HighQ Support

HighQ Azure Cloud Migration FAQs

We are excited to share an important update for customers who are on HighQ Cloud. As part of our ongoing modernisation efforts, and to further enhance performance and reliability, HighQ is migrating all customers to the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.
Please review our comprehensive FAQs below for more information on this initiative. Please check back frequently as we will be updating these FAQs as additional information is available. If you have any questions that are not answered in the FAQs below, please get in touch with your HighQ account manager.
note
This is not applicable to customers who are already using HighQ on the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform.
  1. What is happening?
    Starting in Q4 2024, Thomson Reuters has initiated a process of migrating all HighQ customers on HighQ Cloud to the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform.
  2. Why are we migrating to the Microsoft Azure cloud?
    As part of our ongoing modernisation efforts, and to further enhance your experience with HighQ, we are transitioning to the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform. This move aims to improve performance, reliability, availability, and enable faster delivery of new features.
  3. What are the benefits of Azure Cloud?
    Microsoft Azure is a leading cloud service provider, renowned for its robust security, high availability, and scalability. By migrating to the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform, you'll experience:
    • Increased Reliability:
       Higher availability, less downtime, and fewer disruptions through Microsoft Azure's global data centers.
    • Advanced Security:
       Customers can leverage Microsoft Azure's advanced security measures to protect their data.
    • Scalability:
       Easily scale resources to handle user demand and accommodate future growth.
    • Improved Performance:
       Faster load times and increased system response times, particularly following deployment of additional modernised platform components.
    • Seamless Experience:
       HighQ continues to work exactly as before.
  4. When will cloud migrations start?
    Migrations began in Q3 2024, and we aim to complete them by Q4 2026.
  5. When will my organisation be expected to move?
    Migrations will be prioritised based on factors like organisation size, data volume, region, and customisation complexities. You will be notified a few months in advance of your scheduled migration date, and we will continue to provide detailed information and instructions as your scheduled migration approaches.
    Please contact your account manager for more details on your expected migration schedule.
  6. Can we move sooner?
    If your organisation is interested in migrating to the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform sooner, please contact your account manager for more information.
  7. Will there be any additional costs?
    No, hosting on the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform will not incur additional costs for you.
  8. Will my software change?
    • For the end user application, HighQ will continue to work as before, with the added performance and reliability benefits of the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform.
    • In terms of API integrations, there will be a change when uploading large files via the Add File API. In Azure Cloud, the Azure Application Gateway (WAF) enforces a 4GB limit for a single file upload request. To support files larger than 4GB, you will need to update your API integrations to support chunked uploading. Without this, uploads greater than 4GB will fail. For more information, please refer to the developer portal or Swagger documentation.
  9. Will HighQ still be a single tenant on the Microsoft Azure Cloud Platform?
    Yes. HighQ will be set up as a single tenant setup on Microsoft Azure Cloud Platform.
  10. Will the migration process impact our Single Sign-On (SSO) Setup for internal authentication?
    No. Your Single-Sign-On configuration will remain unaffected, during and after the migration.
  11. Will the name of my HighQ instance change?
    No. You will be able to retain the current name of your instance on the Microsoft Azure Cloud Platform.
  12. What if our instance has a redirection rule in place?
    As a result of some customers changing their HighQ instance URL, we have also added internal URL redirection rules to redirect requests from the old URL to the new one.
    Following the migration to Azure, these URL redirection rules will be cleaned within 30 days. Please contact us if you have changed your instance URL and require URL redirection rules to continue beyond this point.
  13. What if our instance has IP whitelisting in place?
    As an additional security measure, some customers have IP whitelisting applied to their internal systems. If your instance has such a configuration, you may have to update your IP whitelisting rules. Please contact us if this is the case.
  14. What does the migration process look like?
    To ensure a seamless transition, with minimal disruption to your operations, migrations have been planned over the weekend and will be fully managed by the Thomson Reuters team of experts. We are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible while maintaining the highest level of service.
