In an era where agility and security are paramount, ORBCOMM, a leader in IoT solutions, faced a critical challenge: modernizing its development ecosystem. While their existing GitLab platform was functional, it limited their potential for growth and the advanced security capabilities the company needed. The objective was clear: a seamless migration of over 1,600 repositories and more than 50 CI/CD pipelines to GitHub Enterprise Cloud (GHEC) with minimal disruption to ongoing operations.

To navigate this complex transition, ORBCOMM needed a partner with proven technical expertise and a precise methodology. CleverIT, with its deep knowledge of GitHub, DevOps, repository migration, and automation, was the ideal choice to lead the project.

Expertise and Collaborative Methodology

CleverIT's solution centered on a collaborative and iterative methodology, specifically designed to mitigate risks and ensure continuous communication. The team, composed of two DevOps Engineers and a GitHub DevOps Specialist worked closely with ORBCOMM's internal teams.

The project was structured into manageable "waves," allowing for the migration of repositories in controlled batches. Each wave included key steps:

• Planning & Preparation: Defining the scope and aligning with all stakeholders.
• Execution: Performing the migration, including repository transfers and configurations.
• Support: Providing real-time assistance through dedicated Teams chat groups to resolve any user issues instantly.
• Communication: Sending notifications at the start and completion of each wave to ensure transparency and readiness.

This structured and incremental approach not only ensured a smooth process but also maintained the integrity of all repositories, permissions for over 240 users, and existing workflows.

Results and Key Achievements

The project was a resounding success. CleverIT met all technical objectives on time and within the planned schedule. Key results include:

• Full Repository Migration: All targeted repositories were successfully migrated to GitHub without any data loss.
• CI/CD Workflow Optimization: The existing GitLab CI pipelines were reviewed and fully adapted to run on GitHub Actions, including fixes for branch selectors and build triggers.
• Enhanced Security: GitHub Advanced Security (GHAS) was enabled across all eligible repositories, providing comprehensive coverage for code scanning, secret scanning, and dependency scanning.
• Automation: New scripts and pipelines were developed to automate validation checks and streamline post-migration adjustments.
• Seamless Collaboration: All teams, AD groups, and permissions were validated, ensuring proper access controls and enabling a solid foundation for future enhancements.

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The partnership between CleverIT and ORBCOMM resulted in a fluid transition that not only modernized the company's development infrastructure but also established a more secure and efficient environment for future innovation.