Grid computing and large scale system architect specializing in using object based languages and design methods with object and relational databases.
Languages: C++, Java, Python
Development Tools: Rational Rose/C++, xemacs, FrontPage, Visual C++, Visual Cafè
Middleware: Globus Toolkit, CORBA (Millennia 3, TAO, ORBacus, Visigenic and Fnorb), Tuxedo, Apache SOAP
Databases: Oracle, SQL Server, Objectivity, POET
Methodologies: UML, Booch, Software Patterns
Grid Computing, A Savvy Managers Guide (Q1 2005, Morgan/Kauffman)
Using Globus XIO (Dr. Dobbs Journal, Fall 2004)
Getting a Direction in the Sea of Grid (GridToday, May 2004)
Storage Resource Manger Interface Specification (Global Grid Forum proposed standard)
Object Databases in Practice (Chapter 18 - A Subjective View of Objectivity/DB), Chaudri, 1998 Prentice Hall
The Data Access Layer for D0 Run II: Design and Features of SAM (Computing in High Energy Physics 2000)
Panelist, GridToday 2004
Speaker and panelist, GlobusWORLD 2003
Contribute bug fixes and enhancements to open source projects (e.g. Fnorb, the orbs front end for emacs, Python, TAO, xawtv, xmms)
Occasional reviewer for IEEE, O'Reilly & Associates and slashdot.org.
Founded with focus on distributed object technologies and Internet development. Mentor client development staff. In house development projects and client work requiring off site facilities are accomplished using Windows and Linux of various flavors.
Started object oriented practice. Received consistently exceptional performance reviews. Led training efforts involving client server and object oriented technologies.
First employee in Chicago working with client/server technologies. Made training presentations to staff regarding PC based tools.
Fermilab and Argonne collaborate on several levels. The Globus project is a world leading supplier of products for doing grid computing. Fermilab uses pieces of that software and assists in defining of standards needed for components to inter-operate.
Worked on the next generation FTP standard, known popularly as GridFTP. This standard addresses several shortcomings in the existing standard, particularly those regarding security and high performance data transfer. The GridFTP standard specifies how to utilize multiple transfer streams and large buffer sizes to exploit the bandwidth available on a QOS (Quality Of Service) managed network.
Acted as intermediary between the two labs. As a standards defining body Argonne needs to work closely with its peers. By splitting my time between the two labs they were each able to leverage the experience of the other. The Globus team learned a lot about large scale storage systems and their particular requirements. Fermilab learned about grid computing and making their existing tools grid aware.
For the SAM project, worked with Fermilab staff to create a large scale physics data management system. The software created by this project will be responsible for maintaining the relationships between physics events and analysis projects for a petabyte scale database. An Oracle database with a 500 gigabyte storage capacity will maintain a subset of the physics thumbnails, all user data and allow for searching. Once a data set is identified the SAM system is responsible for acquiring the physics data from the robot and distributing it in a prioritized fashion to the CPU farms and workstations making requests.
Specific areas of work involved the design and implementation of the administrator application, project definition application in both command line and GUI versions, the database server and system information server. These applications allow users and administrators to gather information about the configuration and operation of the system in a CORBA environment.
For the online and database systems group and integrated systems development group, worked with a collaboration of physicists and computer scientists from universities and high energy physics labs on research projects dealing with petabyte scale data sharing using a grid architecture. Specific duties included helping with the design of the communication and management protocols, implementation tool selection and the adaptation of existing Fermilab systems to collaboration defined standards.
For the Middleware Applications Projects group, developed linux kernel modules to implement NAT extensions for internally developed communications protocols. Specific duties included research and design necessary for proving the concept to be valid, designing the software needed, implenting the module and working with remote collaborators to assure smooth integration into their existing NAT firewalls.
Worked with Ameritech staffing managers, data warehouse staff and senior management to assess the current data warehouse strategy for the staffing of their 17,000 person IT organization.
Carefully weighed the needs of senior management with regard to enterprise wide reporting for strategic purposes against the needs of staffing managers and their requirement for localized data. Produced an assessment that outlined why both groups of stakeholders felt the current data warehouse wasn't meeting their needs with both tactical and strategic steps to remedy the situation.
For Bridgestone1, T.M. Floyd2 and Silver Star Country Inn3 worked with client management and Object Environments contractors to develop web presence solutions. Bridgestone work included perl CGI scripts to gather information from SQL Server and Java applet development. Complete sites were designed and developed for T.M. Floyd and Silver Star.
Worked with an Object Environments employee and GE Capital management to enhance the application that was built during the previous summer (see below). The enhancements allowed lease application data entry to be outsourced to a data entry specialty house and received in batches by their Auto By Tel system.
Worked with management to gather requirements for an architecture to build customer service applications on. Codified requirements into a distributed architecture design. This architecture utilized a CORBA based tool (Millennia 3, an objectified version of Tuxedo) for load balancing and transaction control, Oracle for database management and Java for the primary user interface. This allowed flexible distribution of end applications. The architecture supported several presentation layers without reworking the business logic.
Assisted with evaluation and re-engineering proposal for a Smalltalk application. The existing application had grown through patches and requirements changes into a difficult to maintain system that was critical to the corporation. Worked to analyze the existing system and assemble recommendations for re-working it into a more extendable and understandable application.
Designed and implemented a web based auto lease application system. This system is used to allow GE Capital partners (e.g. www.autobytel.com) to provide web based financial guidance to the end consumer. We used the CGI to gather application data, which is then processed by a multi-threaded server using a combination of SQL Server, and a proprietary, sockets based, interface to a legacy mainframe system. The partners have the ability to use dynamic web pages, generated by Cold Fusion, to query the database for information pertaining to their lease applications. The server has been constructed with extendibility as a primary concern. The design allows for additional application types or partners to be added without modification to the server code base. This was accomplished leveraging several existing software patterns.
Assisted in the effort to bring their staff up to speed on object database technologies, CORBA integration and web interfaces. The application focus was a banking industry application that required data feeds from widely distributed sources. These feeds would then be stored in an object database and accessed using CORBA enabled objects and a web presentation layer. Participated in design meetings, technology evaluation and prototype construction.
Object designer with a tightly knit team of three beginning construction of the object model for ordering and provisioning in a three-tier system. This work consisted of requirements gathering, analysis, design and prototyping. Used Booch, Rumbaugh and UML as our notation methods and made use of software patterns in our design. Designed an abstraction for generic communication with external provisioning subsystems. Organized a popular group of software patterns users and hosted a series of weekly meetings to analyze problems in various groups at Ameritech and discuss the application of pattern based solutions to the problems.
Contracted to assist in the design and implementation of a building controls system. Responsible for an NT service (daemon equivalent) that did uploading and downloading of information from the hardware portion of the system. Worked with client personnel on the database design including implementation of a partial ODMG-93 compliant layer over Objectivity and implementation of additional indexing using skip lists for federation wide object access. This implementation is the subject of a paper published in a compilation of object database related work. Consistently looked upon to provide expertise with regard to bringing new tools and ideas into the project. Most notably the acquisition of Rational Rose/C++ and design patterns, respectively. Taught Rational Rose C++ using personally developed materials.
Significantly contributed to the design and development of a golf training and motion feedback system. We used Ascension's Flock of Birds motion tracking system (magnetic 6dof system) to acquire information about the users position in real time. This data was stored and later utilized to produce a 3d display that a trainer used to visual swing problems while working with the student.
Developed a prototype of a suture delivery system using JAD sessions and object design. The work following the initial JAD sessions was done in house and presented to the client through a series of trips to the Richmond, VA area. The client was particularly impressed when, in a final demo for senior management, an issue was raised by the VP of Marketing. We were able to make changes to incorporate his input during a 15 minute break.
Served as co-project manager and technical leader of a team that implemented RAD style prototypes and applications including accounting, brokerage and marketing. In particular, we built a proprietary shell that would allow a user to log on anywhere on the network and, through network capable DLL's which I designed and implemented, receive the same look and feel she is presented with at her primary workstation. This work is interesting because it predates the current topics of discussion concerning network programming and system usability. Wrote stored procedures and triggers for the database layer.
Lead programmer for a check reimbursement system. This system allowed for client companies to submit expenditure information to Harris who would then verify the actual flow through of the accounts and produce itemized and categorized reports for the client.
Worked with a team of people to produce a consumer assistance center application, which is currently being used to respond to thousands of calls daily. Implemented many screens in an OS/2 presentation manager environment to allow for call center personal to efficiently access customer information.
Wrote several systems in roles ranging from programmer to programmer/designer using Clipper and other xBase clones. Including applications in the construction, resort and banking industries.