Application Support Production

Robert Knoeppel

***********@*****.*** 913-***-**** Olathe, KS www.linkedin.com/in/rknoeppel

SUMMARY

Seasoned Middleware Engineer with 24 years of industry experience, including a decade-long tenure at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City. Proven expertise in providing 24/7 production support, automating WebSphere deployments, and managing IBM License Metric Tool. Exceptional skills in application support, troubleshooting, configuration, and deploying code in various environments. Seeking to leverage extensive background in Middleware Engineering to further career.

SKILLS

Attention to Detail

Friendly, Positive Attitude

Customer Service

Task Prioritization

Cloud Integration

Configuration Management

Compatibility Testing

Software Testing and Validation

IBM WebSphere

Teamwork and Collaboration

Performance Tuning

System Administration java/.net

Requirements Gathering and Analysis

Monitoring tools – Dynatrace, Splunk

Teamwork and Communication

Tomcat / IIS webservers

WORK EXPERIENCE

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City Kansas City, MO

Middleware Engineer III 2010 - 2024

•Provide comprehensive production support for WebSphere Application Servers and IIS Web Servers as part of the Application Integration team.

•Serve as the WebSphere Administrator for a suite of 70 in-house developed java applications across multiple environments. Installation of SSL certificates as required by corporate security.

•Created jython scripts to automate WebSphere deployments and cluster ripplestarts, enhancing efficiency and reducing manual errors.

•Coordinated a project to convert a java based application from running on WebSphere to Tomcat.

•Manage the installation, support, troubleshooting, configuration and patching of various Cognizant java / .net applications for biannual release schedules.

•Resolve technical issues by opening incident/problem tickets with vendors, identifying root causes, and deploying code in various environments.

•Coordinated with security teams to ensure compliance with industry regulations by properly configuring middleware components within the infrastructure environment.

•Contributed ideas and suggestions in team meetings and delivered updates on deadlines, designs, and enhancements.

•Collaborated with cross-functional teams to design and implement custom middleware solutions tailored to business requirements using both waterfall and agile technologies.

•Evaluated emerging middleware technologies, recommending adoption when beneficial to company objectives.

•Implemented Dynatrace, Splunk monitoring tools for proactive issue detection and resolution, improving overall system stability.

•Established SharePoint documentation standards for internal team use, promoting consistency and ease of troubleshooting efforts throughout the organization.

CenturyLink Overland Park, KS

Contractor 2009 - 2010

•Provided consistent, around-the-clock production support for various applications and servers, utilizing skills in troubleshooting to identify and rectify root causes.

•Spearheaded the build-out of Application Server/Web Server to meet specific application and developer specifications across development, test, and production environments.

•Executed seamless migration of BEA Weblogic Application Servers from outdated versions to current vendor-supported versions, ensuring optimal functionality and support.

Sprint-Nextel Corporation Overland Park, KS

System Integrator II 1999 - 2009

•Provided comprehensive installation and round-the-clock production support for various software including BEA Weblogic Application Server, SUN One Java System Web Server, Java, Apache, MapMarker, and IBM WebSphere across diverse server environments.

•Assumed the responsibility of 24x7 on-call support, promptly addressing issues, identifying root causes, and liaising with vendors to ensure timely resolution.

•Led the successful integration of Savvion Business Manager into the support matrix, including the creation of technical documents for certification and installation, and provided training for team members.

•Collaborated with project managers and application owners to create Infrastructure Engineering Design Documents, built out the Application Server/Web Server per application specifications, and deployed application code across development, test, and production environments.

•Conducted a thorough internal audit of BEA Weblogic licenses, identified duplicate and redundant licenses, leading to a cost saving of over $1.2 million. Further contributed to significant cost savings by decommissioning redundant applications, generating an IT application development savings of $844,693.

•Streamlined hardware and software testing and certification on the HP-UX platform, including the installation of new servers using HP-UX Ignite, ensuring efficient integration into enterprise-wide projects.

•Enhanced operational efficiency by reducing server patch times through the creation of quarterly Blockpoint images in line with HP media releases, and maintained up-to-date HP-UX media accessibility.

•Oversaw the software depot for all UNIX platforms, managing a repository containing Ignite Golden Images, BEA Weblogic Application Server, and others, while offering advanced support for HP-UX system administrators, including incident resolution and disaster recovery support.

EDUCATION

DeVRY University

Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems

Kansas City, MO

CERTIFICATIONS

WebSphere Network Deployment Manager Version 8.5.5

WebSphere Network Deployment Manager Version 9.0

IIS

Apache/Tomcat

Cognizant Facets Applications: Workflow, NetworX, POS, CDHAdapter, Modeler/Analytics, TCS, VBB, Elements and Elements Workflow

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