NordiskRegnskab, a leading Danish accounting firm, recognized the need to modernize its IT infrastructure to better serve its growing clientele and maintain a competitive edge in the industry. The firm opted to migrate from its traditional single-server setup to a distributed cloud-based infrastructure, a decision that would provide increased scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency. This case study outlines the key steps involved in the migration process and its impact on NordiskRegnskab's business operations.

NordiskRegnskab had been running its accounting platform and client database on a single on-premise Windows Server 2016 machine located in their office. As the number of clients and transactions grew, the single-server setup became a major risk:

• Limited scalability and performance issues during peak reporting periods.
• Lack of redundancy — a single hardware failure could cause downtime.
• Increased concerns about data security and compliance with GDPR.

The firm needed a modern solution that could ensure business continuity, meet regulatory requirements, and scale as the client base expanded.

Target Platform
The firm selected Microsoft Azure Distributed Cloud (VM + SQL Database + Blob Storage) as the destination environment. Azure was chosen due to its GDPR compliance, data-center presence in the EU, and integration with existing Microsoft tools.

Data Migration Process

• Database (SQL Server → Azure SQL Database): Data was exported, verified, and imported in batches using Azure Data Migration Service. Integrity checks were performed after each stage.
• File Storage (local HDD → Azure Blob Storage): Client documents and financial reports were transferred via secure encrypted channels (AzCopy).
• User Accounts & Access Control: Active Directory roles were synchronized with Azure AD to ensure only authorized staff retained access.
• Testing: A staging environment mirrored production before cutover. Final migration was scheduled outside business hours to minimize downtime (<2h).

Implementation Strategy
Migration was executed in phases:

• Phase 1: Non-critical data and archived files.
• Phase 2: Active database and current year records.
• Phase 3: Final cutover of live systems and DNS update.