Performance Engineer

• Aug 2020 - Present

Performance Engineer

• Aug 2018 - Dec 2019

In this role, I am the lead performance engineer for a large mainframe migration project. I create the test strategy, logistics, and tactical approaches for validation of the migrated mainframe applications. The test and analytics applications used for the operational aspects of the role are: NetStorm, JMeter, and NetDiagnostics. I am also engaged in the root cause analysis, infrastructure right-sizing, and tuning JVM and Wildfly (JBoss). On the analytical and business intelligence side I also build queries and visualisations spikes for their Splunk servers. Show less

Performance Engineer (contractor)

• Jan 2018 - Feb 2018

This was an advisement contract role for a company in the JMI investment portfolio, as prior. This contract was to review their database, infrastructure, and architectural configuration and generate a recommendations document. This was an advisement contract role for a company in the JMI investment portfolio, as prior. This contract was to review their database, infrastructure, and architectural configuration and generate a recommendations document.

Performance Engineer (contractor)

• Apr 2017 - Dec 2017

I contracted for a Software Defined Mainframe solution provider highlighted in the 2017 Gartner Symposium. My role included testing, tuning, and developing optimal configurations of the Software Defined Mainframe product, infrastructure, and architecture. I was responsible for, operational, or advising upon all of the following: • performance and capacity review for the Software Defined Mainframe solution • testing and analysing terminal/3270, database, system, and ETL performance • extending the testing platform with additional automated testing artefacts • advisement on widely reaching quality assurance efforts • delivery of an Agile integration testing spike • delivery of a monitoring setup custom baked for the architectural and infrastructural needs • creating performance test plans, and cost/schedule control estimates with Critical Path Method • tuning architecture, kernel, and network for performance and scalability • additional configurations and recommendations for any of: Cloud, Docker, and physical • performance and capacity related investigations Show less

Performance Engineer

• May 2016 - Feb 2017

As a Performance Engineer for Plantronics, my responsibilities included operations, logistics, and advisement on the following: • performance and capacity on a cloud-based OLAP solution, • a bespoke application and systems performance measurement suite, • definition of user propensity models, • delivering an Agile integration and performance testing aperture, • specifying performance requirements against business requirements, • architecting a performance test system, • efficient, scalable, containerised, and performant cloud architecture, • cloud performance & capacity right-sizing I also aid the performance test team in rewriting a deterministic test library into an automated, highly parameterised, and widely applicable descriptive probabilistic test system. Show less

re:Patriot

• Sep 2015 - Feb 2016

After 12 years it is time to vacate the rock. Goodbye England, hello sunny Austin, TX. After 12 years it is time to vacate the rock. Goodbye England, hello sunny Austin, TX.

Test Manager/Performance Engineer (contractor)

• May 2015 - Jul 2015

In this role I contracted as a Test Manager for one of the world’s largest online gaming and sports betting services that handles more transactions than the London Stock Exchange (below). I generated a test portfolio covering every phase of a high budget bleeding-edge mission critical endeavour. I performed matrix management for the progressive delivery of an operational environment. I also developed an elaborate demand-based, time-series sliding capacity planning model. In the course of my work I also delivered: • a bespoke test reporting and accountancy system with linear and beta distribution burndown charting based on specified criteria • a dynamic system to account for cost of the cloud with spin-up and spin-down cost tracking against an organically growing user propensity model • a PERT/CPM calculator for finding critical paths through the project so that optimum combinations of resources could be scheduled for particular work to minimise schedule conflict and maximise both pertinence and performance of operations testing for a mission critical project I built and automated multiple parts of the Agile reporting system for this project and managed the testing team. NDA precludes more details at this time. Show less

Performance Engineer (contractor)

• Apr 2015 - May 2015

In this role, I engaged with the London Stock Exchange's clearing house in a portfolio-wide advisory capacity to assess current capabilities and make recommendations on modernising application portfolio management, testing, and orchestration for their mission critical trading systems. NDA precludes more details. In this role, I engaged with the London Stock Exchange's clearing house in a portfolio-wide advisory capacity to assess current capabilities and make recommendations on modernising application portfolio management, testing, and orchestration for their mission critical trading systems. NDA precludes more details.

Performance Engineer (contractor)

• Sep 2014 - Mar 2015

My responsibilities include capacity planning, performance modelling, and performance engineering for a high impact, high utilization, cloud based, distributed, highly parallel OLAP mobile application with a user-base of millions. In keeping with their Vertica/Java/PostgreSQL environment, I have developed performance and capacity models for their cloud based solution, ran investigations/root cause analysis, and created a test framework using JMeter feeding a Vertica analytical database using classic statistics and Distributed R analytical functions on regressions and time slices. This test framework ties into their continuous integration environment with bespoke shell scripts acting as a façade. Behind the façade, my systems automation collects and correlates NMon performance metrics, JMeter response time logs, and various application layer artefacts, providing an eclectic view of their application. Show less

