Kenneth A. Wolcott

acq9cf@r.postjobfree.com

Summary

Software Build/Release/Integration and SCM (Software Configuration Management) Engineer experienced in Linux, UNIX and Windows in heterogeneous environments. Passionate about quality, a Best Practices Evangelist.

Skills

OS/Environments: Linux (Debian, CentOS, Ubuntu, Fedora), Mac, UNIX, Windows, Cygwin

Languages: Perl, Bash, Gnu Make, YAML, Tcl, SQL

SCM: git, (GitHub), svn, Perforce, cvs

Build Platforms: Electric Commander

Bug Tracking: JIRA, GNATS

VirtualBox, VMware, Vagrant

docker, docker-compose, boot2docker

Experience

Senior Build and Release Engineer

Vendini

September 2014 – Present (11 months)

Researched, experimented and proposed new development to deployment process using Docker and wrote scripts to encapsulate the current LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP) stack with Docker. Experimented with Docker and Ansible together and then just using docker-compose. Determined that a set of Docker containers, each for a specific portion of the stack in use was more effective than a monolithic Docker container.

Researched several ways to expedite moving forwards from an old PHP environment to a newer one with fewer security vulnerabilities without feature loss. Determined that having a set of Docker containers with different versions of PHP would facilitate the developers in getting the features already in place to be compatible with more recent versions of PHP.

Maintenance of existing build and release scripts, policies, procedures and documentation.

Administrating the private GitHub git repositories and access to the repositories.

Accumulating the individually QA-approved bugfix and feature branches into the release candidate branch.

Deploying to production the QA-approved release candidate.

Developing and maintaining accurate, positive and prompt communication with Member Services, Engineering, Product Management and DevOps.

Senior Build and Release Engineer

Axcient

October 2013 – August 2014

Developed, enhanced, maintained build and release scripts. Designed optimized and maintained build hosts (both physical and virtual) for both Linux and WIndows. Maintained access to Git repository via gitolite. Proposed, introduced, maintained a small git client-side and a small server-side git hook. Added and deleted user accounts on Linux machines. Trained developers on how to use Git. Created branches and tags as needed. Assisted with merges as needed. Investigated and implemented several methods for minimizing difficulties encountered with a very large git repository on both WIndows and Linux, especially with interoperability between Windows and Linux during build time.

SCM/Build/Release Consulting Engineer

Stealth Startup

August 2013 – September 2013

Research, investigate, summarize SCM apps, then develop proof of concept and then report to the founders my conclusions. Advise founders on SCM Best Practices, and Software Build and Release policies/procedures/standards.

SCM/Build/Release Engineer

Juniper Networks

December 2007 – July 2013

Supported/maintained/enhanced existing build infrastructure (Tcl, Perl, UNIX Shell).

Responsible for enhancing and maintaining the build framework; debugging the build infrastructure faults. Enhanced the build infrastructure to be resilient and for better scalability and performance. Planned and implemented a completely new build infrastructure. Established a completely new mechanism for precisely controlling the software release (web publishing) process such that highly diverse products would be handled in the same manner which vastly increased scalability and cross-training. Trained several people to be build masters. Maintained about 50 Tb of specialized prior patch builds due to lack of CM system for patches to legacy products. Transferred this data from a SAN to NetApp filer. Implemented retention and archive policies and the associated scripts. As part of a team, ported the daily build and patch build infrastructure from totally CLI to mostly Electric Commander for significant efficiency gain. Responsible for the external web publishing of over 25 distinct products which involved extensive facilitation between build masters, developers, software QA, TechPubs, program managers, PLMs and Legal.

Contract SCM/Build Engineer

Juniper Networks

August - November 2007

Responsible for maintaining daily build crontab settings. Performed beta and release builds on request. Evaluated build failures as either developer code fault or infrastructure failure. For each infrastructure failure, I enhanced the build framework to be more resilient.

