BrightWood Development Corporation

Stephen J. Lack

Current Skills

Windows Server (3.5, 4.0, 2000, 2003) administration: superior, mission-critical skills in AD, WMI, ADSI, TS, RAS, multi-host web server admin, IIS admin, IIS Metabase management, load balancing, performance tuning, security admin, MS DNS with AD integration, SUS.

Windows, Linux, OpenBSD network administration, integration, application hosting, automation, TCP/IP engineering, VPN, DNS, SMTP/POP3/LDAP/IMAP4, RADIUS, Remote Access, Scripting, and all aspects of complex network management and administration.

Software Development:

·          Visual Studio 2003

·          Visual Basic

·          Asp.NET (Vbscript and C#)

·          SQL Server Scripts, Functions, Stored Procedures, DTS, SqlMail

·          Access ADP

·          ADO and ADO.NET

·          WSH, WMI, ADSI

·          ASP & COM

Microsoft SQL Server 6.5, 7.0, 2000 DBA & Programmer

DNS admin (both Windows and UNIX BIND)

Historical Qualifications

Microsoft Windows NT Certified Professional

Program PC-based client-server systems in Borland Delphi, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Visual Basic, Microsoft Visual C++

Windows NT 3.51, 4.0 system & network administration, installation, performance tuning

Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 system administration and programming

Microsoft Internet Information Server (all versions) installation, administration, and performance tuning

Microsoft Active Server Pages software development

Microsoft Merchant Server administration, deployment, and software development

Microsoft Chat Server administration

Microsoft Exchange Server design, deployment, administration, performance tuning, and software development, develop scripts to manage and rebuild indexes and recover user mailboxes in corrupt mail store.

DNS (ISC UNIX bind port) configuration and management under Windows NT

Microsoft Visual InterDev development

TCP/IP networking, router programming, frame relay network implementation

Perl 5 for Win32 - windows NT admin and automation using Perl

Client History, Project Experience

The Wyoming Operation, Inc. March 1996 to Present.

Director Software Development

Supervise, administer, and direct all aspects of managing a large web and corporate server network including, router programming for multiple T1 connected network, UPS management & administration, remote access & VPN operations, security and firewall programming, bandwidth monitoring and control, disaster recovery and planning, capacity monitoring and planning, customer care and troubleshooting. Primary duties were software development, testing, and deployment, client care and recruitment, and corporate management.

Network Operations & Administration projects and initiatives

·    Direct network operations for fifty server high-availability web hosting farm consisting of  Windows NT, 2000, 2003, Linux, and OpenBSD Servers.

·    Install, configure, and administrate Windows NT servers (3.5, 4.0), Windows 2000, and Windows 2003 running the following Microsoft Services: Merchant Server, Internet Locator Server, Chat Server, Personalization Server, Commercial Internet Mail Server, Exchange Server (5.5 and 2000), SQL Server (6.5, 7.0, 2000), RAS, RRAS, IIS, FTP, WebDAV, TS, AD, ADSI, WMI, and IAS.

·    Deploy and administrate IpSwitch Imail Internet standards-based SMTP, POP3, and IMAP4 servers for the Windows platform.

·    Deploy, secure, and manage Microsoft FrontPage web server extensions.

·    Manage ftp and Remote Access Services for customer Internet access under Windows server.

·    Design, deploy, and administrate a Microsoft SQL Server farm database installation to provide reliable data sources for customer web sites and internal intranet use.

·    Install and Administer Win32 version of MySQL database for client use in automating web sites. This server allows clients to develop inexpensive yet high performance and reliable data-driven web sites.

·    Configure secure servers (SSL) for customer and in-house use.

·    Perform router management and configuration for Wide Area Networks to customer sites and local TCP/IP network.

·    Configure Windows-based system monitoring tools to monitor web, email, and ftp servers.

·    Coordinate deployment and configuration of frame-relay networks for customer site Internet connectivity.

·    Configure and manage primary and secondary DNS services for entire ISP operation.

·    Configure DHCP and WINS services for in-house TCP/IP network. Converted this to split brain DNS schema with AD integration.

