The 2W Technologies Cloud, Infrastructure, and Epicor Consulting teams will engage with client stakeholders over a 5-week period to deliver a custom deployment of Epicor ERP on Azure and ensure stability, security, and performance outcomes. The final deployment is specifically designed to take advantage of the Microsoft Azure environment while running Epicor ERP.
Every configuration is unique and configured in partnership with the client teams, as a separate subscription within the client’s existing Microsoft Azure tenant. If no existing tenant is available, 2W will construct a new client-owned environment.
This deployment provides a significant reduction in the time to deploy Epicor ERP in a cloud environment, it is certified by Epicor, and it is correctly configured for a cloud environment – including endpoint bindings, SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates, application and environment security, disaster recovery, and user experience.
Deployment Timeline
Week 1 – Discovery
Client Kickoff Call to introduce stakeholders and team leads
Virtual Senior-Level Workshop to discuss client user base and expectations; review and agree on deployment responsibilities, including any 3rd party integrations; and align on client access methods, including Epicor Smart Client, Published Application (Azure Virtual Desktop or Remote Desktop), and Kinetic Web Interface
Virtual Technical Workshop to review existing environment, Internet connectivity, Azure region selection(s), client network configuration, and any specific security or compliance requirements (ITAR, CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification), SOX, etc.)
Week 2 – Design
Weekly stakeholder call led by 2W Technologies Project Manager
Customize Epicor in Azure design to match client requirements, including all Azure Compute, storage, platform, and other infrastructure needs
Finalize planned integration to client network(s), VPN (Virtual Private Network) configuration, and security system configurations
Confirm client customization requirements, access to existing Epicor ERP licensing, and access to existing data for migration (if applicable)
Confirm client access to public DNS (Domain Name Service) records
Week 3-4 – Implementation
Weekly stakeholder calls led by 2W Technologies Project Manager
Create subscription in client-owned Azure tenant and configure Identity and Access Management
Setup Virtual Networking and configure to match design specification
Client setup of required user accounts and scoped access for deployment
VPN configuration and connectivity testing
SSL and DNS configuration for internal and external application access
Deploy compute resources and install Epicor ERP at desired revision level (version)
Configure application authentication
Provision third party VMs (virtual machines) or other resources as needed
Create and configure compute and database backups
Create and configure application and resource alerting and monitoring
Setup resource scaling and cost management tools
Migrate existing Epicor ERP data (if applicable)
Schedule validation testing and client handoff
Week 5 – Client Handoff
Client Software install for test user(s)
Stakeholder call led by 2W Technologies Project Manager, including demonstration of access to Epicor Demo database and access to migrated client data (if applicable)
Virtual Technical Workshop, including demonstration of access to Azure environment and all client resources in Azure
Schedule follow-up for any added services needed
Deliverable Assets
Week 1
Project plan, including timeline
Team contact information
Capture of workshop findings and recommendations
Week 2
Design documents including resource needs and estimate recurring (ongoing) Azure costs
Planned connectivity diagram
Required and/or recommended changes for integration with client network(s)
Weeks 3-4
Subscription access and info
Updated deployment documents, including any changes from initial design
Application configuration document, with resource names and access information
Deployment of 4 ERP environments (Live, Pilot, Test, Demo)
Database maintenance schedules
Backup and recovery instructions and documentation of retention policies
Delivery of alerts to client specified endpoint(s) or email addresses
Secure transfer of keys and credentials in use
Week 5
Client installation instructions
Final update to deployment documents and credentials
Contact info and schedule for follow-up activities
