The Infra Checklist Every Agency Needs Before Launch Day

Launching a digital project can be stressful, but preparation is key. Here's how UK-based SMBs can ensure a smooth launch day with a reliable, secure, and cost-efficient cloud infrastructure.

Key Takeaways:

• Set up EU-based cloud regions (e.g., AWS eu-west-2) for low latency and GDPR compliance.
• Use Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform to maintain consistency and scalability.
• Prioritise security with AES-256 encryption, TLS 1.3, and role-based access control.
• Follow the 3-2-1 backup rule to protect data and conduct disaster recovery simulations.
• Automate cost monitoring, use spot instances, and tag resources to control expenses.
• Load test for traffic surges and optimise auto-scaling with cooldown periods.
• Ensure GDPR compliance with data flow mapping, retention policies, and access reviews.
• Prepare incident response plans, set up monitoring alerts, and run post-launch checks.

Why it matters:
By addressing reliability, scalability, security, and cost management upfront, agencies can reduce risks, avoid downtime, and build client trust. This checklist simplifies the process, helping you focus on growth instead of firefighting.

Mush have DevOps Launch Checklists

Infrastructure Setup Before Launch

A solid infrastructure setup is the backbone of sustainable growth. For UK agencies, navigating GDPR requirements and managing costs makes a well-planned infrastructure not just important, but critical to avoid expensive errors.

Cloud Environment Configuration

Your cloud environment is the foundation of your operations, and setting it up correctly from the start is essential. Choose EU-based regions, such as AWS eu-west-2 or Azure UK South, to ensure low latency while staying compliant with regulations.

Design your network with a mix of public and private subnets: public subnets for load balancers and NAT gateways, and private ones for servers and databases. This setup balances security with scalability, creating a reliable environment for growth.

Use Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform or AWS CloudFormation to maintain consistency across environments. IaC ensures predictable scaling and simplifies the management of resources. Define specific metrics and thresholds for auto-scaling, including cooldown periods to prevent resource overuse during traffic surges.

Set up Application Load Balancers with automatic health checks to redirect traffic away from failing instances. Pairing this with auto-scaling groups ensures your application remains responsive, even if individual components encounter issues.

Security Configuration

Security must be a priority, especially when UK businesses face approximately 65,000 hacking attempts daily, with 4,500 of those being successful. Protect data at rest with AES-256 encryption and secure data in transit using TLS 1.3.

Adopt a zero-trust approach, implementing role-based access control to restrict resource access. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be mandatory for all administrative accounts, and consider extending it to users handling sensitive data.

Use security groups and NACLs to manage inter-tier traffic, and ensure databases and internal services are not publicly accessible. Route external traffic through properly configured load balancers and API gateways for added security.

Automate vulnerability scanning within your CI/CD pipeline to identify and address security issues before they reach production. This proactive approach strengthens your defences without slowing down development.

Backup and Recovery Setup

Data loss can cripple operations, so follow the 3-2-1 backup rule: maintain three copies of your data, stored on two different types of media, with one copy off-site.

Define Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) that align with your business needs. These metrics ensure you're prepared to recover quickly and with minimal data loss.

Automate backups to reduce human error and maintain consistency. Configure automated snapshots for databases, file systems, and server images, scheduling them during low-traffic periods. Encrypt all backups, both in transit and at rest, for added security.

Regularly test your recovery procedures by running disaster recovery simulations on cloned environments. These tests help identify vulnerabilities in your plan and ensure your team is ready to respond effectively.

Cost Management

Cloud costs can spiral out of control, with inefficient resource use potentially inflating expenses by up to 35%. Implement real-time monitoring of resource usage and expenses, setting alerts in pounds sterling to keep an eye on spending.

Tag your resources consistently to track costs across projects, clients, and environments. Include details like project codes, environment types, and cost centres to pinpoint spending patterns and allocate budgets accurately.

"We were burning through £15,000 monthly on AWS with nothing to show for it. After implementing proper cost optimisation strategies, we cut our bill to £6,000 while improving performance. The savings funded our next two developer hires." – James Mitchell, CTO, London FinTech Startup

Regularly analyse metrics like CPU, memory, and storage utilisation to right-size your resources. For non-critical workloads, such as development environments or batch processing, use spot instances to reduce costs. Automate resource management policies to shut down non-production environments outside working hours and delete outdated backups or snapshots. These small steps can lead to substantial savings without affecting production.

Compliance Verification

For UK agencies handling personal data, GDPR compliance is non-negotiable. Start by mapping out data flows - understanding where personal information is stored, processed, and transferred. Set up data retention policies to automatically delete personal data in line with your privacy commitments.

