It Starts with CloudHub 2.0
More and more organizations are exploring CloudHub 2.0 (CH 2.0)—and for good reason. Built on MuleSoft’s new Kubernetes-based architecture, CH 2.0 offers smarter scalability and high availability, improved security with Private Spaces, efficient operations and monitoring, and container efficiency.
When companies evaluating CH 2.0 migrations approach us, a common assumption often surfaces:
The migration is a simple set of networking changes and won’t take much effort. We just need to replace the Dedicated Load Balancer with a Private Space, update some firewall rules, point our APIs to port 8081, and we’re done.
We understand why it might appear straightforward at first. Those initial assumptions are a reasonable starting point, but they only begin to address the true scope of the migration.
Once you dig in, you’ll realize the shift to CH 2.0 comes with a set of foundational changes that go far beyond networking:
- You’ll likely need to update your pipelines, since artifacts now need to be published to Anypoint Exchange as part of the CH 2.0 deployment flow
- CloudHub Connector, used to create CH 1.0 notifications, is no longer supported, which may require replacing any alerting logic based on CH 1.0 behavior
- Internal URLs change, affecting how APIs talk to each other
- Public URLs change, affecting how external APIs talk to your applications (though these can be tweaked through configuration)
These aren’t just minor checkboxes—they’re changes that affect nearly every aspect of your application’s lifecycle. Given their breadth and impact, a comprehensive regression test is essential before moving any migrated application into production.
In many organizations, however, automated regression testing isn’t in place. Documentation may be outdated or incomplete, and the original developers might no longer be available. As a result, testing can become one of the most time-consuming parts of the project, often matching or even exceeding the effort required for the migration itself. AVIO has identified a handful of approaches to mitigate a lack of regression tests, and for anyone who would like to learn more about those, feel free to contact AVIO for more information.
From Migration to Modernization: Expanding the Scope
While the initial goal may be to move to CH 2.0, we frequently see teams use this opportunity to address additional technical and organizational improvements that have been deferred or planned for the future.
For example:
- Upgrading the Mule Runtime — Many applications still run on older versions, like Mule 4.3 or 4.4. A CH 2.0 migration provides the right moment to move to a fully supported version, such as Mule 4.6 LTS or newer
- Switching to Java 17 — With Java 17 now required for newer runtimes (4.9 LTS+), many organizations use the migration as a chance to align with long-term support standards and take advantage of performance and security enhancements
- Reorganizing Business Groups — API ownership and team structures often evolve over time. Migrations can be the right moment to reflect those changes by realigning APIs across Business Groups for improved governance and access control
- Standardizing Applications — A centralized migration effort is a natural point to align your APIs with internal development standards and platform best practices, reducing long-term maintenance and onboarding effort
- Improving Security — Migrations offer a great opportunity to review how secrets, credentials, and certificates are managed across environments, ensuring that encryption, vaulting, and pipeline best practices are applied consistently and securely
Each of these changes can be complex in isolation, but when planned and executed together, they share many of the same phases: analysis, development, deployment, and regression testing. In our experience, addressing them in a coordinated effort can significantly reduce duplicated work and streamline testing. This results in more efficient use of time and resources (lower total cost) compared to tackling them in separate, sequential projects.
In short, this isn’t just a migration—it’s a strategic opportunity to modernize your platform efficiently.
By consolidating upgrades into one initiative, organizations centralize their risks to a single upgrade cycle, create efficiencies by avoiding redundant testing cycles, and lay a stronger foundation for the future.
The Final Mile: Securing a Successful Modernization
Every migration journey is different. Depending on the structure of your API ecosystem, certain areas may require more time and effort than others. That said, as we noted in a previous post, upgrading to Java 17 often proves to be one of the most complex and time-consuming aspects. Subtle incompatibilities, connector updates, and rigorous testing demands can quickly overwhelm teams without prior experience.
That’s why partnering with a company like AVIO Consulting is a critical safeguard for your success. With over a hundred successful API migrations involving CH 2.0, Mule 4.6+, and Java 17, we bring deep expertise—not only in handling each of these changes individually but also in managing them together within a single, coordinated effort.
Over the course of multiple large-scale migrations, we’ve built internal tools and scripts that automate many of the repetitive tasks involved in upgrading codebases. This includes configuration adjustments, connector updates, and CH 2.0 compatibility changes. By eliminating tedious manual steps, we move faster while maintaining consistency and reducing the risk of human error.
Our proven approach means we can help you:
- Accelerate your migration timeline by avoiding common pitfalls, rework, and unnecessary manual effort
- Improve quality and stability through implementing standardized best practices
- Optimize costs by leveraging our experience and efficient processes
When you choose AVIO Consulting, you’re not just getting a service provider—you’re gaining a trusted partner who has been there, done that, and can guide you confidently through every step of your migration journey.
Ready to Migrate?
Here’s What We’ve Learned—and How We Can Help
At AVIO Consulting, we specialize in helping organizations navigate complex MuleSoft platform upgrades. We’ve led well over 100 API migrations involving CloudHub 2.0, Mule 4.6+, and Java 17, and we know exactly what to expect—from connector quirks to platform-level gotchas. More importantly, we know how to solve them fast and with minimal disruption to your business. Partnering with a team that’s done it before can dramatically reduce risk, accelerate timelines, and deliver a smoother overall experience.
If you’re considering a migration—or already in the thick of it—we’d love to help.