·    Responsible for Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP) programming for customer web sites. Develop and deploy numerous ASP-based database projects for customer web sites using Microsoft Visual InterDev, Microsoft FrontPage extensions, Microsoft Visual Basic, and Microsoft SQL Server.

·    Programmed virtual storefront for customer using Microsoft Merchant Server and related technologies.

·    Develop JAVA scripts for various customer web sites.

·    Head up team of contractors to evaluate, test, and deploy Microsoft Site Server.

·    Co-host weekly technology-oriented radio talk show, write monthly technology article for local Chamber of Commerce newspaper.

·    Responsible for testing and deployment of IIS 4.0 production server. Develop and deploy migration plan for IIS 3.0 to IIS 4.0 migration.

·    Research, Design, and Deploy Channelized T1-based dialup solution for 56k Flex dialup service.

·    Design and deploy 56k and T1 Frame Relay networks for business and corporate Internet connectivity.

·    Team member on deployment of wireless Internet connectivity services for Cheyenne, Wyoming.

·    Program routers for 56k and T1 Frame Relay, and wireless networks.

·    Deploy and supervise remote Point of Presence locations throughout State of Wyoming.

·    Install, configure, and administer Microsoft Exchange 5.5 server for in-house email and workgroup productivity functions.

·    Install, configure, and administer email-to-fax and email-to-pager gateways.

·    Deploy custom company-branded versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer browser utilizing Microsoft IEAK.

·    Develop comprehensive checklist for technician use while installing and configuring Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0. Adherence to this checklist resulted in consistent, secure, and performance-tuned operating system installations optimized for the Service Provider web-hosting environment.

·    Supervise use and configuration of MediaHouse IPMonitor software to monitor server farm and all related services. The system allows for automatic service restart upon failure and/or QOS degradation. This freed the provider from needing a staff of technicians on a 24 hour basis.

·    Install, configure, and supervise running of eShare collaboration software for a large (3,000+ members) community web site.

·    Assemble a comprehensive set of UNIX, WSH, WMI Scripts, and other command line utilities and tools for server management, monitoring, and troubleshooting from the command line. This set of tools is deployed automatically on each of our servers with and automated build script and is kept current from a central repository with a WSH update script. This set of tools allows technicians familiar with UNIX tools to efficiently administer Windows web server systems.

·    Design, test, and deploy a standardized web server hardware platform. Evaluate COTS systems for cost control, profit maximization, and performance. Systems consisted of 1U rackmount servers with SCSI backplanes and lightweight systems using ATA drives. Serial ATA is now being evaluated and deployed. Custom built systems were used due to the non-availability of traditional brand name servers and to control cost. Due to our stringent testing and consistent use of quality brands, hardware failure has resulted in downtime measured in minutes over an annual basis across the entire server farm.

Software Development Projects

Develop SSL-Protected Terminal Services Web interface site for technician remote access to administer web server farm.

Develop comprehensive system for SPAM and UCE mitigation. System utilized a set of WSH scripts, an email program alias to intercept client-submitted email headers, a customized UNIX Postfix daemon, SQL 7.0 server, and DNS MX record configuration. A WSH script using regular expressions was written to parse the email headers to extract mail host IP addresses and match them against RBL lists and our own internal database. A database of known, good, IP addresses was also maintained as a precaution against false positives. System successfully filtered some 100,000 emails per month with false positives in the single digits per month.

Develop, test, and deploy to production an automated server operating system installation scheme. This scheme resulted in the automatic installation and configuration of Windows 2000 Server optimized for the Service Provider web hosting environment. A customized answer file was developed and in concert with a custom boot floppy diskette which automatically partitioned the disk, and a service pack slipstreamed cd build, the installation was accomplished with minimal user intervention. After automatic installation of the OS, some 2000 lines VBScript script code was used create a secure and performance optimized OS installation. The script installed and configured, all third party software such as the IpSwitch Imail server, Antivirus software, disk defrag software (important for web servers with many hosts as files are small and the MFT fragments heavily), and many others. In some cases, custom MSI packages were developed to automate installation. The script performed myriad other functions such as COM object registration, highly restrictive permission set configured with xcacls, customized desktop for remote management, terminal services configuration, IIS Metabase configuration and optimization for web hosting environments, installation and configuration of urlscan, and many other web hosting specific options and packages.

