Vertex Macro｜Financial Cloud Cloud · AWS Amarathon 2025
Vertex Macro｜Amarathon 2025 Recap 04：Accelerating Migration Projects with Kiro using Spec-Driven Development
What is Amazon Kiro?
● Compatible with VS Code
● Utilizes cutting-edge Claude models
● Enterprise-grade security
Closing the Idea-to-Code Gap
● Addresses the challenge of product ideas losing fidelity when passed from PM to engineer
● Kiro acts as an AI co-author, converting informal briefs into living, version-controlled specifications
● Eliminates ambiguity before coding starts, accelerating delivery cycles
Traditional Static Docs vs. Kiro's Living Specs
● Traditional static docs are prone to staleness and lead to high rework and surprises
● Kiro's Living Specs auto-update with code, sync with tests & metrics, and result in measurable gains in velocity
Amazon Kiro Workflow
● SDLC in Amazon Kiro Way!
● Ingest: Product brief intake
● Expand: AI expands user stories
● Iterate: Collaborative editing
● Lock & Stub: Spec finalization
● Every step is traceable, commentable, and under Git control
Prompt Engineering for Precision
● Concise, context-rich prompts yield the most accurate and useful specifications
Fill-in-the-Blank Template
● Persona: Who is the user?
● Problem: What do they need to do?
● Outcome: What does success look like?
● Non-Goals: What is out of scope?
Iterative Refinement Process
● Human Prompts
● AI Suggests
● Human Validates
● This cycle repeats until the spec passes all internal quality gates
Modernizing Legacy with Amazon Kiro
● Prescriptive pattern to migrate critical COBOL, PL/I, and Assembler to manage Java on Graviton without rewriting core business logic
● Automated Transformation: Converts legacy code to modern Java microservices
● Data Replication: Syncs mainframe data to cloud databases in real-time
● DevOps Integration: Establishes CI/CD pipelines for rapid, reliable releases
Automated Code Transformation Engine
● Parse: Legacy source is converted into an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST)
● Refactor: Rule-based transformations are applied to modernize the code structure
● Emit: Idiomatic Java code is generated as Spring Boot microservices
● Preserves data formats, transaction boundaries, and audit trails
Data Sync & Mainframe Off-Loading
● AWS DMS and Kiro agents replicate mainframe data to Aurora PostgreSQL in near-real time
● Bidirectional Sync: Mainframe remains authoritative during pilot phases
● Zero-Downtime Cut-Over: Traffic is switched to the cloud via a simple DNS flip
Zero-Trust Security
● Every microservice is isolated and secured by default
● Least-Privilege IAM: Unique IAM role with minimal permissions
● Encryption: KMS encrypts data at rest and in transit
● Continuous Monitoring: CloudTrail and Guard Duty provide audit evidence for SOX, PCI, and HIPAA
Role-Based Access & Reviews
● [ 1 ] Product Manager: Owns the narrative and user-facing requirements
● [ 2 ] Tech Lead: Owns the system architecture and technical design
[ 3 ] QA Engineer: Owns the acceptance criteria and test plans
● Amazon Kiro tracks approvals, surfaces unresolved comments, and blocks merge until all roles sign off
Real-World Impact Case Study: Global Bank
● A top-20 bank used Kiro to migrate 14 million lines of COBOL for retail payments
● Seamless cut-over over a single weekend with zero failed transactions
● 68% cost reduction in infrastructure
● 90% reduction in MIPS (Mainframe load)
● Release frequency rose from quarterly to weekly, freeing budget for AI initiatives
Your Migration Roadmap
● 6-Week Pilot Blueprint:
● Week 1-2: Provision & Transform
● Week 3: Validate Parity
● Week 4: CI/CD Pipeline
● Week 5: 5% Traffic
● Week 6: Metrics & Review