David M. Rodal
102 Andrews St., Lowell, MA 01852
978.866.1208(c) dave.rodal@gmail.com
http://davidrodal.com
Summary
Seasoned Software Systems Engineer with a diverse background in product design, development and enhancement.
Hot Technologies: AJAX, DHTML, Javascript, PHP, XML, LAMP
Engineering: Internet programming, kernel programming (UNIX, Linux), distributed applications, 2, 3 and N tier.
Programming: Apache web servers with PHP, Java servlets, JSP's, EJB's, Cgi with PERL, Tomcat, lucene.
Languages/Protocols: PHP, PERL, C, C++, Java, HTML, DHTML, CSS, HTTP, HTTPS, XML, Javascript.
Databases: Mysql, Postgresql, Oracle database, MS SQL, JDBC, and ODBC.
Platforms: UNIX, Linux, MAC OS X, Solaris 7, NT, WIN XP, WIN2000, OS9 (microware).
Experience
Family Education Network - June 2005 May 2006
Web application programmer (contract 12 months)
http://fun.familyeducation.com/, http://school.familyeducation.com/, http://life.familyeducation.com/
Family Education Network runs a series of websites for children from grades 1-12. The task was modifying/extending a content management system. This contract started as a 4 month contract but lasted for 1 year. The site was written mostly in PHP, with Perl for background tasks, and Lucene for some indexing.
Once I became familiar with the project, most of my work was done independently.
Technologies that I used/became familiar with are as follows:
l AJAX: I created a DHTML page that used XMLHttpRequest to update tables on a page. This gave the page a very dynamic look and feel.
l DHTML: I wrote many Javascript enabled pages.
l PHP/PHP5: I was already an expert PHP programmer, but I did a lot of this here too.
l POSTGRESQL: I was already a very good MySQL programmer, but this was my first time with Postgresql.
l SPIDERS: I learned a great deal about how Google and others crawl a website and what search engine companies consider spamming. This was dealt with by use of friendly URL's and proper use of NOINDEX NOFOLLOW.
l Perl: I already knew Perl, but hadn't used it in a while. I am much sharper with Perl now.
l UPLOADING Spreadsheets: I modified a Perl program to upload content via a Microsoft spreadsheet.
Sleek Medspa - September 2004 January 2005
Web application programmer (full time)
Hired to enhance/extend a large web application. The application's functions were appointment booking, point of sale, telemarketing, inventory management. The application was written in PHP, using MySQL running under Redhat Enterprise Linux. I was able to gain dramatic performance increases by applying various indexes to tables in the MySQL database. Other performance improvements were gained by finding and removing programming bottlenecks in the program itself. I was also able to secure the program for credit card entry. This was a large and complicated program and I was able to make great improvements and add functionality in a short period of time.
Surf Protect - August 2004
Web programmer. (contract 3 weeks)
Was hired for 3 weeks to clean up a PHP website. http://www.jimmysurf.com. I was able to add the new features that the client wanted and document all the old web pages that could be removed. Proper indexing enabled a 20 minute query to happen in 10 seconds.
Avon Walk for Breast Cancer April 2004
PHP programmer (contract 1 month)
Added features to a program that I created for Avon Walk for Breast Cancer while at Netpudding.
Netpudding, Cambridge MA - 2002 to 2003
System Administrator and Programmer (full time)
Web services company providing custom support - email, remote backup, web calendaring, and web shopping cart. Responsible for developing open source solutions for customerÕs needs, product development and implementation, maintaining servers, creating scripts, and server monitoring software. Linux and Mac OS X platforms.
l Established and maintained e-mail servers and DNS using NAGIOS monitoring and MYSQL running on Apache host.
l Created custom fund raising application written in PHP, using MYSQL under LINUX that networked remote laptops to a client server.
l Created a remote backup program written in Java and system management tools using PHP (Apache host).
Syncra Systems, Waltham, MA - 2000
Senior Engineer (full time, after 6 month contract)
Expanded and upgraded supply chain software to support more than 1,000 users, a six month project. Used Tomcat with jserv to perform round robin load balancing and provide high availability. Worked with development team to upgrade the product for next release. Designed and implemented many J2EE EJB's that worked under weblogic and queried the Oracle database.