Enable audit trails to log all data access, system changes, and administrative actions. Use tamper-proof logging solutions provided by cloud services to meet compliance requirements.

Regularly review access controls for personal data, removing unnecessary permissions. Ensure third-party services in your stack meet GDPR standards, documenting these verifications for audits.

With these essential elements in place, you’ll be ready to move on to performance testing. The decisions you make now will either pave the way for growth or create challenges in the months ahead.

Performance and Load Testing

Testing your infrastructure under pressure is crucial to ensure it can handle the demands of real-world traffic. Once your infrastructure is secure, the next step is to validate its ability to manage traffic surges. Without proper load testing, your system could falter when faced with high demand.

Load Testing

Load testing helps you simulate heavy traffic to evaluate how your application and infrastructure perform under both typical and peak conditions. Start by defining realistic traffic scenarios and monitoring key metrics like CPU usage, memory consumption, response times, throughput, and error rates. This will help pinpoint and address bottlenecks before they become critical issues.

Incorporate different types of tests, such as capacity tests to determine the system's limits, soak tests to evaluate long-term performance, and stress tests to push the system beyond its expected capacity. Thoroughly document your findings and prioritise resolving any identified weaknesses. Tools that simulate diverse traffic patterns, including failover scenarios and cross-browser performance checks, can provide valuable insights. These efforts are essential for optimising your auto-scaling configurations.

Auto-Scaling Setup

Auto-scaling ensures your system dynamically adjusts resources to meet current demand. By configuring scaling policies based on metrics like CPU usage, memory consumption, and network traffic, you can avoid overloading your infrastructure. However, don’t rely solely on one metric, as this could lead to unnecessary scaling actions. Introduce cooldown periods to prevent repeated scaling within short intervals.

Businesses that use auto-scaling have reported up to a 30% reduction in downtime during peak periods. To make the most of auto-scaling, define thresholds tailored to your application's workload and test these policies under simulated traffic conditions. Integrate auto-scaling with load balancers to evenly distribute traffic and use health checks to ensure only functioning instances handle requests. This approach can enhance response times by as much as 50%. Regularly monitor and refine your auto-scaling setup, adjusting thresholds based on real usage data. Additionally, ensure static content delivery does not become a bottleneck by optimising your CDN.

CDN and Cache Configuration

Caching static content like images, CSS, and JavaScript can significantly reduce the load on your servers. For UK-based operations, ensure your CDN has edge servers across the UK and EU to minimise latency. Fine-tune cache TTLs (time-to-live) based on the type of content - static assets can have longer durations, while dynamic content may need shorter TTLs or no caching at all.

Use custom cache keys to improve hit ratios and versioned URLs to ensure outdated content is cleared efficiently. Enable HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 to benefit from enhanced multiplexing and compression, and configure cache-control headers to balance static and dynamic content caching effectively. Negative caching can also help by storing common errors or redirects, reducing the load on origin servers.

Regular testing is essential to identify potential issues and keep your CDN optimised as traffic patterns change. Enable detailed logging for all CDN-enabled backends and create custom dashboards to monitor metrics like cache hit ratios, origin response times, and performance across different regions. This proactive approach ensures your CDN setup remains efficient and responsive.

Monitoring and Incident Response

Once your infrastructure is ready to handle peak traffic, the next critical step is setting up thorough monitoring and incident response systems. These ensure that any potential issues are detected and resolved before they impact users.

Monitoring Setup

Good monitoring keeps an eye on key metrics like uptime, latency, error rates, CPU usage, memory consumption, and requests per minute. These metrics act as early warning signs for any underlying problems.

"Cloud monitoring is the process of evaluating the health of cloud-based IT infrastructures." - Cisco

The goal is to make your monitoring proactive rather than reactive. Automated systems can analyse patterns in your cloud environment and predict vulnerabilities before they become critical. For example, anomaly detection combined with threshold-based alerts can flag unusual behaviour, like a gradual increase in response times, which might signal a bottleneck that standard alerts could miss.

Alerts should be configured with clear escalation paths and severity levels. This ensures the right people respond promptly. Pay special attention to security-related metrics, such as failed login attempts, unexpected permission changes, and unusual network traffic, to identify any signs of unauthorised access.

Custom dashboards can make monitoring more effective. Executives might only need an overview of availability metrics, while engineers require detailed performance data. Also, ensure your monitoring tool supports all the cloud providers and services you use. Relying on multiple tools can lead to blind spots during critical incidents.

