Fortune 100 Avoids Millions in NetScaler Renewals With 10x Faster Migration

OpsWerks played a critical role in migrating 1,600+ NetScaler appliances and 9,300 VIPs across multiple business units and global data centers — accelerating execution, reducing risk, and maintaining full business continuity.

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Client background

A global technology enterprise operated one of the largest and most complex NetScaler deployments in the world, powering mission-critical network services across the U.S. and China. 

The environment included 1,600+ physical devices and nearly 9,300 Virtual IPs (VIPs) routing terabits of live traffic daily. Years of updates across multiple teams and data centers resulted in the world’s most complex NetScaler footprint.

When Citrix went private, contract negotiations no longer aligned with the enterprise’s expectations; renewal costs massively increased and Citrix’s new strategies left minimal room for negotiation. 

Faced with substantial cost pressures and reduced flexibility from a now-private vendor, the enterprise recognized the risk of being locked into a single provider that could dictate terms without accountability.

This forced a strategic pivot: migrate to a new load balancer based on an open-source platform to regain control, reduce vendor dependency, and hedge against future pricing volatility. The project had an aggressive deadline and zero tolerance for downtime across their global user base.

NetScalers decommissioning challenges

Unprecedented scale and complexity

The customer had the third-largest NetScaler footprint globally, but the most configuration complexity of any deployment worldwide. Multiple business units maintained distinct environments, change processes, and dependencies.

The customer had the third-largest NetScaler footprint globally, but the most configuration complexity of any deployment worldwide. Multiple business units maintained distinct environments, change processes, and dependencies.

The customer had the third-largest NetScaler footprint globally, but the most configuration complexity of any deployment worldwide. Multiple business units maintained distinct environments, change processes, and dependencies.

Security gaps cause policy violations and risk

High-volume, high-stakes traffic

Each migration affected terabits of live production traffic. Even a minor misconfiguration could cause visible impact across global services and impact hundreds of millions of users.

Each migration affected terabits of live production traffic. Even a minor misconfiguration could cause visible impact across global services and impact hundreds of millions of users.

Each migration affected terabits of live production traffic. Even a minor misconfiguration could cause visible impact across global services and impact hundreds of millions of users.

Security gaps cause policy violations and risk

Tight global deadline

The program required end-to-end migration, from initial audit to hardware decommissioning, within just nine months, across distributed teams and data centers in the U.S. and China.

The program required end-to-end migration, from initial audit to hardware decommissioning, within just nine months, across distributed teams and data centers in the U.S. and China.

The program required end-to-end migration, from initial audit to hardware decommissioning, within just nine months, across distributed teams and data centers in the U.S. and China.

Security gaps cause policy violations and risk

NetScaler migration process

OpsWerks embedded engineers directly with internal teams to lead a phased, automation-driven NetScaler migration with zero unplanned downtime.

OpsWerks embedded engineers directly with internal teams to lead a phased, automation-driven NetScaler migration with zero unplanned downtime.

OpsWerks embedded engineers directly with internal teams to lead a phased, automation-driven NetScaler migration with zero unplanned downtime.

Phase 1: Audit and Classification

Audited ~9,300 VIPs across U.S. and China environments (from dev to production) across multiple business units.

Audited ~9,300 VIPs across U.S. and China environments (from dev to production) across multiple business units.

Audited ~9,300 VIPs across U.S. and China environments (from dev to production) across multiple business units.

Analyzed 60–90 days of live traffic to identify active vs. inactive VIPs for migration or decommissioning.

Analyzed 60–90 days of live traffic to identify active vs. inactive VIPs for migration or decommissioning.

Analyzed 60–90 days of live traffic to identify active vs. inactive VIPs for migration or decommissioning.

Developed automation scripts for VIP/device inventory auditing, bulk connectivity testing, and burn-down reporting, saving hundreds of hours and reducing manual errors.

Developed automation scripts for VIP/device inventory auditing, bulk connectivity testing, and burn-down reporting, saving hundreds of hours and reducing manual errors.

Developed automation scripts for VIP/device inventory auditing, bulk connectivity testing, and burn-down reporting, saving hundreds of hours and reducing manual errors.

Coordinated ownership validation across dozens of internal service teams.

Coordinated ownership validation across dozens of internal service teams.

Coordinated ownership validation across dozens of internal service teams.