Performance Engineer

• Apr 2013 - Sep 2014

My responsibilities include capacity planning and performance engineering for virtualised, heterogeneous distributed systems, and the creation of a continuous integration fed automated testing environment. As the performance lead for the group's application portfolio I was involved in every stage of the SDLC from planning to deployment, filling strategic, logistic, and tactical roles across all performance and capacity subject matters. During my time with the company, BAU allowing, I developed a performance test framework from the ground up that parallelised Ruby WATIR functional tests in order to use these existing artefacts for performance testing. My solution functionally performed much in the same way that HP LoadRunner's Selenium user action tests, but mine is capable of vastly higher numbers of concurrent users per physical core due to efficient packages and configuration. [JRuby, Ruby, MS SQL Server 2012, .NET 2013] Show less

Performance Engineer

• May 2011 - Feb 2013

Performance Tester, Analyst and Engineer for a number of consultant contracts in a diverse range of entities, although mostly in the financial and government sector, for example LGIM and the government's Office for National Statistics. Performance Tester, Analyst and Engineer for a number of consultant contracts in a diverse range of entities, although mostly in the financial and government sector, for example LGIM and the government's Office for National Statistics.

Performance Engineer

• Nov 2003 - Apr 2010

I filled this role a performance engineer upon my move to England. Alongside developing in-house methodologies, bespoke integration of software solutions and implementing industry best practice methodologies on-site, my responsibilities include the discovery of links and patterns between simulation models and the underlying application intricacies. The bespoke integrations consisted of in-house developed methodologies and software with retail engineering and quality applications. In this role, in 2004, I was certified as a Performance Engineer by the world's leading simulation modelling solution provider, Hyperformix, and have not slowed down since. Environment: Hyperformix IPS, and a bunch of "Way Back When" tech that constantly gets me spammed by bots any time an arcane Microsoft technology role emerges from the abyss. Deprecated, just use your imagination. Mainstream APE/SPE/Dev, and all that goes with it for the period. Chopping all Environment information from here down. Show less

Moving to England

• Nov 2003 - Nov 2003

I'm young, nothing to lose, and why not, maybe I'll be there for a couple years. [ spoiler: 12 years later I'm back with luggage, a wife, two cats, two citizenships, sporadic accent, no pip pip cheerio - thankfully, but a dreadful 'zed' and 'oy' ] I'm young, nothing to lose, and why not, maybe I'll be there for a couple years. [ spoiler: 12 years later I'm back with luggage, a wife, two cats, two citizenships, sporadic accent, no pip pip cheerio - thankfully, but a dreadful 'zed' and 'oy' ]

Security Analyst

• Aug 2003 - Nov 2003

As a security technician for UAG, I was responsible for the SE Texas region (Houston, Nederland, LaPorte and Baytown) in system and network level security rollouts and patching. I oversaw policy distributions and consulted upper management on proper practice and procedure regarding system changes, standardizations and rollouts. As a security technician for UAG, I was responsible for the SE Texas region (Houston, Nederland, LaPorte and Baytown) in system and network level security rollouts and patching. I oversaw policy distributions and consulted upper management on proper practice and procedure regarding system changes, standardizations and rollouts.

Programmer Analyst

• May 2001 - Aug 2001

In this role I was working as a web developer, n-tier application developer, and information systems security Consultant for Application Factory. I built classical client/server (both thick and thin clients), and open directory (LDAP based) applications. In this role I was working as a web developer, n-tier application developer, and information systems security Consultant for Application Factory. I built classical client/server (both thick and thin clients), and open directory (LDAP based) applications.

Programmer Analyst

• Dec 1999 - Jan 2001

The aim of these projects were to produce a toolset that Managers, and Operations Coordinators could use to gauge how well the company was doing on issues of Sales Service, Revenue Impact, Customer Satisfaction, and Managed Services. The projects were a global level implementation. It provides robust Graphical User Interfaces, which were developed in ASP, D/HTML, VB, and Access 2000 front ends to a centrally managed SGI 1200 SQL Server cluster to provide best user interaction. Features include automated administration, remote administration, automated reporting server, compound routes to access the data on the back end, redundant fail-safe, a Digital Dashboard front-end for Outlook 2k, and an easy to use front end GUI (Web based, and Client) supplied for varying levels of authorization/security. The Microsoft ADO/DAO technologies were used to establish the database connection to the back-end databases. Show less

Programmer Analyst

• Aug 1999 - Dec 1999

(company name was Fina at the time, subsequently changing hands a few times) Replaced the existing process known as the Yield Accounts Reporting Program with a more functional, up to date data modeling process ported to the Sigma Fine 97 back end server. The project was a three-fold design, which included the tanking, back-end and reporting server to be established, so that real-time output on levels of various chemicals could be gauged, sold, or moved. (company name was Fina at the time, subsequently changing hands a few times) Replaced the existing process known as the Yield Accounts Reporting Program with a more functional, up to date data modeling process ported to the Sigma Fine 97 back end server. The project was a three-fold design, which included the tanking, back-end and reporting server to be established, so that real-time output on levels of various chemicals could be gauged, sold, or moved.