Thomas Croft

senior engineer § NETWORK/INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES

Offering Strong Qualifications and a Results-Driven, Strategy-Focused Approach to IT Solutions Development within Technologically Sophisticated Environments

Sr. UNIX & NETWORK ENGINEER

Lead Systems Engineer and Subject Matter Expert on Solaris, Web Servers, and Databases supporting NYC and Knoxville data center locations. Overseeing development support including software migrations, OS upgrades,  day-to-day server management SQL, java, Peoplesoft, Resin, GUI design, Web technologies, System-to-system interfaces (XML, CORBA, Webservices), ATG Dynamo, RDB technologies (Oracle/JDBC) includes installation and build/deployments.

      Selected Responsiblities:

¡         Responsible for administration of United Media Unix (web, finaincial, syndication and licensing) Servers. These include: installation, backups, patch maintenance, performance tuning, monitoring results of cron jobs, scripting/automation of recurring tasks, day-to-day system resource management and monitoring.

¡         Work with Senior Developers, Network Administrator, Windows/NT administrators and Help Desk analysts to maintain day-to-day operations and resolve production issues.

¡         Troubleshooting production issues, deployments, solving problems and implementation of system software.

¡         Performs day-to-day system administration tasks such as monitoring of Web Servers httpd & https processes, supervision of server access & error logs, monitoring disk space usage and archival, backup status, tape archive management.

Sr. WEBLOGIC ENGINEER

      Weblogic Application Specialist providing support on the “Common Web Platform” (CWP 2.0) – Solaris, AIX and Linux, Development, Builds and deployments,  Upgrading applications from Weblogic 6.1 to 8.1 along with hardware migrations from Sun / Solaris to Compaq / Redhat ES 3.0.  provided daily support and deployments of applications within the web hosting environment (IIS, Apache/Weblogic, Oracle, BEA Portal 8.1)

      Selected Responsiblities:

¡         Provided technical consultation and software solution implementation to meet business needs of the intranet site: Manged the migration of S-PeWorld – asp based to SPHERE – jsp on a 4 node 3 tier cluster.

¡         Provided technical expertise for the planning and definition of new Unix and AIX system requirements.

¡         Server Deployments including Jumpstart Builds, Software Migration and individual product support for Veritas, Tivoli , Oracle 8i & 9, Wiley Interscope and BEA Weblogic.

¡         Performed feasibility and performance studies, including web benchmark, capacity planning, sizing etc.

¡         Developed appropriate systems recommendations to meet server application needs, including Weblogic clustering configurations, migrations and installation planning.

¡         Support and strive towards continual improvement of the CWP 2.0 hosting environments and systems integration.

¡         Wrote technical documentation including, but not limited to, user guides, installation qualifications, validation documentation and Service Level agreements

UNIX SYSTEM ENGINEER

      Product Support Specialist providing E15K Systems Support, Development, Builds deployments,  User Acceptance Testing and Production environment support necessary for the transformation of 200 applications to an Oracle 9i, Sun One, Weblogic, Getaccess, Netegrity architecture reducing the numbers to approximately 30 applications. Structuring a support team necessary to provide 1st and 2nd level support for all the banks financial applications in the U.S. and Western Hemisphere (UK Production deployments from Somerset and Delware).  Engineering consulting including all hardware and software for Corporate line of business. 

      Selected Responsiblities:

¡         Configuration Manager - coordinate deployments to test environment with DBAs, using Ant to Iplanet, Oracle 9i, Weblogic 8.1, Netegrity Siteminder, LDAP, Build source code from ClearCase for deployments and Develop test reports.

¡         Global Finance System Engineer includes configuration, tuning, administration, disk array configuration, load balancing, user creation, security, database installation, logical and physical file system partitioning, ldap policy construction, profile creation, database table formation, and Veritas Netbackup backup/recovery strategies.

¡         Architecture level input and administration into application design and integration Upgrade from WebLogic 6.1 to 8.x, Iplanet 4.2 to Sun One and Getaccess 4.5 to Netegrity for about 10 applications.

¡         24x7 Level 3 support, on rotation of GFA Backups, Oracle Express applications, Autosys, NDM Connect, SSO and Web Servers.

CLEARCASE ENGINEER / SENIOR UNIX & NT ADMINISTRATOR (contract)

      Recruited Recruited to fulfill systems administration and first- through fourth-tier technical support objectives for 40-node UNIX network and 43 servers/workstations, respectively; serve as senior ClearCase Administrator, network operations and configuration manager, providing comprehensive assistance for 20-35 users, Mulit-Site Support management for 20 developers operating in three different environments, and supervising two managers. Accountable for strategic planning, testing, installation, configuration, troubleshooting, administration, and Software Configuration management activities.    Selected Accomplishments:

¡         Build Master for 15 products on 4 platforms (Solaris/AIX/HPUX/WindowsNT). Developed a ClearCase Automation Tool. Parallel Development Branching Strategy. Tool & Process Documentation. Deployment End-User support.

¡         Setup and configured large Enterprise Weblogic Clusters utilizing BEA’s Weblogic 8 SP1, Oracle 9i, SiteMinder, Sun One, and Netegrity policy server. Wrote LDAP scripts and Java utilities that determine the performance of the staging and production sites.  Reviewed, designed, implimented and tested Siteminder Policy Server and various SSO solutions.

¡         Advanced use of LoadRunner 6 - 7 (Web, Oracle 2-tier, WinSock, Corba-Java), WinRunner 4 - 7, C, Java 1.2/1.3, Caliber RM 3, Perl, DumpSEC/DumpACL, Oracle 8i, SQL.

¡         Managed Clearcase license’s for two Multisite regions, Automated Jobs, registries, created and managed VOBS.

¡         Setup and configured large Enterprise Weblogic Cluster utilizing BEA’s Weblogic 8, Wrote scripts and Java utilities that determine the health of the production site.

¡         Co-led team performing BEA Weblogic upgrade that provided developers and DBAs ability to bring up ten development instances and ten Iplanet plug-in sessions. Generated improved application performance.

¡         Responsible for tuning web applications to include the OS, Weblogic, Oracle, and Iplanet Web Servers.

¡         Conceptualized, planned, and established new $50,000 backup system for both hardware and software, providing safety net for databases and developer files in case of server downtime incident.

¡         Deployed custom applications/developer components and Rational ClearCase 4.x & 5.0, MultiSite, and ClearQuest to engineering team at Secaucus , NJ and Seattle , WA sites.

DNS ENGINEER / POSTMASTER (contract)

      Carried out successful DNS server deployments that affected entire organization (2,500 employees throughout five buildings). Responsible for installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and upgrading requirements for UNIX hardware/network systems, Lotus Note mail, Documentum, Citrix Metraframe, Legato, and Iplanet server farms. Served as team’s key technical resource, with specialization in UNIX, Sendmail, Oracle, NT upgrades, monitoring, SPARC hardware, and scripting. Provided user accounts and passwords for sub-domain DNS administrators.  

      Selected Accomplishments:

¡         Earned recognition for contributing to the success of global network infrastructure change and DNS transfer project that involved wide-scale changes in all company systems and allocation of servers for sub-domains.

¡         Install and customise Documentum eContent Server software and associated products (Foundation Classes, WebTop, Documentum Administrator, Developer Studio) to meet the needs of various departments. Create instructions and documentation to details eContent server installations and customisations

¡         Led flawless standardization and upgrade of 40 Sun servers as part of Y2K Compliancy project and Tivoli/QIP-DNS, Websphere infrastructure rollout to guarantee proper functioning of systems.

¡         Captured significant time/cost savings through introduction of strategy for full-scale Solaris implementation that instituted centralized application servers and consolidated operating system environment.

¡         Architected, implemented, and administered IP infrastructure for PY4 and RRC, including primary and backup DNS and DHCP services; troubleshot DNS routes and resolved network disturbances.

¡         Implemented pilot installation of DDNS and DHCP for NT 2000 (QIP/DNS).

¡         Modified B2B website search engine for better performance.

SENIOR UNIX SPECIALIST (contract)

      Served as technical lead for group managing company’s Signature Business Machines and analyzing/optimizing software performance for UNIX system administration and client/server, with the total value of equipment at $100,000. Oversaw data warehousing, intranet security, STMP, Web deployment, tools programming, backup solutions, and networking functions. Trained, mentored, and coached junior administrators.
Selected Accomplishments:

¡         Led successful network enhancement initiative that involved securing four servers and 25 workstations and installing/maintaining NFS, Sendmail, DNS, and SUDO servers; achieved 25% improvement in systems stability and processing speed. Trained staff, wrote documentation, and consolidated network in four months.

¡         Maintained multi-platform Legato Networker based backup infrastructure.  Legato Enterprise Network Backup Solutions. Performed implementations, migrations and upgrades. Migrations included data exports, imports, loading. Perform installation of Compaq Proliant SErver Farms and SUN Enterprise Systems Network Installation.

¡         Installed and maintained a host of applications in both development and live environments.

EQUITY TRADING SUPPORT SPECIALIST (contract)

      As contractor for Sun Professional Services, held full accountability for a broad range of IT disciplines supporting CIGG Site Support Computer Administration organization, including project management, domain design, hardware sales quotes, desktop rollouts, and testing/implementation of network systems. Planned and tested disaster recovery process and assisted with various troubleshooting functions. Facilitated installation, configuration, and maintenance tasks to ensure full functionality; kept up-to-date with emerging technologies.
Selected Accomplishments:

¡         Designed Equity Support Domain (ets.merrill.com) within UNIX server infrastructure that included NFS, NIS , DNS, mail configuration, and printing components, increasing speed/stability for equity support trading group.

¡         Maintain archived data on DLT tapes (Legato)

¡         Participated as member of Equities High Availability consulting team that addressed firewall stabilization, Y2K, SMS, and NASDAQ issues. Gained hands-on experience in working with high-availability software.

¡         Responsibilities included project management, NIS domain design, Y2K support, hardware sales quotations, Solaris desktop rollouts with jumpstart, recovery of data with Legato, testing and monitoring implementation of network systems and day-to-day on-going support for CICG Computer Administration organization.

NT & UNIX SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR (contract)

     Held concurrent contract positions with similar accountabilities in technical support, performance tuning, system performance optimization, network administration, testing and troubleshooting, and systems implementation. Supported NT and UNIX servers with combined 550 nodes and 350 users in 12 locations (average of 15-50 daily trouble tickets); fulfilled server administration objectives for systems spanning eight locations. Supplied ongoing support for Bellcore-TEDS and Private Computing Management user community.
Selected Accomplishments:

¡         Improved systems performance and ensured stability by reconfiguring semaphore and shared memory kernel parameters for Lotus Notes, Xrunner, Sybase, Centerline, Tuxedo, Frame-Maker, and Cadre. Supported backup system for SunOS and Windows (CommVault Galaxy) – Private Computing Group

¡         Developed and implemented reconfiguration plan that boosted performance 30%; reorganized file systems on SPARC Storage Array and client workstations to enhance performance and provide redundancy.