Phase 2: Configuration and Cutover

Built equivalent configurations on the new load balancer and validated parity in QA, performance, and pre-prod before production rollout.

Built equivalent configurations on the new load balancer and validated parity in QA, performance, and pre-prod before production rollout.

Built equivalent configurations on the new load balancer and validated parity in QA, performance, and pre-prod before production rollout.

Executed controlled traffic cutovers during maintenance windows with continuous monitoring.

Executed controlled traffic cutovers during maintenance windows with continuous monitoring.

Executed controlled traffic cutovers during maintenance windows with continuous monitoring.

Introduced a “logical decommissioning” process disabling interfaces before final shutdown to enable instant rollback if needed.

Introduced a “logical decommissioning” process disabling interfaces before final shutdown to enable instant rollback if needed.

Introduced a “logical decommissioning” process disabling interfaces before final shutdown to enable instant rollback if needed.

Extended OpsWerks’ scope to full production NetScaler migration after proving stability in early phases.

Extended OpsWerks’ scope to full production NetScaler migration after proving stability in early phases.

Extended OpsWerks’ scope to full production NetScaler migration after proving stability in early phases.

Created dashboards for live traffic visibility, enabling teams to track migration progress and system behavior.

Created dashboards for live traffic visibility, enabling teams to track migration progress and system behavior.

Created dashboards for live traffic visibility, enabling teams to track migration progress and system behavior.

Phase 3: Decommissioning and Standardization

Monitored live traffic post-cutover to confirm stable operations.

Monitored live traffic post-cutover to confirm stable operations.

Monitored live traffic post-cutover to confirm stable operations.

With local data center teams coordinated safe decommission of 1,600+ physical NetScaler appliances after validation.

With local data center teams coordinated safe decommission of 1,600+ physical NetScaler appliances after validation.

With local data center teams coordinated safe decommission of 1,600+ physical NetScaler appliances after validation.

Updated and standardized technical runbooks, tribal knowledge, and monitoring documentation for repeatable operations.

Updated and standardized technical runbooks, tribal knowledge, and monitoring documentation for repeatable operations.

Updated and standardized technical runbooks, tribal knowledge, and monitoring documentation for repeatable operations.

Scope of Work

  • Global audit of ~9,300 VIPs

  • Conversion of NetScaler configurations to new load balancer


  • Live traffic cutovers with rollback readiness


  • Development of automation tools and visibility dashboards


  • Coordinated decommissioning of 1,600+ NetScaler physical appliances


  • Standardized runbooks and repeatable process documentation


  • Continuous collaboration with internal teams across U.S. and China

The OpsWerks Advantage

Global scale, zero downtime
Executed one of the largest and most complex NetScaler migrations ever attempted, with no unplanned outages.

Automation under pressure
Built custom tools and dashboards that accelerated validation, improved visibility, and enabled safe parallel execution.

Operational trust earned
After early success, OpsWerks’ responsibility was elevated from dev and staging environments to take on production environment cutovers.

10x faster migration velocity
Our 24/7 dedicated team delivered a global, enterprise-scale NetScaler migration nearly 10x faster than internal teams (based on initial migration velocity).

Technical Results

Physical devices

Physical devices

Physical devices

1,600+ NetScaler appliances

Virtual IPs (VIPs)

Virtual IPs (VIPs)

Virtual IPs (VIPs)

~9,300 audited and migrated

Deadline

Deadline

Deadline

Completed in 9 months

Downtime

Downtime

Downtime

Zero unplanned outages

Automation

Automation

Automation

Custom-built audit and visibility tools

Regions

Regions

Regions

U.S. and China data centers from dev to production environments

Live traffic re-routing

Live traffic re-routing

Live traffic re-routing

Terabits per second across global services

Facing similar

Challenges?

Facing similar

Challenges?

Contact our Partner Success Team at partnerwithus@opswerks.com to see how we can help.

About OpsWerks

OpsWerks is a trusted partner to some of the world's most elite platform and infrastructure engineering teams, helping them operate at scale.

We streamline hybrid cloud operations, execute complex migrations without downtime, and enable developers to quickly build and deploy global apps used by millions.

From managing CI/CD ecosystems and building orchestration tools to 24/7 support for business-critical systems, for over a decade we’ve kept developers focused on building.

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