Software Build Engineer (contract)

IPC

April - June 2007

Implemented first phase of two phases of an evolution from a recursive make-based build system to a hierarchical make-based build system.

SCM/Build Engineer

Cloudshield Technologies

2006

Ran builds. Investigated build failures.

Load/Performance Test Engineer (contract)

American Family Insurance

2006

Designed and automated performance test scenarios using Compuware LoadTest. Executed the test scenarios and analyzed results.

Consultant

Compuware (GE Healthcare and West Bend Mutual Insurance)

2003-2005

Web Performance/Load Test Engineer (contractor)

West Bend Mutual Insurance

2005

Generated performance/load test scenarios and executed them using Compuware load test tools.

SCM/Build Engineer (contractor)

GE Healthcare

2003-2004

Software Configuration Management Engineer and Linux System Administrator using CVS and ClearCase. Automated build process using Perl and ClearCase on Linux Red Hat 8.0/9 platforms which significantly increased build reliability and consistency by reducing complexity. Wrote scripts to export specified ClearCase elements (source code and tools) for those not having access to

ClearCase. Labeled code base as needed. Wrote install scripts. Created cross-compiler for arm9 embedded platform. Analyzed build failures. Assisted others with Perl, shell script and ClearCase questions and/or problems. Installed Red Hat Linux, tweaked network settings. Installed ClearCase. Wrote web page for build results. Automated process for dynamically refreshing the web page. Used open source applications where appropriate.

Contract Web Developer

Infinite Probability Networks

September 2002 - July 2003

Designed, implemented, enhanced and debugged extensive ecommerce web site using Linux, Apache, MySQL, Perl, Javascript and HTML. Wrote tools in perl to insert, delete and modify data in the MySQL database and to translate data to and from CSV and/or text format to the database. The HTML is 4.01 compliant and is dynamically generated by perl. Provided live second-tier support for Customer Service. Wrote software integration suite to perform live credit card authorization with the authorize.net (credit card clearinghouse vendor). Wrote concise library support in order to validate city, state and zip code information. Wrote another concise library to validate email address domains. Co-wrote integration software suite to automate UPS shipping support. Extensively tested (black box and white box) web site both by unit and as a whole.

Lead SCM and Software Build, Release and Integration Engineer

Digital Archway

2000-2002

Designed/implemented SCM infrastructure from the ground up. Wrote build/integration/installation scripts in perl and bash as needed. Researched alternative build strategies and platforms to enhance the reliability of the build process therefore reducing the lag time between code checkin and QA testing. Maintained Perforce source code repository, creating branches as required. Performed regular backups of the source code repository. Improved the quality of the products by implementing wise engineering policies and procedures. Facilitated communication between development groups and between development/QA/marketing groups. Installed, configured and customized Linux for SCM build hosts. Used Borland JBuilder4 for building java sources. Used WindRiver Tornado Managed Switch build

environment. Built customized Phoenix BIOS. Built firmware for PIC processors. Burned cdroms as needed. Trained and mentored junior SCM engineer. Mentored quality assurance engineers. SCM evangelist.

SCM/Build/Release Engineer

Autodaq

1999-2000

Wrote new perl/ksh scripts. Massively reduced build complexity by writing four Perl scripts which encapsulated a 100 step manual procedure. Maintained/enhanced existing perl/ksh scripts. Used Kintana workflow software to deploy updates. Maintained the bug tracking database and facilitated the bug closure process. Verified that application of the patches were successful. Maintained apache and

jserv config files. Customized Kintana. Performed daily java builds. Maintained cvs server, created tags and branches as needed. Installed and configured cvs client software. Monitored disk space usage, compressing/moving log files as needed. Maintained extensive crontab entries. Created/maintained departmental web site. Worked closely with IT with networking and load balancing issues. Worked closely with QA to insure that prompt patch testing. Created/deleted CVS/Kintana user accounts as

needed. Platforms were NT and Solaris running Oracle, Weblogic, Apache, EJB, servlets.

