Worked on the timeplus-io/proton repository to enhance reliability and schema-aware data ingestion for Kafka pipelines. Focused on improving Avro key decoding by integrating Schema Registry support and introducing a configurable message_key_schema_name setting, enabling decoded keys to be emitted as JSON for downstream processing. Addressed edge cases such as empty keys and clarified handling for unsupported Avro key writes. Improved PostgreSQL integration by ensuring SSL connections are only enabled when certificate and key files are present, adding runtime checks and better logging. Utilized C++, Kafka, and Avro to deliver safer key handling, increased configurability, and more robust data pipeline operations.