Rent the Runway: A Fashion-Tech Transformation
Rent the Runway (RTR) isn’t just a clothing rental service; it’s a fashion-tech pioneer. Their success hinges on a complex dance of e-commerce and reverse logistics. To keep up with customer demands for speed and personalization, RTR needed a tech refresh, especially for its data infrastructure.
The Legacy Database Challenge
RTR’s journey began with a self-managed MySQL setup. Over time, it became a beast, with disaster recovery relying on custom scripts. Performance tuning? A manual, time-consuming affair. Scaling? Also manual, and prone to errors. It required a dedicated DBA team and a pricey third-party vendor providing 24/7 coverage. The engineers were in a constant state of limitation.
Cloud SQL: The Modern Solution
RTR aimed to modernize not just its database but also how its teams worked with data. Cloud SQL emerged as the best choice. It offered the perks of a managed service – automated backups, simplified disaster recovery – while keeping compatibility with the existing MySQL stack. Cloud SQL’s built-in query insights and integration with Google Cloud allowed engineers to own their work.
The Migration: A Smooth Ride
Recognizing their platform’s continuous operation, RTR treated the migration to Cloud SQL as a serious engineering project. They meticulously planned the migration. It was tested, dry-runned, and rollback scenarios were created. After weeks of rigorous testing, the cutover happened in just three hours, with only a minor hiccup. The result? Minimal downtime and a seamless migration.
The Impact: Speed, Insights, and Savings
The shift to Cloud SQL yielded significant improvements across several key areas. Engineers can now make schema changes independently, streamlining development. The new setup provides teams with access to IAM-controlled environments, enabling safe testing. Cloud SQL provided a clearer picture of how systems were running. RTR could offload its third-party MySQL support vendor within weeks, resulting in annual cost savings of over $180,000.
The Future: Data-Driven Growth
RTR is now aiming for a future where schema updates are rolled out as seamlessly as application code. Cloud SQL has put the pieces in place. They are building a foundation driven by data and agile development practices.
