Research velocity, data integrity, and regulatory compliance are paramount in life science organizations. Whether it’s genomics, clinical trials, pharmaceutical R&D, or lab test results, life science organizations are swimming in data from various sources. But raw data isn't useful until it’s structured, secured, and analyzed efficiently.
In such scenarios, building a data warehouse becomes essential. That’s where Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service) helps. Let’s see how Amazon RDS makes data management, storage, and usage easier in life science, why you should opt for Amazon RDS, and how it has helped
Imagine a biotechnology company running multiple clinical trials. Each trial generates terabytes of patient data, lab reports, EHRs, and sensor logs. Without a central, organized repository, drawing meaningful insights, such as patient response trends or adverse event signals, becomes chaotic, risky, and time-consuming.
A data warehouse built on Amazon RDS allows life science companies to consolidate disparate data sources (lab systems, IoT devices, EMRs, CRMs) into a scalable, cost-effective environment. This centralized store enables more effective reporting, streamlined regulatory submissions, and AI/ML-based insights.
Amazon RDS simplifies the setup, operation, and scaling of databases in the cloud. It supports standard engines like PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, and Oracle, all commonly used in the life sciences industry. With built-in automation for backups, patching, high availability, and security, RDS lets your data teams focus on science, not servers.
Benefits for Life Sciences:
While life sciences organizations have unique regulatory and operational challenges, they share common data hurdles with companies in other industries, including the need to reduce costs, scale efficiently, and modernize legacy systems. One illustrative example is Synaptics, a global leader in human interface solutions, which successfully modernized its data infrastructure by migrating from Oracle to Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL. Their journey offers valuable lessons for biotech and pharmaceutical firms looking to modernize and centralize their data environments.
Synaptics operated Atlassian JIRA and Confluence on an aging on-premises stack: Tomcat on RedHat Enterprise Linux, backed by Oracle 11g. This setup was expensive to maintain, inflexible to scale, and heavily reliant on Oracle licensing. Business teams needed better performance, scalability, and a leaner TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). Most critically, the IT team was under pressure to migrate without any downtime—a situation familiar to any life sciences organization running 24/7 lab systems or clinical trial data repositories.
To address these needs, Mactores partnered with Synaptics to assess and implement a robust migration strategy. The recommended solution was to move their Oracle-based database to Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL using the AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) and Schema Conversion Tool (SCT).
This approach was chosen over simpler export/import methods due to the database’s size (360GB) and the need for minimal disruption. Using DMS, Mactores enabled Change Data Capture (CDC), which allowed real-time data sync between Oracle and RDS PostgreSQL during the transition. This ensured that Synaptics could achieve zero downtime.
The outcome was a 70% improvement in ROI and complete data consistency with zero downtime.
What does this mean for life sciences companies?
With deep expertise in AWS services, including Amazon RDS, AWS DMS, and the Schema Conversion Tool, Mactores has helped organizations like Synaptics and many others navigate complex migrations, streamline operations, and unlock real-time data insights. Whether you're moving from Oracle, SQL Server, or legacy on-prem systems, our team ensures zero disruption, complete data fidelity, and a future-ready architecture tailored to the demands of life sciences.
From genomics to clinical trials, and from regulatory reporting to global research collaboration, we help you modernize with confidence. When you're ready to transform your data warehouse into a competitive advantage, Mactores is your trusted technology partner.