Supervise development of a customized backup and disaster recovery schema tailored for the Microsoft Windows 2000/IIS 5 web hosting environment. Custom scripts were developed to create backups on NAS shares for disaster recovery. A Windows port of the UNIX Cron service was used as a more reliable, and more easily scripted, scheduler than the build in Windows Task Scheduler. Registry backups and system state backups were automatically accomplished and stored on and off-line.

Develop VBScripts to automate monitoring event logs in a large server farm environment. The system emailed technicians with critical events only when necessary, freeing them from having to manually check event log files.

Develop VBScripts to automate the configuration of the IpSwitch Imail Mail, IMAP, LDAP, and SMTP services. Scripts were developed to cull log files for certain activities that might indicate hack attempts.

Served as SQL DBA for Microsoft SQL server farm consisting of SQL 6.5, 7, and 2000 servers used by various clients and their respective web sites. Develop backup, restore, and recovery strategies for these servers. Program many SQL scripts, procedures, and functions for various clients. Develop custom middleware for many clients to integrate SQL Server (all versions) into their operations and then to serve data for their web sites.

Develop middleware and supervise development of entire project to automate a medium size newspaper’s web site. Instead of cutting and pasting updates to their site on a daily basis, the various software pieces developed now fully automate the extraction of source data from their in-house production system and transfer the data to a SQL server which runs the web site. Classified ads are automatically extracted and transferred to the web site SQL server. A search function was programmed for the ads so web visitors can quickly locate data in the ads. A full function real estate solution was also automated, allowing the newspaper to provide current and accurate MLS listings freeing them and their clients from updating individual listings on a daily basis. The real estate listings are also fully searchable. The project consisted of migrating the entire web site from a Microsoft FrontPage environment to a Macromedia DreamWeaver managed site as well as integrating the various bits of middleware and several thousand lines of ASP code for managing all aspects of the site and it’s automation. A failsafe system was put in place to ensure the site displays meaningful data even in the event of a failure of any one or more of the middleware components or loss of Internet connectivity. Systems were put into place to email key personnel in case of all failures or abnormalities.

Develop software to automate the provisioning of DeepMetrix LiveStats Statistics Server ports. This software gathers web site log data and aggregates it on a Microsoft SQL 2000 server for later use in generating customized graphs and charts for web traffic analysis. Software automates entirely the provisioning of new ports as new web sites are added.

Develop some 2100 lines of VBScript code to allow creation, deletion, and general management of web, ftp, and email sites from the Windows 2000 command line. The script uses a combination of technologies such as WSH, ADSI, and WMI. The software allows for fully automated web site provisioning from the command line with automatic configuration of permissions, Microsoft FrontPage Server Extensions, anonymous FTP server, WebDAV virtual folders, Imail web server site creation with plan-specific user restrictions. The software also allows the migration of sites from one physical web server to another, thus facilitating an easy hardware upgrade process.

Develop software and supervise team to automate DNS management. System consisted of scripts to manage some 1000+ DNS zones on a group of four Windows and OpenBSD UNIX servers. The single Windows 2000 server was used for script deployment and ease of technician access to the text zone files. The UNIX servers provided reliability and redundancy.

Design, test, and deploy a set of Registry and Metabase tuning scripts for Windows NT 4.0 which enabled NT 4.0 servers to function reliably and efficiently in a production multi-hosted web server environment.

Develop enterprise strength Customer Service System using SQL Server back end and Microsoft Access (ADP) front end. Web access for customer self-service was also provided. System automates the entire operational requirements of the company. All product and service provisioning is accomplished with the software. In addition, customer statements, invoicing, payment reception, credit card transaction processing, and other accounting functions were built into the system. A comprehensive set of management reports is included; custom reports can be built. OLE automation and both commercial and custom COM objects were used extensively to provide additional functionality, security, and performance. User security utilizing menu and form hiding was built in to allow a single distributable to be used by all members of the company. Over 50,000 lines of Visual Basic and SQL Server code were written for this project.

