Why DFMSuccess Stories24x7 Apache NiFi Support
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Why DFMSuccess Stories24x7 Apache NiFi Support

Project Name

How a Global Fintech Platform Modernized Apache NiFi Operations with DFM and Boosted 70% Efficiency

Industry
Fintech
Technology
Apache NiFi
Geography
Global
case study feature image
Customer Snapshot
  • Industry: Fintech
  • Geography: Global
  • Platform Model: Multi-customer FinTech platform
NiFi Footprint
    • Multiple Apache NiFi clusters provisioned per customer to ensure workload and data separation.
    • Dedicated Development, QA, and Production environments for each customer.
    • Standardized NiFi flow blueprints reused across customers, with environment- and tenant-specific configuration.
Platform Stack
    • Apache NiFi (open source)
    • Managed Kubernetes platforms (AKS / EKS / GKE), depending on regional deployment requirements.
Role of NiFi
  • Apache NiFi serves as the central data integration layer within the client’s fintech platform. It is responsible for securely ingesting, transforming, and routing financial data across customer-specific pipelines, while enforcing isolation, reliability, and operational consistency across environments.
Business Problems Before Data Flow Manager (DFM)

    As the client’s platform scaled, NiFi operations did not. The team faced:

    • Manual NiFi cluster setup for every new customer.
    • VM-based deployments that were hard to scale and upgrade.
    • Repetitive flow deployments across environments.
    • No enforced approvals or scheduling for production changes.
    • High operational risk during upgrades and VM-to-Kubernetes migration.

    Operational effort increased linearly with customer growth, slowing onboarding, increasing risk, and placing heavy dependency on senior engineers.

Operational Challenges Before DFM
Operational Metrics
Before DFM
Cluster setup
Manual, time-consuming
New customer onboarding
Days
Flow deployment
Ad-hoc, error-prone
Scheduled flow deployment approvals
Not enforced
Upgrade process
Risky, per-cluster
VM → Kubernetes migration
High risk
Why They Chose DFM

    The client needed a way to bring structure, consistency, and control to NiFi operations without replacing Apache NiFi or introducing proprietary runtime dependencies.

    After evaluating their options, DFM was selected because it:

    • Preserved Apache NiFi’s open-source model, avoiding vendor lock-in and allowing the team to continue using existing NiFi skills and flow designs.
    • Automated NiFi cluster provisioning and lifecycle management, reducing manual setup and configuration drift across environments.
    • Enabled a controlled, phased migration from VM-based NiFi to managed Kubernetes, without disrupting active customer pipelines.
    • Standardize NiFi flow deployments across customers and environments, ensuring consistent release practices for Dev, QA, and Production.
    • Introduced governance and auditability into the deployment process, including approvals, scheduling, rollback, and traceability of changes.
DFM Implementation Scope
  • Cluster Setup & Platform Modernization
    • Automated NiFi cluster provisioning.
    • Standardized cluster configurations across customers.
    • Migration from VM-based NiFi to containerized NiFi on managed Kubernetes.
    • Safe coexistence of VM and Kubernetes clusters during transition.
  • Flow Deployment & Governance
    • Template-based flow deployments.
    • Mandatory approval workflows for production releases.
    • Scheduled flow deployments aligned with maintenance windows.
    • Rollback capability and full audit trail for every change.
  • Monitoring & Visibility
      Centralized visibility into:
      • Cluster health
      • Deployment status
      • Success and failure indicators
  • Faster detection and resolution of operational issues
After DFM – Quantified Results
Metrics Before DFM After DFM
Cluster setup time Days Hours
Customer onboarding Days Hours
Deployment failures Frequent Near zero
Upgrade effort Manual & risky Automated
Ops effort High Reduced by ~70%
Deployment model VM-based Managed Kubernetes
Business Impact
    • Faster customer onboarding: New FinTech customers are onboarded in hours instead of days, accelerating time-to-market.
    • Predictable, low-risk deployments: Standardized workflows and approval processes have minimized deployment errors across environments.
    • Reduced operational dependency: Platform teams rely less on senior engineers for routine cluster setup, upgrades, or flow deployments.
    • Successful cloud modernization: VM-based NiFi clusters were safely migrated to managed Kubernetes without service disruption.
    • Scalable operations: Platform operations can now grow with customer demand without increasing headcount, ensuring cost-effective scalability.
Customer Quote

“DFM helped us standardize NiFi cluster setup, safely migrate from VMs to managed Kubernetes, and bring governance to every deployment.”

– Head of Platform Engineering, FinTech

Why This Matters for Similar Customers
    This story is highly relevant for:
    • FinTech and SaaS platforms running NiFi for multiple customers.
    • Teams modernizing from VMs to managed Kubernetes.
    • Organizations needing controlled, auditable deployments.
    • Platform teams under pressure to scale operations without scaling headcount.

See how DFM can Reduce Your NiFi Operational Effort by up to 70%