    • Pre-migration:
       Throughout the migration week, we will start copying files from the Thomson Reuters Datacenter to the Microsoft Azure Cloud Platform in the background, allowing users to continue accessing their documents and files. During this time, there will be no interruption to your service.
    • Migration:
       The migration of your HighQ instance to the Microsoft Azure cloud platform will be initiated during non-business hours (starting Saturday morning), and will be completed over that same weekend. There will be a small period of downtime during the migration, however, we are committed to minimising disruption throughout the process. Your HighQ instance will be fully operational by the following Monday. There will be no changes to current workflows, user experience or gaps in data continuity.
    • Post-migration:
       Following the migration, you are encouraged to perform a basic functionality test to ensure the system operates correctly. Thomson Reuters will be available to support you during this testing phase, and in the highly unlikely event that any critical issues arise (e.g. blocked access), customers are expected to raise a support ticket with HighQ Support and our team will prioritise and attempt to resolve them during that same weekend. Any other non-critical issues will be dealt with the next working day after the migration.
    Following the migration, we do plan to deploy additional modernised platform components, as they become available, however, such updates are far smaller in size and will be deployed within a matter of hours over weekends, in order to minimise any disruption. These targeted enhancements will optimise performance & reliability through continuous improvement of key areas of the platform.
  15. What level of testing is undertaken to verify the migration was successful?
    During the transition process, our migration tools continuously check to ensure that all documents, content, metadata and configuration are meticulously transferred, such that document integrity, user provisioning, iSheet data structure, workflow functionality & general system setup are fully preserved & validated as the migration progresses. Upon completion, our migration team will execute essential checks to confirm the instance is functional & accessible.
  16. What do we need to do to prepare for the migration?
    Before the migration begins, you'll receive a detailed notification outlining the date and time of the migration, ensuring you have ample time to prepare. Our support team will be available to assist you throughout the preparation process.
  17. Will there be any downtime during the migration?
    Yes, you'll experience a small window of downtime during the migration. However, we're committed to minimising disruption throughout the process. We'll implement a phased approach, migrating instances individually during non-business hours within a pre-agreed maintenance window.
  18. How is our data protected during the migration?
    As part of the migration process, data is transferred between the on-premises data center (the source) and the Azure environment (the target) using a dedicated SSL connection, further secured by IP restrictions.
  19. What happens if the migration process encounters issues?
    If we encounter any serious issues during the migration that cannot be resolved within the scheduled timeframe (between 10 am IST Saturday to 10 PM IST Sunday), an automatic roll-back will be triggered and our migration team will restart your instance on the original environment (on-premises). This means that when you return to work on Monday morning, you will be directed to your original instance with no loss of data. To ensure a smooth transition, our team will test the instance thoroughly before handing it over to you.
  20. What should we do if we can't access our instance or something is wrong after the migration?
    In the unlikely event that you are unable to access your instance or encounter any issues after the migration, please contact our dedicated Support team. They will work to resolve any problems in the new environment (Azure Cloud). If you prefer to retain access to the original environment (on-premises), this can be arranged, but please be aware that there is a risk of potential data loss for any data created in the new environment after the migration.
  21. Where are the data centers for Microsoft Azure located?
    For detailed information on data center locations, please refer to the Cloud Hosting & Security Whitepaper available on Whistic.com.
  22. What if we're not ready or don't want to move to the cloud?
    We understand that change can be challenging, but we're committed to delivering an optimal experience for all our customers. By migrating to the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform, you'll be able to take advantage of new features, functionalities, and innovations as they become available. If you're reluctant to move, we encourage you to discuss the benefits with your customer-facing team.
  23. Where can we get more information?
    We'll be communicating regularly about the migration. For immediate questions, please contact your Thomson Reuters account manager or the customer support team.

This article applies to:

  • Product: HighQ