Module 9 · Optimization + Utility Data Capstone
Two skill requirements land here: large-scale optimization and utility data operations. Both close out with a capstone that ties every previous module together. This is the module that makes you sound like someone who's done this before, even if it's your first utility project.
Performance optimization for large-scale processing in Snowflake and AWS.
Utility-industry data operations — customer, asset, and resource data workflows.
Your coverage: Partial (s7) / Gap (s9)
What we're assuming
- Optimization instincts: experience tuning database and infrastructure cost/performance. The correct DE mindset; just needs the Snowflake/Glue-specific tools to apply it.
- Utility domain: new. Prior domains have been elsewhere.
- SRE / runbook discipline: strong operational instincts. Helpful for reliability-KPI discussions (SAIDI/SAIFI).
What we modify for your background
- Optimization: we skip "what is a query plan" — jump straight to Snowflake Query Profile reading, warehouse-sizing heuristics, and when to reach for clustering keys.
- Utility domain: we do a proper crash-course — CIS, GIS, AMI, OMS, meter-to-cash, VEE, reliability metrics. Enough to pass the "do you know what AMI means" test and speak intelligently about where data comes from and where it goes.
- Capstone: in crash mode it's a single-page pipeline design exercise. In deep mode it's a full hands-on build: Kafka → S3 → Snowpipe → Snowflake with RBAC + Matillion transformation.
Want more depth?
See Credits → Module 9. For optimization: the Snowflake Query Profile guide + select.dev blog. For utility industry: DOE's intro to the grid, IEEE Smart Grid resources, NARUC for regulatory context.
This is your interview-closer
If you can walk an interviewer through a meter-to-cash data pipeline (with Kafka for AMI streams, S3 for landing, Snowpipe for ingest, Matillion for transform, RBAC for PII, Query Profile for tuning), you have demonstrated end-to-end fluency in every single skill requirement. This module is the glue.
Lessons
- Lesson 9.1 — Snowflake Query Profile — How to Read It crash deep
- Lesson 9.2 — Warehouse Sizing, Multi-Cluster, and Workload Isolation crash deep
- Lesson 9.3 — Utility Data 101 — CIS, GIS, AMI, OMS, and How They Connect crash deep
- Lesson 9.4 — Capstone: AMI Meter Reads Pipeline (design-only, crash version) crash
- Lesson 9.5 — Capstone: AMI Meter Reads Pipeline (full build, deep version) deep