Develop dozens of ASP code snippets and packages for general client use. Packages such as mailing a form, providing a login for a web page, directory display, image resizing and thumbnail creation, web forum, time and date display, and many other general purpose web scripts were developed for client use. Supervise team of programmers during development of other, more complex scripts for general purpose use.

CheyenneWeb. Cheyenne, Wyoming

Design, develop, and deploy a business referral database. System is built on Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 and Microsoft Active Server Pages. Users can search for businesses by category, keyword, or browse them alphabetically.

Trader=s Shoppers Guide.  Cheyenne, Wyoming

Developed Active Server Pages web database system for this firm=s on-line ad database. System was designed around Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 and Microsoft Access 97 for front-end operations. System allows users to perform category-based or Boolean keyword queries on the firm=s database of classified advertisements.

DesignPost.  Cheyenne, Wyoming

Developed Active Server Pages web database for online community membership system and online business referral database.

Wyoming Society of CPAs. Cheyenne, Wyoming

Designed and developed Active Server Pages web database system that allows users to search for a CPA firm in the Society=s database. The search page utilizes a comprehensive set of criteria to assure accurate search results. A secure facility was programmed so that authorized users can perform the usual database maintenance functions such as add, edit, and delete user records. System uses Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 via ODBC and ADO.

BrightWood Development Corporation.  1990 to present

President, Software Design Engineer

Develop various software systems including dBase file repair system developed in Microsoft C, text processing functions and libraries for AutoCad written in C, software systems for flight planning and aircraft weight and balance computations developed for handheld computers used by flight crews, weather decoding system developed in C to translate DUATS (online weather dissemination system for pilots) weather reports into easily-readable format, database system for stock photographers developed in FoxPro. Currently developing commercial software in Microsoft Visual Basic for Colorado real estate professionals to automate and manage Colorado Real Estate Commission forms. Part of a team of network engineers that assembled, configured, and deployed a 200 computer network for the Microsoft Windows 95 launch at the Buell Theater in Denver, Colorado, August 1995.

Specific Project Experience

#1 Properties.  Cheyenne, Wyoming

Convert network to AD, migration issues, etc. Print services – important to this company. Productivity software for 60 user network. AntiVirus – Symantec Corporte Secruity. Convifure VPN & TS for remote admin and helpdesk functionality.

U S West, Legal Group Technical Services. Denver, Colorado

Responsible for assisting other programmers with conversion of Cold Fusion web pages to Active Server Pages (ASP) scripts. Serve as ASP tutor for the contract programming group. Program security system for use with ASP pages in corporate Intranet application. Integrate ASP security with Windows NT native security. Construct Sybase queries for ASP pages. Install, troubleshoot, administer Sybase ODBC drivers for Microsoft Internet Information Server. Configure and administer Microsoft IIS 3.0 web server for corporate Intranet application. Port Saros @Mezzanine web-based document management application from Netscape web server to Microsoft IIS server.

WestWood Microsystems. Cheyenne, Wyoming

Developed business plan for this network integration firm to provide a wide range of computer and network-related and services for local firms. Responsibilities included network design and implementation, systems integration, network management for corporate clients, and overall corporate management. Special services included Microsoft Windows NT Server and network administration, Microsoft SQL Server deployment and management, Microsoft Exchange Server deployment and administration, and Wide Area Network services. Supervised specification, construction, and installation of fault-tolerant, high-availability Intel X86-based server hardware. Specified, designed, and constructed hardware-based RAID arrays and subsystems for mission-critical server applications.

WyomingState Health Laboratory. Cheyenne, Wyoming

Consult with state microbiologists and assist them in designing and deploying a prototype Microsoft Access database to house and manage the state of Wyoming=s infectious disease lab reports. Design, develop and deploy a Microsoft SQL Server based system for management of several discrete laboratory analysis software components. Develop MS Access ADP software front end for management of the State’s water sample analysis services. Supervise development of MS Access ADP for management of the State’s breathalyzer certification program.