With robust monitoring in place, you’ll be better prepared to handle incidents swiftly and effectively.

Incident Response Planning

Monitoring only adds value if you can act on alerts quickly. This requires a well-documented incident response plan. Define escalation paths and set up on-call schedules ahead of time. For common issues like database failures or traffic spikes, create runbooks with step-by-step troubleshooting guides, including relevant log locations and contact details for key personnel.

Automated remediation can help, such as locking accounts during security breaches. However, human oversight is essential for handling context-specific decisions.

Establish clear communication protocols for incidents of varying severity. Minor issues may only need internal updates, but major outages will require customer notifications and stakeholder briefings. Prepare template messages for common scenarios to save time during stressful situations. Using tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams for incident management can centralise communication and keep a detailed record of actions taken.

Simulating incidents is a great way to test and refine your response plans. This is especially important as 85% of business applications are expected to be SaaS-based by 2025, making effective incident response crucial for business continuity.

Once your response protocols are in place, shift focus to intensive monitoring during the critical post-launch period.

Post-Launch Monitoring Plan

The first 24–72 hours after launch are crucial for identifying issues that might not have surfaced during testing. During this period, increase monitoring frequency and ensure key team members are on standby. You might also want to temporarily lower alert thresholds to catch potential problems earlier, adjusting them later as performance patterns stabilise.

Pay close attention to metrics like Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) and Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) during this phase. These metrics provide valuable insights into your system’s reliability and how quickly issues are resolved. Additionally, focus on user experience data, such as response times and error rates, as real-world traffic often behaves differently than synthetic tests.

As traffic patterns stabilise, revisit your monitoring setup. What works during launch might not be as effective later. Regularly review your alerts - are they generating too many false positives, or are real issues being missed?

Document any lessons learned during the post-launch phase. Real incidents often expose edge cases or failure modes that weren’t anticipated during planning. Updating your runbooks with these insights will strengthen your response strategies for future launches and ongoing operations.

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Security and Compliance Requirements

Building security into your infrastructure from the very beginning isn’t just wise - it’s essential. For UK agencies handling client data, adhering to security and compliance standards is both a legal obligation and a critical business practice. With cybercrime projected to cause global losses of around £8.4 trillion by the end of 2025, taking proactive steps to secure your systems is non-negotiable. Below, we explore key areas like access control, secrets management, and data protection to help strengthen your launch infrastructure.

Access Control

Access control is the cornerstone of cloud security, dictating who can access specific parts of your infrastructure and what actions they’re allowed to perform. Following the principle of least privilege is essential - users should only have the permissions strictly necessary for their roles.

To secure accounts, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all systems and enforce the use of strong, complex passwords. Implement role-based access controls tailored to team responsibilities. For example, junior developers and marketing staff should only have access to the tools and data they need, nothing more. When a team member leaves, disable their accounts immediately to prevent unauthorised access.

Regular access reviews are vital for maintaining security. Conduct audits at least quarterly to ensure permissions remain appropriate and remove any that are no longer required. Real-time monitoring can also help spot unusual login behaviours or access patterns. Tools like Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) can simplify permission management across multiple cloud platforms.

Secrets Management

Effective secrets management is just as critical as access control. Secrets like API keys, database credentials, and encryption certificates are sensitive assets that require careful handling to avoid unauthorised access.

Avoid storing secrets in configuration files or embedding them in your source code. Instead, use dedicated tools like AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, or HashiCorp Vault. These services provide centralised storage, encryption, access logging, and the ability to automate secret rotation.

Where possible, use dynamic secrets - credentials that are generated on demand and have short lifespans. This reduces risk significantly if a secret is ever compromised. For static secrets that can’t be rotated dynamically, establish a strict rotation schedule and stick to it.

Always encrypt secrets, both at rest and in transit, using strong encryption protocols. Keep detailed audit logs of all access to secrets, so you have a clear record to investigate should a security incident occur.

Data Protection

If you’re operating in the UK, you’ll need to comply with UK GDPR and potentially EU GDPR, depending on your client base. The introduction of the UK Data Use and Access Act adds further layers of responsibility for data handling.

"Taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, context and purposes of processing as well as the risk of varying likelihood and severity for the rights and freedoms of natural persons, the controller and the processor shall implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk" – UK GDPR, Article 32

If your work involves data from individuals in the EEA or providing services to EU residents, EU GDPR regulations will also apply. For now, the UK retains adequacy status with the EU until 27th December 2025, allowing data to move freely between the two regions.

Conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) for any activities that could significantly affect individuals’ rights. Building data protection measures into your processes from the start is far more effective than trying to add them later.

Set up clear workflows for handling data subject requests - such as requests for access, rectification, or deletion. These should be routed to a dedicated team rather than left in general support queues. Additionally, ensure you have strong breach notification procedures in place. If a qualifying breach occurs, you’ll need to inform the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) within 72 hours of discovery.

If your agency processes large amounts of personal data, appointing a Data Protection Officer (DPO) can help you stay on top of compliance. A DPO can oversee data processing activities, manage third-party processor relationships, and conduct regular audits to identify and fix any gaps before they become serious regulatory issues.

Launch Day Task Summary

As you approach launch day, it's crucial to ensure everything is in place for a smooth rollout. This final checklist focuses on key tasks to confirm your infrastructure is ready and functioning as expected.

Start by validating your infrastructure. Double-check that your cloud environment has been thoroughly tested and is running as planned. Pay special attention to load balancing and auto-scaling setups, ensuring they align with the configurations outlined in earlier steps.

Next, verify performance stability. Review critical metrics like CPU usage, memory utilisation, and response times. These should have been rigorously tested and confirmed during your preparation phase.

Don’t overlook the human element - ensure users are trained and establish clear support channels to handle any issues that may arise quickly and effectively.

Finally, prepare for ongoing maintenance. Schedule regular health checks, implement security updates, and set up continuous monitoring of resource usage. Keep documentation and runbooks up to date to support seamless post-launch operations.

Conclusion

Having a well-crafted checklist is your best defence against the chaos of launch day. According to HubSpot's 2023 Agency Report, 63% of digital agencies reported fewer critical issues on launch day after adopting structured pre-launch checklists. This kind of improvement not only helps agencies avoid headaches but also strengthens client trust and safeguards their reputation.

It's not just about creating a checklist - it's about refining it. After every launch, take the time to review and update your checklist based on what went right and what could be improved. A 2022 Gartner study found that organisations with formalised checklists saw a 30% drop in post-launch technical issues. That’s a clear win for efficiency and reliability.

Your checklist should also align with UK regulatory standards. For instance, one UK-based agency discovered during a pre-launch review that their automated backups weren’t set up correctly. By identifying this issue before going live, they avoided potential data loss and expensive mistakes.

The agencies that benefit the most from checklists are the ones that make them a core part of their operations. This means assigning clear responsibilities, embedding checklist reviews into project workflows, and using tools like Process Street or Notion, which cater to UK-specific needs. The goal isn’t just to tick off tasks - it’s to create a system of knowledge that makes every future launch smoother.

FAQs

How can UK agencies ensure their cloud infrastructure is GDPR-compliant while maintaining high performance?

UK agencies can meet GDPR requirements and improve cloud performance by choosing cloud providers that ensure data remains within the UK or EU borders. Regular audits of data handling processes are key to staying aligned with GDPR standards.

To protect sensitive information, it’s important to adopt robust encryption for both stored data and data in transit, paired with stringent access controls. Opting for open-source and transparent cloud solutions can also reduce the risk of vendor lock-in while offering more flexibility to scale and enhance performance over time.

What should I consider when setting up an effective auto-scaling strategy for cloud environments?

To build a solid auto-scaling strategy, prioritise horizontal scaling. This approach allows you to add or remove instances as demand fluctuates, keeping things flexible while managing costs effectively. Use automation tools that adjust capacity in real time based on usage patterns, and make sure to test recovery processes often to ensure they can handle peak traffic without issues.

Keep a close eye on performance metrics to spot trends and predict demand accurately. Distributing workloads across multiple availability zones is another smart move - it boosts fault tolerance and keeps your system running smoothly even when faced with unexpected challenges. Together, these practices help maintain a scalable, secure, and sturdy cloud environment.

Why is it essential to test disaster recovery plans regularly, and how can agencies simulate real-world scenarios effectively?

The Importance of Regularly Testing Disaster Recovery Plans

Regularly testing disaster recovery plans is crucial to ensure they function as expected, reduce downtime, and uncover vulnerabilities before a real crisis strikes. Without these tests, organisations risk being caught off guard by unexpected disruptions, which could result in severe operational setbacks and financial losses.

One effective way to assess a plan's reliability is by conducting controlled simulations of potential disruptions, such as server crashes or data breaches. These exercises help evaluate how well systems recover, confirm recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs), and ensure every team member knows their role in the process. By taking this proactive approach, organisations can strengthen their recovery strategies and maintain business operations even in high-pressure situations.