Introduction
29CM, Online Select Shop Delivering Brand and Product Value
A PLUS B is an e-commerce company that operates 29CM, one of the biggest online select shops in Korea. 29CM, which opened in 2011, delivers brand and product value with excellent sensibility through various types of content including texts, images, and videos.
More than 200 brands including BMW Mini, Airbnb, and Nike have collaborated with 29CM. Each month, more than 3,000 brands and more than 150,000 items are presented to more than 1 million customers. Since its opening, 29CM has achieved a total growth rate of more than 80% each year, and its cumulative handling amount has also exceeded KRW 100 billion, indicating a remarkable high growth rate.
Background
Considering the Introduction of Multi-Cloud to Meet the Increasing Server Demand
In order to operate 29CM more seamlessly, A PLUS B attempted various changes such as virtualizing its entire infrastructure and rebuilding it in the form of a private cloud as well as switching to micro-architecture as its development method. As its size grew, however, the company faced a major concern in that it was difficult to handle the increasing server demand with the private cloud alone. They considered building additional physical infrastructure, but the cost of undertaking such project would reach billions of won, and considering the characteristics of e-commerce and their growth rate, they concluded that it would be more suitable to create a cloud capable of flexible operation rather than adding new physical infrastructure.
Accordingly, the online retail shop operator decided to build a multi-cloud that uses AWS, which is a public cloud, along with their private cloud, considering its current infrastructure as well as the global infrastructure trends.
What did KINX do?
Proposal of CloudHub®, Which Minimizes Latency
At KINX, we proposed the use of AWS Direct Connect through CloudHub to build an optimum multi-cloud. This was because connecting our IDC, where the AWS Direct Connect Router is located, and A PLUS B’s private cloud would enable connection over the shortest distance possible, thereby minimizing latency between the private cloud and the AWS cloud and guaranteeing uniform services via our IDCs located throughout the Seoul National Capital Area. Plus, it would be possible for A PLUS B to add new cloud service providers (CSPs) with convenience, based on their infrastructure configuration in the future.
Effect
Seamless Operation of Web/App Services Despite the Explosive Sales Growth
A PLUS B successfully built a multi-cloud by connecting its existing private cloud with AWS via CloudHub. The most notable effect of building a multi-cloud was flexible infrastructure operation.
The web/app server, which needs to be frequently expanded, was set up as a flexible public cloud (AWS), while the database server, which requires reliable data processing and security, was set up as a private cloud. As such, each type of cloud was leveraged to distribute the infrastructural resources according to their purpose of use. As a result, the company was able to operate its services using the multi-cloud environment, despite the marked increase in the web/app traffic between January 2018 when the total transaction amount was recorded at USD 2 million and the second half of the year when it reached USD 5 million.
