Professional
Linux Application Infrastructure
WMOS (Manhattan) Systems Integration Consultant
Victor is an independent IT contractor with strong Linux background living in Toronto.
His company, GeekIT Consulting Inc., specializes in Linux, and for the past few years, in the design and deployment of Manhattan’s WMOS Open Systems (a supply chain solution designed by Manhattan Associates). Some of his clients are well known names in the Canadian industry (like Shoppers Drug Mart and Home Hardware).
Victor is also the founder of the Mississauga Linux User Group, the official LUG (Linux User Group) for Mississauga, ON.
History
Victor started using Linux in 2004 while working as a network support rep for 3Com. It quickly became a passion for him. His initial experience, like most Linux user enthusiast, was home based. He would spend hours and weekends building NAS, Apache, media servers, BSD firewalls and other “goodies”. At some point his network was bigger than most small business (you can view it below).
Around 2007 he started a personal Linux blog at wazem.blogspot.com. The blog was a bigger success than he expected, with an average of 4000 visits per month.
In 2008 Victor decided to make a career out of his passion and enrolled for a Linux/Unix administration course at Seneca College. This was around the same time he created MUMU (Mississauga Ubuntu MeetUp, later MLUG, Mississauga Linux User Group).
Education
- Unix/Linux System Administration
Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technolog - 2008 to 2010
- Learning Puppet DevOps Deployment (Puppet Professional Cert)
Linux Academy - 2014 to 2015
Certifications
- Puppet Professional 2014 Certification 
Puppet Labs, Inc. - January 2015
- CompTIA Network+ 
CompTIA - 2004
- CompTIA A+ 
CompTIA - 2004
Technical Writings
- LPI Level 1 - Test 101: Certification Study Guide
Study guide for the LPI’s certification LPIC-1 (Exam 101)
- Personal Blog - wazem.blogspot.com
Technical/Linux blog
Work Experience
WMOS Systems Integration Consultant
Home Hardware Stores Ltd - May 2012 - Present
Responsibilities
- Responsible for initial design, install and documentation for Manhattan logistics application (WM and Vocollect)
- Designed fail over and load balancing rules for core warehouse application
- Implemented application availability monitoring for all apps via WhatsUpGold, and JBOSS components via JON (JBOSS Operations Network)
- Provided day to day support to the project team and second level support for production
- Build and maintenance of 14x environments
Achievements (chronological order)
- Designed a single user profile that loaded application environment variables and aliases based on environment and server type
- Created a start page with links to documents and core apps used by all project teams
- Created a repository for application scripts and a install utility (similar to apt-get) for downloading scripts to application servers
- Created an internal forum used as knowledge base by the project/support middleware team
- Created a centralized server management script (in bash) that allowed administrators to register servers, add ssh-keys to servers, push scripts and run commands on multiple servers
- Created a install script that automated most of the application patch installs (bash and JBOSS)
- Moved all server code for the project to Git (Omnibus GitLab)
- Moved all cron jobs for project servers to a centralized server running Rundeck
- Implemented Puppet with Git (for 12 environments) and auto deployment of server/application code and configuration
WMS System Admin
Shoppers Drug Mart - June 2010 - May 2012
Tech Lead
- Provided support for all (WMS) Warehouse Management System software (Manhattan’s WM, LM, SCI and Vocollect) including RF scanning devices, voice picking devices and printers
- Administered 4 environments (DEV, SIT, TRN, 2x UAT, 4x PROD), consisting of 15 AIX servers, 12 HP-UX servers and 35 Windows servers
- Applied weekly patches (Windows, Unix and DB) to applications on all environments
- Created a standard Oracle sqlplus wrapper for sql scripts which became a standard for the project and department
- Developed a logic and method of comparing binaries and script versions between two systems
- Created a solution for a system limitation on the amount of SSH connections coming into a system via script logic
Jr Technical Designer
- Working as junior design/engineer for Manhattans business integration application (EIS), was in charge of the design, install and configuration of the application on new environments, including build books and support documents
- Provided solution for monitoring application, application transactions and database via custom korn and pl/sql scripts, and HP OVO
- Created logic behind fail over via script and load balancer from primary node to HA, and primary site to DR
- Involved in the design and implementation of WM/LM (app and web), SCI and Vocollect on all environments
Product Support Specialist
Accubid Systems - October 2007 - June 2010
- Provided product Tech Support on the leader software developer for professional electrical, mechanical and structural cabling estimating
- Support included: installation, software removal, troubleshooting and extensive knowledge of the product
- Dealt with MS-SQL installations
- Decreased the amount of calls by creating various documentations with instructions for the most common problems. These allowed clients to resolve common issues without having to contact support
- Reduced time when migrating clients by creating a package that allowed the conversion of files when skipping one or more versions. Before the package was created it was necessary to install all versions of the program to sequentially convert the files
3Com - Level 2 Tech Support
Siemens Canada - April 2005 - October 2007
Wireless Tech Support
- Provided Tech Support on Wireless products and entry level network products (ADSL/DSL routers, APs, switches, wireless switch managers, etc…)
- Developed a forum, chat and product information/start page for L2 technicians resulting into a centralized point of reference for all agents
- Involved in two Six Sigma projects to decrease AHT
Acting Team Lead
- Monitored Queue and assigned calls to agents making sure that SLA level stayed within the requirements
Floor Walker
- Helped agents with questions in regards to process during region take over
- Responsible for solving RMA problems for the whole US and Canadian region (RDR)
- Created a detailed manual of the process above when task was transferred to another department
Level 1 Agent
- Customer Service representative for 3Com call center
- Created RMAs, web registration support and solved order issues
- Point of escalation between Brazilian client’s and service escalation
- Developed a start page for Portuguese agents and a pre-made interactive script page for faster case documentation