A team of Principal Keyhole Software consultants partnered with Kiewit, a leading engineering and construction firm, to drive high-impact cloud consulting, architecture modernization, and large-scale data migration initiatives. The project aimed to optimize cloud infrastructure, enhance application performance, and improve data accessibility across multiple divisions.
Client Focus
Keyhole Software played a pivotal role in accelerating cloud adoption and modernization within Kiewit’s technology group. The team conducted comprehensive architectural assessments, designed system blueprints, and provided strategic guidance for cloud resource optimization. Additionally, consultants supported Azure resource requests, production issue resolution, and the implementation of CI/CD pipelines alongside software configuration management (SCM) best practices.
Further, Keyhole consultants assisted Kiewit’s power engineering and power construction teams by streamlining data processing and accessibility through advanced Azure services. The team leveraged Azure Data Factory, CosmosDB, Azure Functions, and Azure Search to enhance data workflows while developing backend solutions using Python and C#.
A large-scale database migration was successfully executed, transitioning to an optimized SQL Server environment and refining over 10,000 SQL objects, including views and stored procedures. Performance enhancements were achieved through advanced SQL tuning techniques such as CTEs, Sets, and DMVs, significantly improving query performance and application efficiency.
Technologies Utilized
- Cloud Services: Azure Data Factory, CosmosDB, Azure Functions, Azure Search
- Development: Python, C#
- Database: SQL Server, Performance tuning with CTEs, Sets, and DMVs
- DevOps & CI/CD: Azure DevOps, Software Configuration Management (SCM), Automated Pipelines
Development Process
The project was driven by a cross-functional team of cloud architects, database specialists, and software engineers, working together to modernize the client’s cloud infrastructure and database environment. Using Agile methodologies, the team leveraged Azure DevOps for task tracking, sprint planning, and seamless collaboration. Each consultant contributed to optimizing Azure resources, enhancing data solutions, and automating deployments. Automated testing and performance monitoring further ensured system stability and efficiency.
Notable Features and Accomplishments
- Architectural Assessments & Cloud Strategy: Conducted high-level cloud assessments and provided strategic recommendations for optimizing Azure resources.
- Scalable Data Processing Pipelines: Developed and deployed functions using Python and C# to enhance data ingestion and retrieval across distributed systems.
- Enterprise Database Migration: Successfully migrated SQL Server databases while optimizing 10,000+ SQL objects, improving query performance and application responsiveness.
- CI/CD & DevOps Implementation: Streamlined deployment processes with automated pipelines, reducing release cycles and improving software delivery efficiency.
Outcome and Impact
Through strategic cloud modernization and database optimization, Keyhole Software helped Kiewit achieve measurable improvements in system performance, data accessibility, and operational efficiency. The migration to a scalable and high-performing cloud environment reduced bottlenecks, accelerated data processing, and enabled seamless cross-team integration. These enhancements laid a strong foundation for continued digital transformation and innovation within the organization.
