Curriculum Vitae

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Key skills

Able to configure the VMS environment consistent with auditable and security standards.

Able to establish sound practices and procedures for the ongoing stability and resilience of the Compaq (DEC) VAX/Alpha VMS environments.

System tuning and capacity planning skills for the VMS operating system.

System design and configuration to required service levels and performance factors.

Networking and data communication skills, including Decnet phase IV configuration, LAT, TCP/IP configuration, modem dialups.

Provision of technical training, demonstration of later technologies in wildfire, Galaxy, latest generation storage interconnects and clustering technologies.

Problem solving and trouble shooting.

Understanding of business requirements and the role of IT supporting the business function.

Able to explain technical issues in terms of business drivers.

Adaptable and resourceful, able and willing to learn new hardware and software environments.

Able to work under own initiative, but also a good team player.

Presentation skills.

Career History and achievements

1997 to date. Senior Technical Support Analyst.

VMS consultant for CSC Computer Sciences at an international level. Experience with All-in-1, Alpha hardware, mixed architecture mixed version VMS clusters, RAID arrays, Unicentre-TNG, PCS, UCX. Decnet/OSI/V, WNT v3 and v4, Multinet, MOD cleared to SC level, able to work on FDA Pharma Validated systems, nuclear systems. Technical assessment, capacity planning, system specification, installation, upgrades, DCL coding, user liaison, system and cluster internals, performance, consultancy for internal and external clients. Experience with PVCS (PCMS).

1989 to 1997. Senior Operations Analyst. Jacob's Bakery Limited.

Established a high resilience VAX/VMS environment for production systems, compatible with development system to provide disaster recovery. Design of high speed system startup.

Designed and implemented high reliability self scheduling backup procedure, utilising auto changing tape units and coordinating clean backup of relational databases.

Set up a "lights out" environment, and take part in providing 24 hour support for critical business systems.

Responsible for the recommendation and costing of hardware upgrade paths, and the provision of business justification.

Took part in the specification of fault tolerant WAN/LAN networking strategy.

Day to day user support of IT systems, including Vax, PC , NT on Intel and AS/400.

System management and security administration for VMS. Liaison with DEC hardware and software support specialists in diagnosing and correcting faults. Onsite assistance in diagnosis. Use of SDA and ERF in diagnosing problems.

Software upgrade and installation for VMS operating system, layered products, and third party products, software and configuration.

Administration and cost rationalization of maintenance contracts.

Varying experience of the following languages on VMS, BASIC, COBOL, PASCAL, FORTRAN, MACRO, complex DCL command procedure development. Experience with DECWindows. IBM compatible PC experience, various DOS and Windows applications, linux, Apache, MVS, OS400 on AS400.

Experience of the following hardware, Vax 3000 series, 4000 series, Micro II, RA8x, RF7x, Storageworks, DELNI, DS200, DS90M, third party disks, third party 8mm, TK70, RD5x, various controllers, various modems.

Experience of following software, Perfectdisk, Perfectcache, Diskeeper, IOexpress, Supra, Robomon, AbilityVSM, RAXmanager, TARDIS, Multinet, Cincom Control, SUPRA (database), various DECUS, AES, Vaxsim, Pursuit, Goldmail. Installation, patching and upgrade of all the above. Also trialled a number of other software products and produced cost justifications and benefits of any product which achieved any business objectives.

Implemented cost effective internet email connectivity over Lotus Notes client/server on NT over ISDN-2.

Pathworks experience, Lotus Notes 4 administration, use of Novell 3 and 4.

Presented at various user groups on topics such as Lights Out System Management, Database Performance on Vax, Radio Data Terminal systems.

Familiarity with the internet as a tool for providing software updates, research and email.

1987 to 1989. Operations Manager, Bolton Institute.


System management, security, backup and user support for Vax/VMS and PDP11 hardware in central IT department.

Hardware and software upgrade, installation and configuration.

Provision of sitewide data lines.

Management of voice network, line installation, trunks and call logging.

1983 to 1987. Computer Technician. Bolton Institute.


System management, security, backup, configuration and day to day operation of PDP11 system.

System programming in BASIC+ on RSTS/E

Academic History and Professional Training

Attendance on Digital courses on VMS system management, Macro programming.

Attended courses on LAN and WAN switching and routing, including ATM principles, Token Ring and Ethernet; Wellfleet router course, Optivity, HP-Openview, and DAP ISDN.

1982 to 1983. Youth Opportunities Programme.


Short industrial course in Business and Computer studies. Studied Accounting, Systems Analysis, microprocessor and Cobol programming.

1979 to 1982.

Educated at Wigan College of Technology, studying Computer Science, Pure and Applied Mathematics, Electronic Systems and General Studies to A level.

1974 to 1979.

Educated at Mornington High School, Achieving O levels in Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, and English Language.

Other relevant information

I have set up my own private 'home' system, comprising a Microvax 3600 and a Vaxstation 3100, clustered using thinwire ethernet. As this system has been built using parts begged and bought on a shoestring, I have experience of self maintenance and hardware support of this system, configuration and vectoring of boards. I have also connected this system to the Internet via a service provider. Experience of writing world wide web pages in HTML format to be viewed by all types of browser.

Other interests include development and maintenance of local town internet web site, including photography and research. Interests in music, photography, cryptology and security, audiophile hifi systems, electronics, astronomy, technology and various science subjects. Core interest in computer systems, set up my own VAX and Alpha home cluster with LAN. Hold full UK driving licence.

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