File transfer in progress — do not stop

New MFT zero downtime update capabilities won’t bring your high-value file transfers to a standstill when you need to update

Your managed file transfer (MFT) solution is critical to your business. It serves as a direct gateway to your business partners and as an integration hub for file transfers coming from numerous sources. Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure that the MFT software you utilize is the latest version. It will keep you armed with the latest security updates and patches. New features and capabilities will position your company to take on new use cases and manage the expanded network of partners needed to service more customers and drive quicker innovation.

But what if updating your MFT software to the latest version means you will have to suspend operations? Finding a good time to do that can be a problem. There really is no such thing as a good time to shut down your business. In the end, you’ll just have to accept the disruption, right?

Not so fast.

These days, there should be no expectation that you have to grind business to a halt to update critical software. Many companies are moving their high-value file transfers to the cloud to take advantage of features that make disaster recovery, business continuity, and always-on availability easier. But whether it is migrating to the cloud or updating to the very latest version of your MFT software, you want to be able to conduct necessary maintenance without costly downtime and you want to be able to upgrade quickly to avoid the risks of potential cyberattacks. Now you can.

Update SecureTransport with zero downtime

Axway is introducing a toolset for their widely used MFT solution, Axway SecureTransport, that enables a zero-downtime update (ZDU). One of the most scalable and resilient MFT products on the market, SecureTransport is often regarded as the industry-standard gateway for file transfer processes across industries, building on nearly 25 years of MFT expertise.

The ZDU version is currently available as part of a beta program with a toolkit that allows 24/7 uptime of your MFT application during maintenance periods, letting you keep your software up to date without impacting your business. You can maintain a robust security posture while bringing on new use cases, accelerating time to market, and staying on track to meet demanding SLAs. The beta version features include:

• SecureTransport update with zero downtime
• Full visibility with no interruption of transfers or schedules
• Transfer resubmission at any time
• A holistic view of the entire configuration
• Support for PostgreSQL and Oracle DB

Achieving zero downtime with blue/green deployment

SecureTransport relies on elements from both a blue/green deployment and rolling update technique. Like a canary deployment, the new version (green) is deployed and validated on a logically separate environment, while the original version (blue) continues to operate.

The difference is that this new environment is formed using the rolling update technique: one or a subset of instances in the current environment is taken offline, updated, and brought back online as part of a new cluster environment. Since there is always at least one cluster node running at any given time (current or new), SecureTransport remains operational without experiencing any downtime.

The technique allows the new version of the application to be deployed and tested before it is integrated into regular production traffic. If any issues are discovered during testing in the green environment, it is a simple matter of switching back to the stable blue environment, which can be done without impacting users or processes. Other factors related to technical implementation of the SecureTransport ZDU provide additional benefits:

• Reference architecture and toolkit that allow 24/7 transfer uptime of the MFT solution during software updates, including new capabilities such as health check or graceful shutdown capabilities
• No additional resources needed for implementation
• Existing enterprise cluster installations use their current environment; no need for new installations or investment in new environments

Who can take advantage of SecureTransport ZDU?

Axway SecureTransport with zero downtime update caters to customers across industries, especially those with high-value file transfer operations relying on uninterrupted service, necessitating 24/7/365 availability. For businesses facing difficulties coordinating maintenance windows with partners or internal operations, the solution presents an ideal opportunity.

Through a beta phase, Axway engages closely with customers, ensuring a feedback loop that provides valuable insights into the challenges they encounter in keeping their MFT solutions up to date. Customers also have the flexibility to manage deployment either on-premises or within their private cloud infrastructure. It’s an innovation that not only helps companies achieve greater resilience, but also reinforces their security posture for the future.

Want the ability to update your MFT solution without shutting down your business?

Contact us