BAE Systems - UK Skills Funding Agency

<h2>Overview</h2> <p>As <b>Consultant Project Manager</b> at <b>BAE Systems</b>, I led the technical transition of the <b>UK Skills Funding Agency</b> in Coventry from the previous provider <b>Lockheed Martin</b> and in-house IT infrastructure to BAE’s <b>Service Integration & Management (SIAM)</b> model, fully hosted in the <b>Azure</b> cloud. This initiative decommissioned legacy hardware, migrated two terabytes of data — a substantial volume a decade ago — with zero business disruption, and established a scalable, secure foundation for future government client onboarding.</p> <h2>Key Activities</h2> <ul> <li>Decoupled the Lockheed Martin application layer from on-premise infrastructure to enable independent migration.</li> <li>Migrated user access management from <b>LDAP</b> to <b>Active Directory</b>, ensuring secure, centralized identity control.</li> <li>Designed a tiered data migration strategy: static data pre-staged over weeks, hot data transferred during a minimal overnight cutover.</li> <li>Developed a tiered validation framework: automated row counts and checksums for critical data, sampling for historical records.</li> <li>Coordinated cross-functional teams across BAE, the client, and Lockheed Martin to align scope, risk, and execution.</li> </ul> <h2>Technologies Used</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/">Azure</a> (cloud infrastructure and hosting)</li> <li><a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/ad-ds/get-started/virtual-dc/active-directory-domain-services-overview">Active Directory</a> (identity and access management)</li> <li><a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc4511">LDAP</a> (legacy directory service)</li> </ul> <h2>Challenges and Solutions</h2> <ul> <li><b>Challenge</b>: Migrating two terabytes of data — a significant volume at the time — within a single overnight window using limited hardware.<br> <b>Solution</b>: Designed a tiered migration strategy — pre-staging static data over weeks and migrating hot data overnight — reducing pressure on hardware and enabling a controlled cutover.</li> <li><b>Challenge</b>: Ensuring data integrity across critical and historical datasets.<br> <b>Solution</b>: Implemented tiered validation with automated checks (row counts, checksums) for critical data and sampling for historical records, balancing rigor with efficiency.</li> <li><b>Challenge</b>: Decoupling tightly integrated application and infrastructure layers without disrupting live services.<br> <b>Solution</b>: Mapped dependencies and executed phased separation, enabling independent migration paths.</li> </ul> <h2>Outcomes</h2> <ul> <li>Decommissioned 35 end-of-life servers from the client’s data centre, reducing operational risk and cost.</li> <li>Successfully migrated two terabytes of data to Azure with zero business impact and full audit compliance — a major technical achievement at the time.</li> <li>Onboarded the UK Skills Funding Agency as a new SIAM client under BAE Systems, establishing a repeatable model for government transitions.</li> <li>Delivered a secure, scalable, cloud-native environment aligned with public sector governance standards.</li> </ul> <h2>Related Skills</h2> <p>This project highlights my expertise in:</p> <ul> <li><a href="/skills/2">Project Management</a></li> <li><a href="/skills/12">Data Migration</a></li> <li><a href="/skills/6">Risk Management</a></li> <li><a href="/skills/11">Planning</a></li> </ul> <h2>Learn More</h2> <p>Explore <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/">Azure</a>. Contact me via <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigel-bates-3409a23/">LinkedIn</a> to discuss my contributions to BAE Systems!</p>

Overview

As Consultant Project Manager at BAE Systems, I led the technical transition of the UK Skills Funding Agency in Coventry from the previous provider Lockheed Martin and in-house IT infrastructure to BAE’s Service Integration & Management (SIAM) model, fully hosted in the Azure cloud. This initiative decommissioned legacy hardware, migrated two terabytes of data — a substantial volume a decade ago — with zero business disruption, and established a scalable, secure foundation for future government client onboarding.

Key Activities

  • Decoupled the Lockheed Martin application layer from on-premise infrastructure to enable independent migration.
  • Migrated user access management from LDAP to Active Directory, ensuring secure, centralized identity control.
  • Designed a tiered data migration strategy: static data pre-staged over weeks, hot data transferred during a minimal overnight cutover.
  • Developed a tiered validation framework: automated row counts and checksums for critical data, sampling for historical records.
  • Coordinated cross-functional teams across BAE, the client, and Lockheed Martin to align scope, risk, and execution.

Technologies Used

Challenges and Solutions

  • Challenge: Migrating two terabytes of data — a significant volume at the time — within a single overnight window using limited hardware.
    Solution: Designed a tiered migration strategy — pre-staging static data over weeks and migrating hot data overnight — reducing pressure on hardware and enabling a controlled cutover.
  • Challenge: Ensuring data integrity across critical and historical datasets.
    Solution: Implemented tiered validation with automated checks (row counts, checksums) for critical data and sampling for historical records, balancing rigor with efficiency.
  • Challenge: Decoupling tightly integrated application and infrastructure layers without disrupting live services.
    Solution: Mapped dependencies and executed phased separation, enabling independent migration paths.

Outcomes

  • Decommissioned 35 end-of-life servers from the client’s data centre, reducing operational risk and cost.
  • Successfully migrated two terabytes of data to Azure with zero business impact and full audit compliance — a major technical achievement at the time.
  • Onboarded the UK Skills Funding Agency as a new SIAM client under BAE Systems, establishing a repeatable model for government transitions.
  • Delivered a secure, scalable, cloud-native environment aligned with public sector governance standards.

Related Skills

This project highlights my expertise in:

Learn More

Explore Azure. Contact me via LinkedIn to discuss my contributions to BAE Systems!

Systems Software

Azure cloud