this option, customers can sidestep the need to acquire Red Hat OpenShift skills, as the responsibility for managing Red Hat OpenShift falls upon the partners. The customer is no longer required to manage the platform or application as they engage with a fully managed service with the business partner.  

This option allows organizations to focus on their core objectives while benefiting from the scalability inherent in the deployment, facilitating seamless adjustments to resources in line with fluctuating demand.  

The availability, resilience and reliability of the environment are the responsibilities of the business partner subject to SLA with the partner.  

Customers also rely on partners for TAS version updates and the availability of added features, which might be subject to the partner’s offerings and timelines.  

The environment operates within the partner’s AWS account, and the customers can only see and access the application endpoints for their business operations. The customer should know that their data exists and is controlled in the partner AWS account.  

The TAS Managed Services by Partners option presents a compelling proposition for customers seeking a streamlined, scalable and well-supported TAS deployment system. 

Note: The above architecture is generic. Actual architecture might vary based on the partner solution. 

Closing thoughts 

Each IBM TRIRIGA Application Suite deployment option presents distinct advantages and limitations. Customers should assess their infrastructure, customization, in-house skills and cost considerations to make an informed decision that helps ensure a successful and efficient IBM TAS deployment. By understanding the strengths and limitations of each option, customers can choose the deployment option that meets their business objectives. 

Ready to get started? Contact IBM to learn more.

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