Syncra Systems, Waltham, MA - 1999 to 2000
Webmaster (contract - 6 months)
Compiled, configured and maintained a set of apache webservers running servlets with jserv and secure sockets with raven SSL on Solaris 7 and Linux platforms. Extended the functionality of the extranet, based in perl, using CPAN modules.
Created servlets that monitored real-time web application use. Created Perl watchdog program that accessed application every quarter hour to determine proper function and, if necessary, send e-mail pager alert. Wrote several perl cgi programs to collect, compile and display website/application-logging information.
Compaq Corp. - Microcom, Norwood, MA - 1999
Software Systems Engineer (contract - 5 months)
Restructured and reprogrammed a 50,000 line snmp network management and protocol program, which controlled all of Compaq's level 2 (bridge) and level 3 (router) gateways. The original program was structured with many circular dependencies, resulting in an extremely tedious build process. The redone program linked the product without using phony stub libs the first time through running. Also, on this assignment received training courses in network management and UML, including RIP and RIP2.
Compaq Corp. - Cambridge Research Lab., Cambridge, MA - 1998 to 1999
Software Systems Engineer (contract - 8 months)
Designed and developed several large (1000 line) perl cgi programs to collect, analyze, and visually present (via html) data gathered from log file for a web robot. Developed java client program to directly access Oracle database via JDBC driver.
Wrote programs in perl to access Oracle database performing work flow, created simple server side code to perform housekeeping tasks in both java servlets and perl cgi.
Simplex Corp., Cambridge, MA - 1998
Software Systems Engineer (contract - 6 months)
Verified Microsoft Transaction Server as stable for clientÕs middle ware needs. Wrote sample applications that simulated a variety of update records in SQL server. Applications used simple ODBC calls or MTS business objects.
Clam Associates, Cambridge, MA - 1998
Software Systems Engineer (contract - 5 months)
Added kerberose authentication services to Clam's high availability UNIX servers by modifying C code and KSH scripts.
Seachange Intl., Maynard, MA - 1996 to 1997
Software Systems Engineer (contract - 15 months)
Designed and developed a Cable TV traffic and billing system infrastructure, serializing C++ classes to make them available remotely. Built on top of Microsoft's COM package, this allowed complex classes to be made available remotely and minimized overhead. Ported a large MS Access program to C++ and used an SQL Server. Also, developed a build environment using a java GUI to make calls to Microsoft Source Safe to retrieve, build and kit projects. Written in JDK1.1 using the 1.1 Event Model.
Lotus Corp., Cambridge, MA - 1995 to 1996
Software Systems Engineer (contract- 17 months)
Ported Lotus implementation of SMTP/MTA (mailer agent) from OS/2 to Windows NT. Also, downloaded GNU DNS code and porting it to Windows NT.
Digital, Shrewsbury, MA - 1994 to 1996
Software Systems Engineer (contract - 21 months)
Designed and implemented a near video, on-demand video pump. Determined requirements, designed and developed the program and RPC interfaces, and working with Q/A ensured the product was 24/7 secure.
DI/MAC Technologies Systems, Orlando, FL - 1994
Software Manager (full time)
Hired design team to implement an icon based image-processing package. Chose operating system to run in a real-time embedded mode. Specified software configuration management scheme and bug tracking strategy as a corporate standard. Used Visual C++ and Windows NT.
Digital, Littleton, MA - 1991 to 1994
UNIX Kernel Programmer (contract - 34 months)
Ported Ultrix 4.3 changes into a secure version of Ultrix. Also performed functions of release
engineer and system administrator.
IBM, Kingston, NY - 1991
Programmer (contract - 5 months)
Worked on design team creating an image-processing package.
Other Programming & Systems Engineering Experience
OSF - 1989 to 1991
Vista Systems - 1989
Datacube, - 1985 to 1989
Ampex Corp. - 1977 to 1985
Education
BS, Computer Science, University of California San Diego