Porter, Muirhead, Cornia, and Howard. Cheyenne, Wyoming

Implement and administer Windows NT server network for both of this accounting firm=s sites in Cheyenne and Casper, Wyoming. Specify and deploy Microsoft Exchange Server messaging solution for both offices. Design, develop, and deploy Exchange Server custom forms in Microsoft Visual Basic. Design and implement frame-relay based WAN between both offices. Provisioned telco services and install and program routers for TCP/IP connectivity between the two networks.

Compass Bank.  Birmingham, Alabama

Specified and developed a prototype Microsoft Access database for the bank=s Asset-Based Lending department. The successful prototype demonstrated the feasibility of the system to the customer; however, due to the sale of the entire department the project was cancelled.

Emax Instruments, Inc.  Englewood, Colorado

Specify, develop, and deploy a Microsoft FoxPro order-entry, purchase order, and manufacturing control system. The 50,000-line multi-user FoxPro system manages and automates the firm=s entire sales order, invoicing, purchasing, and manufacturing operations. Currently, the system is undergoing evaluation for upgrade to either FoxPro for Windows or Microsoft Access.

C & D Tax Solutions, Inc.  Denver, Colorado

Developed software in C and Microsoft Assembler to perform low-level data recovery operation on the company=s file server which had been destroyed by a virus. As the company had no backup and eight years of vital corporate data resided on the volume, custom software was developed to read the disk at the controller level and restore most of their data. Managed and administered NetWare network. Implemented systems policies and backup strategy. Deployed remote access solution for tax audit field personnel.

Concept Realty, Inc.  Denver, Colorado

Developed FoxPro front-end software to Denver Multiple Listing Service (MLS) database. System allowed real-estate professionals user friendly access to the Denver MLS VAX/VMS mainframe system for queries and updates.

Clary Consulting Engineers. Cheyenne, Wyoming

Developed dBase III membership database for Professional Engineering association.

Compu Systems Corporation.  March 1986 - February 1989.

Software Design Engineer

Worked on sever­al programming projects utilizing modern high-level computer languages and software engi­neering tech­niques. Designed and programmed data acquisition and analysis software for gathering data from high speed dedicated control­lers. Designed and implemented a record retrieval system based on a non-recursive B-Tree and a direct file mechanism. Programming team member for software development on a Point Of Sale system. Developed real-time database systems, multi-tasking schedulers and monitors, high speed data conversion rou­tines using ma­chine language (Motorola 68000) programs, and a fault tolerant networking and message passing system. Installed and administrated UniFlex and OS9 operating systems for programming team. Evaluated, installed and debugged Unix real time kernels for both UniFlex and OS9 systems. Gained expe­rience with data abstrac­tion and encapsu­la­tion, determinis­tic finite state automata, regular expressions and related parsing techniques, and memory manage­ment schemes for low-level embed­ded systems.

Dakota Gasificati­on, Beulah, ND.  May 1985 B September 1985.

VAX/VMS Systems Programmer

Supervised daily operations for the company's field computer resourc­es. Administer clustered VAX/VMS installation. Developed VMS command procedures in DCL for user login, backup, and other system management functions. Specified and deployed VMS security procedures. Applied operating system patches and upgrades to bring entire clustered installation up to current OS revision. Specified, developed, and imple­mented database management and inventory control system for use in an inter-office equipment supply house. Features of the system included inter-process communi­cation mechanisms for concur­rency control and syn­chronization, multi-user operation, menu-driven relational queries, and overlaid windows for system mes­sages.

Education

­University of Wyoming - B.S. Computer Science (Math empha­sis), May 1988. Over­all GPA 3.3/A=4, GPA in major 3.4. Col­lege of Arts and Sciences Dean's Honor Roll.

Wrote research thesis on a B-Tree keyed retrieval system suitable for use in real-time environments. The software saw commercial application as the database engine in a Point Of Sale system.

Legend

Windows, FrontPage, SQL Server, Access, ASP.NET, ADO, ADO.NET, Visual Studio are trademarks and/or technologies of the Microsoft Corporation.

Imail is a trademark of the IpSwitch Corporation.

MediaHouse, IPMonitor, LiveStates are trademarks of the DeepMetrix Corporation.

ISC BIND is a trademark of the Internet Software Consortium.

All other Company and Product names are registered trademarks of individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged.