Doug Babst

dbabst@babst.org                                                             

DIRECTOR / MANAGER - LEAD SYSTEMS ENGINEER / IT

Designed and managed strategic and innovative enterprise-wide IT solutions. Produced substantial cost savings and improved bottom line for large and small companies, including AOL. Led technical teams to identify existing and potential areas of concern, and cost-effectively eliminated or managed them. Built cross-functional support for mission-critical projects, serving as inter-departmental liaison for key initiatives.

• Saved AOL $420K, providing inventory of desktop computers and reducing software licenses
• Championed virtualizing development and test servers, saving AOL $600K
• Standardized documentation, cutting outage escalations by 50%
• Reduced on-call outage notifications from 72 to 1 per day average for Exactis (Experian EMS)

Key Skills

Conceptual thinker who delivers practical solutions. Innovative, resourceful and decisive. Respected producer and colleague. Effectively communicates technical processes in non-technical terms. Inspires and motivates others to top performance. Meets deadlines and controls budgets.

Selected Accomplishments

Saved AOL $420K, providing inventory of desktop computers and reducing software licenses

Company unable to gain accurate inventory of desktop computers or rapid and remote deployment of software. Software installs required tech to physically install. Solved issue by architecting and designing global deployment of client management software, providing an inventory and software management framework for desktops and servers.

Championed virtualizing development and test servers, saving AOL $600K

Company outsourced internal helpdesk, requiring a secure remote desktop. Specific requirements eliminated VPN client as option. Recommended and implemented VMware ESX server, leading project team from start to finish. Advocated migration of all development and test servers to virtualization using VMware. Recommendation was approved resulting in cost savings.

Standardized documentation, cutting outage escalations by 50%

Lack of standards produced poor project documentation. On-call groups unable to troubleshoot outages without primary project engineer support. Revised documentation to include user-friendly, drill down format. Enabled outage teams to quickly gather top-line and detailed project information as needed. Significantly reduced project documentation time.

Reduced on-call outage notifications from 72 to 1 per day average for Exactis (Experian EMS)

Development staff had full production environment access and routinely changed code as needed/desired. Resulted in numerous unplanned, unmanaged and unacceptable outages. Restructured development and test environments to better serve development teams’ needs. Worked with management to develop and implement change controls.

Career History

AOL LLC, Dulles, VA 2004 to 2007

Principal Systems Engineer – Internal Computing

The Internal Computing (IC) division provides enterprise class support for approximately 10,000 internal AOL employees internationally.

Served as Principal Systems Engineer for the IC (Internal Computing) Systems Engineering division of AOL.

• Lead Engineer for VMware ESX virtualization deployment. Originally deployed to support an outsourced helpdesk by supplying Windows XP desktops in a secured environment.

• Moved all new Red Hat Linux and Windows development / test servers to VMware resulting in $250K realized savings.

• Decommissioned our server Lab (small datacenter) and moved all 100 remaining Red Hat Linux, Solaris Unix and Windows physical servers to VMware resulting in $350K additional savings for the server hardware alone.

• Project Manager for VMware deployment and Lab decommission.

• Revamped documentation standard from Microsoft Word based to web based (using a combination of Drupal and Wiki). Documentation in the web based format ensures SDLC life-cycle principles are implemented in day-to-day practice.

• Member of the AOL Diversity team reporting to the CEO.  Represented the Christians @ AOL Employee Interest Group.

America Online, Inc., Dulles, VA 2002 to 2004

Principal Systems Engineer – Internal Computing

The Internal Computing (IC) division provided enterprise class support for approximately 20,000 internal AOL employees internationally.

Served as the Lead Principal Systems Engineer and Architect for the IC Systems Engineering division of AOL.

• Oversaw design, documentation, and implementation of standards for all projects within the department. Ensured projects adhered to proper Systems Design including such principles as High Availability, Disaster Recovery, Security and Scalability.

• Provided mentoring to Senior and Associate Systems Engineers in the IC Systems Engineering group.

• Responsible for the administration of 600+ servers comprised primarily of Solaris Unix, Red Hat Linux, and Windows servers. Responsible for the design of such items as password management and JumpStart/KickStart installations.

• Designed and implemented a $4M server Lab (small datacenter) for IC development and testing servers consisting of 35 racks and 2 workbenches supporting 200+ servers. Specified configuration of all power and network cabling, coolant and UPS sizing, and rack layout for building contractors.

• Served as the Lead Engineer and Architect for the global HP OpenView Client Configuration Manager (formerly Novadigm Radia) deployment.

• Functioned as a Systems Architect or Lead Engineer for several key projects including Remedy, Radia, and Exchange.