Software QA Engineer

Cygnus Solutions (acquired by RedHat)

February 1998-February 1999

Created new test plans and test cases. Enhanced existing test plans and test cases. Performed manual testing of GUI software applications on Solaris, HPUX, Linux and 95/98/NT platforms. Participated in weekly bug status meetings to insure bugs were fixed in a timely manner. Strong advocate for high quality software applications. Updated internal web pages frequently. Assisted those who needed help on UNIX/Linux platforms and cross-platform issues.

Software Test Automation Engineer

Legato Systems (acquired by EMC)

1995-1998

Initial responsibilities included executing tests and analyzing results. Contributed new test cases to the suite, debugged and fixed problems in the existing test cases, ported test cases from UNIX to NT. Quickly learned the testing framework, which was composed primarily of TCL (some Expect) and Perl, supporting the test cases, greatly enhancing its functionality and reliability. Wrote tools in Perl, Tcl/Tk and expect to supplement the automated test execution and result analysis. As a technical lead for the group, trained other engineers in the group to execute tests and analyze results. Reviewed and implemented the new test cases developed by engineers in the group. An expert in the product being tested by the framework (Legato NetWorker).

Technical Support Engineer

Legato Systems (acquired by EMC)

1993-1995

Solved customer's technical problems with the use of NetWorker, a cross-platform, networked backup and recover software. These platforms were NetWare, MS-DOS TCP/IP, OS/2, Windows-NT and many flavors of UNIX. The assistance rendered involved software, OS and hardware debugging, especially with SCSI busses, tape drives, hard drives and adapters. Custom-wrote semi-automated software for the logging of incoming email messages from customers into the relational database provided. Trained other engineers in the use of the NetWorker product and UNIX OS. Wrote tools to facilitate bug writing/searching. Examined product source code to assist customers in diagnosis of the problem and possible solutions/workarounds/fixes. Trained dispatchers to more efficiently obtain the crux of the problem the customers were reporting. Responsible for the logging of incoming Internet email, faxes, voicemail and CompuServe into the database. Responsible for the Compuserve response postings.

Software EBF Build/Test Engineer (Intern)

Sybase (acquired by SAP)

June-December 1992

Performed automated and manual software testing on front-end Sybase products on UNIX and VMS platforms. Required extensive knowledge of UNIX, Bourne Shell and C-Shell programming. Platforms included Sun-4 SunOS, HP 9000 series HP-UX, RS6000 AIX, NCR SVR4, Sequent Dynix/ptx, and multrix (RISC Ultrix), as well as VAX/VMS 5.4. Test Analysis of the Sybase front-end products was performed on a Sun SparcStation using OpenWindows and DECWindows via detached terminal processes on the VAX.

UNIX System Administrator/Graphics Production Analyst (contractor)

Pactel Corporation

Spring 1992

Performed UNIX System Administrator duties on a network composed of seven Sun SparcStations running SunOS 4.1 under NFS (some automounting). The in-house graphics software performed optimal cellular antennna placement prediction, resulting in plotfiles nearing a gigabyte in size (larger than a disk partition), which required extensive manipulation of the filesystems. Informix was used to access this huge database of demographics and terrain data.

Computer Operator & Lab Advisor

University of Colorado at Denver

1984-1987

Printed reports. Co-created a script for optimal printing that doubled operator efficiency. Performed backups and recovery (Primos, VMS and UNIX). Advised/assisted students in usage of UNIX/VMS/Windows for programming assignments.

Diesel Mechanic/Recovery Vehicle Operator

US Army

1978-1981

In an active duty US Army mechanized infantry unit in Germany, I was responsible for wheeled and tracked vehicle maintenance. I was also responsible for recovery of disabled tracked vehicles.

Education

BA Math (Computer Science emphasis) 1987

University of Colorado at Denver

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