Driving Seamless Digital Transformation: Strategic Leadership in Big Data Migration and System Modernization at ExxonMob

At WinSai LLC, serving client ExxonMobil from May to August 2022, Harsha Vardhan Reddy Goli played a pivotal role in the MSDA Big Data and Warehousing transformation project. His work centered on upgrading Apache Solr and migrating from Hortonworks Data Platform (HDP) 3.x to Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) 7.1.7, directly enhancing ExxonMobil’s Geo Search tool for large-scale geospatial data retrieval.

Goli led the Solr upgrade and integration with the Hadoop ecosystem, overseeing system evaluation, strategic planning, and coordination to maintain seamless operations. He developed the migration blueprint, addressed compatibility challenges, and validated system performance post-migration, enabling the creation of a scalable, resilient platform.

Through an incremental and isolated migration approach, Goli ensured real-time testing during each phase. By decoupling Solr from HDP early, he minimized disruption, while the automation of validation scripts and the introduction of rollback mechanisms ensured secure modernization. This strategy resulted in near-zero downtime, with mission-critical systems remaining fully operational throughout the transition.

Following the upgrade, the system achieved measurable improvements in search latency, data throughput, and integration between Solr and Hadoop, leading to enhanced processing efficiency and user experience. In addition to technical execution, Goli fortified the platform’s future readiness by implementing CDP’s advanced security and resource management features, improving governance and data protection. His comprehensive documentation, including configuration guidelines and operational playbooks, positioned ExxonMobil’s IT teams for long-term success, unlocking greater value from their big data investments.