Experian eMarketing Services, Denver, CO 1999 to 2001

Systems Architect – Production Services

Experian eMarketing Services (aka Exactis and InfoBeat) was a subscriber based Service-bureau e-mail service

Served as both Technical Lead and Systems Architect for the Production Services department, reporting directly to the Vice President of Engineering, and the Director of Production Operations. Requirements of this role included:

• Provided mentoring and technical guidance to a workforce of 20 Systems Engineers, Administrators, and Operators

• Assessed production, test, and development environments for areas requiring optimization of current processes or a redesign

• Secured the network and individual systems to eliminate internal and external attacks

• Assumed responsibility for developing and maintaining all network operational and architectural standards

• Configured Solaris Unix JumpStart, and Red Hat Linux KickStart servers

• Oversaw migration from Solaris 2.6 to 8

• Provided Systems Engineering architectural design considerations to ~100 Software Engineers and Testers

As a Senior member of the Systems Engineering team:

• Administered 300+ UNIX servers comprising Solaris Unix, Red Hat Linux, and BSDi. These servers were capable of efficiently processing up to 75 million outbound daily e-mails and 8 million inbound daily e-mails

• Maintained standard Internet and system applications such as; Linux kernel, Apache, sendmail, BIND, FTP, ssh, PERL, gcc, Linux RPM’s, and Solaris PKG’s

• Installed and configured Solaris DiskSuite and the VERITAS File System for Solaris

• Used PERL to write monitoring and systems programs

TCG Computer Services, Hastings, NE 1994 to 1998

Network Administrator/Owner

TCG (That Computer Geek) Computer Services was a local Internet Service Provider (ISP) serving a small population base of approximately 22,000 people.

Responsible for all technical aspects of the business:

• Created and implemented the business plan. Setting prices, providing customer service, over-the-counter sales, and creating marketing campaigns.

• Designed and integrated the entire network. Installed and configured Internet and office servers such as web, e-mail, FTP, majordomo lists, DNS, file sharing, and printer sharing. Supported and upgraded internal network hardware and software.

• Administered ~2,600 dial-up users using > 128 modems. Created and supported user accounts on UNIX and NT server hosts. Conducted onsite and telephone technical support for Macintosh, UNIX, DOS, and all Windows versions. Recruited, trained, and supervised a staff of 7 technicians.

• Monitored UNIX, Macintosh, Windows 9x, and Windows NT computers as well as LAN, router, and communications server performance using SNMP.

• Installed and configured network security functions including firewalls, NAT, and network filters on routers and communications servers. Installed and repaired routers, modem pools, Ethernet wiring, hubs, and patch panels.

• Developed a backup strategy and performed the process nightly. Successfully recovered the system from backups after 2 separate hardware failures with minimal downtime.

• Wrote Internet installation software for PC’s, Mac’s, and accounting software for a UNIX host. Created client web pages. Ported key applications from 32-bit to 64-bit processors. Recompiled Linux Kernels from source on multiple hardware platforms (x86, Alpha, PowerPC). Completed a transparent migration of our Internet Domain between Internet Service Providers and new Class C’s.

Educational Service Unit #9 (ESU 9), Hastings, NE 1996 to 1997

Telecomputing/Network System Specialist

Responsible for Internet technical activities for 28 schools across 6 counties

Key responsibilities included:

• Installed, supported, and upgraded routers, modems, CSU/DSU’s, communications servers, Frame Relay connections, hubs, and wireless Ethernet Bridges. Assisted in the maintenance of Novell and Macintosh Networks.

• Created various Mac and PC based applications and databases at main campus.

• Installed and maintained web and e-mail servers on UNIX and Macintosh servers as well as Appleshare servers and clients.

T-L Irrigation, Hastings, NE 1993 to 1996

MIS Manager

As the only person responsible for all computer hardware and software, I managed all computer activities including programming all in-house Accounting applications and all hardware upgrades and maintenance.

Key responsibilities included:

• Kept accounting and Windows software running. Created and purchased new AR/AP/GL/CA/Shipping modules, and additional necessary software. Rewrote existing modules to accommodate Y2K compliance issues.

• Installation of a Novell NetWare LAN comprising an Ethernet LAN and serial wiring for TSX-32. Connected NetWare LAN to internal TSX-32 host using TCP/IP. Provided support for PC’s, Laser/Dot matrix printers, Ethernet, and serial cable installation and repair.

• Responsible for internal systems, custom dealer software, technical support, and end-user training.

• Performed nightly backups. Successfully restored files on individual basis as required. 

Education

Central Community College, Columbus, NE

Associate of Applied Science – Data Processing

Technical Knowledge 

 Certifications

VMware VCP - 2008

SCSA – 2003 Sun Certified Systems Administrator

SCNA – 2003 Sun Certified Network Administrator

RHCT – 2003 Red Hat Certified Technician (Redhat 9.0)

RHCT – 2005 Red Hat Certified Technician (Redhat EL AS 3)

Server Operating Systems

Vmware: ESX 2.1 through 3.01, Sun Solaris: 2.5 through 9, Linux: Kernel 1.2.13 through RedHat EL AS 4.0, Windows: NT 4.x through 2003 EE, BSDi: 4.x, UnixWare: 1.2 through 2.x (Unix SVR 4.2), DEC OSF/1: v3.2 through 4.x, NetWare: 2.5 through 3.12

Desktops

All Windows, Macintosh (System and OS X), MS-DOS, and AppleDOS versions

Languages

English, PERL 5.x, HTML, DBL, COBOL 74, Visual Basic, AutoLISP, DIESEL, Java, C/C++, Pascal, BASIC, Apple II Assembly, Apple II Machine

Personal Interests

• Leading weekly Bible Studies.

• Chipotle Burritos – www.chipotle.com

(Chicken or Steak, Black Beans, Extra Rice, Sour Cream, Corn Salsa, Extra Cheese)