Web development for "Big Pharma"

Client is a global pharmaceutical company.

The challenge

As web developers this is the background to the development task:

A Predicted Pandemic looming.
Pharmacovigilence (adverse events) reporting is required.
Based on concerns about very high traffic a last minute change from Windows to Unix hosting is called for.
Complex hosting infrastructure, not a typical LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL PHP) setup. Infrastructure maintenance has been outsourced and is not well understood by the client.
Outsourced hosting company unwilling & unable to help and are several time-zones away.
Budget not an issue but deadline immovable; multi-million dollar brand equity at stake.

Build a copy of the hosting environment: Unix, IBM WebSphere Application Server deploying Java code. (N.B. IBM calls its webserver IHS Internet Http Server and it is based on Apache 2.0 with some additional patches & the ability to work with the WebSphere administrative console).
Understand political/management environment as well as technical one.
Negotiate, build alliances, find showstoppers.
Write & deploy Java servlet code via corporate release procedures, across different timezones. Release process involves a VPN, FTP, & bash scripts started via SSH.
Pass corporate security test; 10 000 known exploits unleashed on our code.
Pass the test, hit the deadline.