Skip to Content
crafty-penguins / who-we-help / success-stories / adga
Success Story

Getting organizations out of trouble is our specialty.

The American Dairy Goat Association had a legacy Linux server stuck on AWS and an Oracle database due for an upgrade. No big IT team. No big budget. One call. One migration. One non-profit back to its mission.

adga
Client: American Dairy Goat Association · Non-profit · One-time migration
Client
American Dairy Goat Association
Non-profit · limited internal IT
Engagement
Get Me Out Of Trouble
One-time, best-effort migration
Scope
AWS → VMware, Oracle upgrade
Legacy Linux + database, minimal downtime
The Challenge

A legacy server, an old database, and no time to babysit either.

ADGA is a small non-profit. Their IT footprint isn't enterprise. Their IT team isn't enterprise either. And like most non-profits, they couldn't justify hiring a full engineering bench just to handle a one-time migration project.

They had a legacy Linux distribution running on AWS that needed to move to a VMware instance. They also had an Oracle database on that same server, one that was overdue for an upgrade to the latest version. Both jobs were technical, both jobs were time-sensitive, and both jobs were sitting on top of an already-stretched workload.

They didn't need a managed-services retainer. They didn't need a long engagement. They needed someone who would come in, handle it cleanly, and hand back the keys.

  • 01 A clean migration off AWS to a VMware instance, without losing data or extending downtime.
  • 02 An Oracle database upgrade to the latest version, handled in the same engagement.
  • 03 Pricing that respected the budget of a non-profit, not an enterprise.
Our Approach

That's what Get Me Out Of Trouble is for.

GMOOT is exactly what it sounds like: a one-time, best-effort paid engagement for organizations that don't need an ongoing partner, they need a specific problem solved, and they need it solved well.

For ADGA, that meant migrating the legacy Linux distribution off AWS and onto a fresh VMware instance, then bringing the Oracle database current on the new server. We scoped it, quoted it transparently, scheduled around their operations, and got it done with minimal disruption and downtime.

No retainer. No upsell. No surprises on the invoice.

$995 Single legacy server migration

A flat, transparent price for a single legacy server migration, built to be affordable for non-profits and small organizations that need senior Linux help without an enterprise contract. Oracle database upgrades and additional scope are quoted separately and just as plainly.

What we did

Legacy Linux migration, AWS → VMware

Moved an older Linux distribution off AWS onto a VMware instance, cleanly, with the data intact and the downtime kept to a minimum.

What we did

Oracle database upgrade

Brought the Oracle database current on the new server in the same engagement, so the platform landed modernized, not just relocated.

What we did

Non-profit-friendly engagement model

GMOOT is paid, but it's structured for organizations that don't have enterprise budgets, fixed scope, fair pricing, and a clean hand-back when the work is done. The kind of engagement that lets a small team punch above its weight without committing to an ongoing contract.

Just use Crafty Penguins. You won't regret it.
David Stokes · American Dairy Goat Association
The Outcome


One project. Out of trouble. Back to the mission.

The legacy server moved to VMware. The Oracle database came up current on the new instance. Downtime was minimal, the invoice matched the quote, and ADGA's small team didn't have to spend the next quarter learning a stack they don't run for a living.

That's the GMOOT promise: a real engineering team, for a real project, at a real non-profit price, and then we get out of your way.

Don't just take our word for it

In their own words

Just use Crafty Penguins…you won't regret it.

We're a small non-profit organization with limited resources, and we needed help due to our current work load. Crafty Penguins' "Get me out of trouble service" was an excellent choice for us. Their pricing and customer service is fair and easily understood.

Their technicians were knowledgeable, and great partners who helped us migrate an older Linux distro from AWS to a VMware instance. We then asked them to help us migrate the latest version of the Oracle database to the new server, they did so with minimal disruption and downtime.

David Stokes American Dairy Goat Association

Working with similar organizations

Industries we serve
Get started

Have a project that needs out of trouble?

Crafty Penguins runs GMOOT engagements for small teams, non-profits, and organizations that need a specific Linux problem solved, without signing up for an ongoing contract. Fixed scope, fair pricing, clean hand-back.