Summary: When a managed services firm needed to migrate a client to the new version of a containerized ISV platform, Shadow-Soft delivered a full deployment, data migration, and upgrade-ready environment in under 160 hours—without the client needing to learn Kubernetes.
The client is a managed services provider that delivers IT infrastructure and platform support to government contractors across the U.S. Their services include hosting, maintenance, and application management for compliance-heavy environments.
The client needed to upgrade a government contractor from a legacy, Windows-based version of a business-critical platform to a new Kubernetes-only release.
However, their internal team had no experience with containerized infrastructure, and their customer expected minimal downtime, full compliance, and a seamless transition.
Without a solution, the client risked falling out of step with vendor requirements, delaying access to new features, and compromising their SLAs.
Updated CMMC compliance requirements added further pressure to move quickly, increasing the risk of missteps without a proven deployment strategy.
“Even with Kubernetes experience, this would have been difficult. The old system was Windows-based. This was a complete shift. Figure it out on their own could’ve taken a year.”
— Derrick Sutherland, Chief Architect Shadow-Soft
Shadow-Soft delivered a production-grade Kubernetes environment tailored to the client’s infrastructure and compliance needs.
The project included:
The deployment was completed in under 160 hours, allowing the client to meet compliance timelines and deliver a stable, modernized platform to their end customer—without needing to become Kubernetes experts.
“They need to have a bulletproof way of doing things that is not only tried and true but is simple and straightforward for them—and Kubernetes at scale a lot of times isn’t straightforward.”
To deliver a secure, upgrade-ready deployment on a tight timeline, we followed a two-step process focused on infrastructure design and full production rollout.
Each phase was structured to reduce risk, support compliance, and meet the client’s operational requirements.
Midway through the project, the client requested expanded logging capabilities beyond what was included in the original deployment scope.
We built and integrated a Kubernetes-native logging stack, including Fluentd and Grafana, without disrupting the delivery timeline. Because of the modular nature of the deployment framework, this enhancement was added with minimal overhead or risk.
At the same time, the client was working against a moving compliance target. Updates to CMMC requirements had created pressure to complete the upgrade before new enforcement deadlines took effect.
While the dates remained fluid, the risk of noncompliance pushed the client to act quickly—making speed and predictability critical throughout the engagement. With a structured rollout system, the project stayed on track and was delivered within the necessary window.
To support operational stability, visibility, and recovery across environments, we deployed a curated set of open-source and enterprise-grade tools:
These tools were deployed as part of the automated Kubernetes stack, giving the client real-time observability, reliable backups, and secure operations.
Within two weeks (and under 160 hours of engineering time), the client had a fully deployed, production-ready Kubernetes environment running the latest version of their platform.
Because the rollout was automated, tested, and built on reusable components, the deployment met compliance timelines and avoided the operational risks of manual implementation.
We also completed three live version upgrades during the engagement—all with zero downtime, including one where an end user remained connected throughout the process.
The client now has a stable, scalable system that meets CMMC requirements and can be updated without disruption, freeing their internal team from the burden of managing Kubernetes infrastructure directly.
We also provided complete technical documentation to support internal understanding, future updates, and operational continuity.
Key Results:
“They’ve had zero issues running in production. And we’ve already done three upgrades for them—all live. One of their users stayed connected the entire time.” — Sutherland
Following the success of this deployment, the client is preparing to onboard additional government customers to the updated platform. The tested rollout process and infrastructure design used in this engagement will serve as a model for future migrations.
While this project was delivered on behalf of a single ISV, the underlying challenge is becoming more common across the market.
As SaaS providers release Kubernetes-based platforms, many find their customers lack the in-house expertise to deploy or maintain them on-prem.
Shadow-Soft is now working with other ISVs facing the same constraints, helping them design and deliver stable, compliant environments their customers can confidently operate.