QUALIFICATIONS
Over twenty years of experience in computer system administration and user support, involving a wide variety of hardware platforms and multiple operating systems, including Linux, Windows, OS/2, eCS, DOS and others. Experience includes:
networks - LAN installation and management; LAN/WAN gateways and firewalls
servers - WWW, Email, PPP, and SQL Servers
programming - C; Perl, Rexx, BASIC, Visual Basic, SQL, PHP, HTML, Javascript, FoxPro.
EXPERIENCE
Proprietor, MWC Enterprises 1991 - present
Begun as a part-time consulting practice in 1989 and continuing full-time into the present, MWC Enterprises provides complete technical solutions to computer problems for a variety of small to medium size businesses, with the philosophy that IT should adjust to the needs of the people who do the main work of the company - the ones who "go out and make the money". Customers include the offices of insurance companies, lawyers, dentists, physicians, and small manufacturing facilities. Projects have included:
Linux
• Installed and supported multiple distributions of Linux - Redhat, SuSE, Mandrake, and others - including compiling custom kernels.
• Created and maintained dual-boot Linux / Windows systems.
Internet
• Connected company internal networks to internet with security (firewall), email (POP and SMTP servers) and browsing (web server) capabilities.
• Blocked virus assaults 100% on both Windows and Linux systems on mixed networks. Never had a single infection on any machine despite assault rates ranging from 5 attempts per hour to 30-60 attempts per minute.
• Blocked hack attempts on all web-connected machines and internal networks. Despite 50-60 attempts per day to access intranets, no such hack was ever successful.
• Reduced spam from 100 per day per user to less than 1 per day per user.
• Used web proxies such as Squid and Privoxy to increase efficiency on limited bandwith connections and to increase security and privacy. Improved users' experience by blocking pop-ups, pop-unders, banner ads, cookies.
System Administration
• Handled all system administration of small and mid-size LANS for Windows, Linux and mixed environments.
• Designed and implemented networks using NFS and SMB protocols to connect multiple platform computers: Linux, Unix, BSD, Sun, Windows, newer Apples.
• Configured and administered Samba installations for: sharing files and printers; getting Windows computers to use Linux servers; setting up domain name controllers; administering NIS (network information services) servers.
• Developed backup and disaster recovery strategies to cover user needs and network functionality.
• Customized network access and recordkeeping to meet individual needs: traffic, web site, email, IM, chat activities.
• Set up SNAT/DNAT firewalls using IPtables (Smoothwall / Shorewall) and the InJoy firewall.
User Support
• Supported commercial office application packages including: word processors; financial and technical spreadsheets; project management software; engineering modelling programs.
• Provided initial and ongoing user training for all software, including proprietary and open source applications.
• Migrated legacy systems to new technology while keeping original data.
Programming
• Designed, wrote, and maintained custom specialty application software packages: quotation tracking system; sales contact management and tracking system; product test reporting system; inventory control systems.
• Designed and implemented dynamic web sites using DHTML, PHP and MySQL.
• Recovered and converted data abandoned after another consultant's failed network attempt.
• Wrote datafile fingerprinting software to positively identify datafiles by content rather than relying on filename. This reduced storage costs, data loss, and confusion.
Factory Support
• Designed and constructed multiple electronic process control systems.
• Repaired and supported many computer operated systems for automated manufacturing, including lathes and induction furnaces.
Director of Information Technologies, Diamond Productions, Inc. 1995 - 2002
Responsible for direction of computer strategy to support company operations and expansion. Supported 80 office users and two manufacturing sites.
• Designed and implemented first local area network (LAN) for any division of the company. The installation was so successful that additional LANs followed for all other locations.
• Planned upgrade paths, network expansion projects, and eventually a full network rebuild to support the company as it grew.
• Maintained a better than 99% average network uptime every year.
• Established anti-virus policy and enforcement procedures, resulting in zero data loss.
• Set up company-wide disaster recovery equipment and procedures that were responsible for 100% restoration of service and data in each disaster incident.
• Built new systems to accommodate user needs.
Technical Support and Systems Analyst, various companies pre-1991
Performed a wide variety of technical functions for companies such as AT&T NSSC, Louis Berger International, and others. Received multiple awards for superior customer service.
• Handled vendor negotiations and oversight, from preparation of technical specifications to final work acceptance.
• Supervised data entry operators and assistant repair technicians.
• Set up and maintained electronic bulletin board systems to support customers and field staff with faster response time and no additional personnel.
• Evaluated assorted commercial specialty applications, and when necessary designed and wrote custom applications.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
DARomizer, written in Perl. It speeds up large backups-to-disk under Linux. Released in 2003, 2004.
PMRA (Poor Man's Roaming Access), written in REXX and PowerBasic. It allows the sharing of bookmark or other files from multiple computers, or from multiple operating systems on a single computer. Handles Linux, Windows, and OS/2 systems. Released in 1999, 2002.
W3F, written in PHP and using MySQLas the database engine. It is a web-enabled file archive system that provides search, download, upload and user accounting capabilities. Released in 2000, 2002.
"Networking with NFS: Cross Platform with a Vengeance." OS/2 Voice Newsletter , 2003.
"Networking with OS/2 and Linux, TcpBeui and Samba: A Search for Common Ground." OS/2 Voice Newsletter , 2002.
"How to Become Your Own ISP in Three Easy (and 57,236 Difficult) Steps." Mike's Technical Notebook , 2002.
