Background
The Data Exchange Platform for Operations Technology (DEPOT) is an Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud-hosted platform for scalable transportation data exchange and integration. Application of cloud-native and emerging industry standard technologies has the potential to allow cloud-neutral and on-prem deployments, reduce associated costs, and enhance features to help secure continuation and wider adoption of the platform nationwide.
Approach
Cloud-native and emerging technologies were used to replace vendor-specific DEPOT data streams, producers, consumers, and monitoring services. Alternatives were evaluated based on cost, features, portability, scalability, reliability, and maintainability. An existing DEPOT data pipeline was retooled with selected options and monitored during load testing, fault tolerance, scaling, and regular maintenance scenarios. Hosting cost comparisons were made against an existing DEPOT deployment of similar scale.
Accomplishments
Using a modified balance of cloud-native technologies and basic cloud computing services, DEPOT monthly costs were reduced by 14.55%, 65.52%, 88.78%, and 64.77% respectively for data streams, producers, consumers, and monitoring. The high flexibility and low maintenance of cloud hosted virtual machines with cloud managed Kubernetes allowed a more portable, scalable, feature-rich DEPOT without reducing reliability or significantly increasing maintenance effort. DEPOT owners have provided additional funding to transition the platform to this approach.