Mark J. Taylor
Computer Engineer and Software Developer
Work status: Natural born U.S. citizen, working in the Ann Arbor,
Michigan area.
2959 Green Valley Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Mobile: (734) 657-4288
Mark.Taylor.HQ@gmail.com mark@taylor-hq.com
Career Overview
My comprehensive experience with computers and related (especially
networking) technologies includes programming, system/network
administration, monitoring, and embedded programming for operating
systems such as Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, VxWorks, DOS, Solaris, AIX,
and Windows. Many of the projects involved integrating and debugging
large amounts of Unix-based user-level and kernel-level code. As a
database developer, I have several years of experience with SQL and
medium-sized (tens of millions of records) Oracle and PostgreSQL
databases, as well as with round-robin databases (RRD). I have been
developing web-based interfaces for over twenty years, including three
years leading the development of a web-based system configuration
toolset for a Unix-based operating system. For several years I was the
lead dev/ops for the transcription part of an electronic medical record
enterprise system at a large, leading health-care system. I have
performed as a team technical lead, and been a part of groups that
deliver software and hardware to the commercial market. I am a
co-inventor on six force-feedback patents, and have spent several years
programming robotics and computer vision systems. Also, I developed a
web-pad based wireless embedded Linux system intended for web browsing
and audio/video, which included writing a hardware kernel driver.
Skills
Education: BS in Electrical/Computer Engineering from Wayne State
University, 1990
Computer Programming: 35+ years (30+ years with C)
Unix systems programming: 30+ years
Web (HTML/CGI/SSI/JavaScript): 25+ years
Computer Languages: Go, C, Python, PHP, Perl, AWK, Unix
shell-scripting, TCL, PL/SQL, Pascal, BASIC, FORTRAN, Forth, Intel x86
asm, Java
Operating Systems: Unix (Linux, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, SunOS, Solaris,
VxWorks, AIX, SGI/Irix, A/UX), DOS, DOS/32, Windows, MacOS
Networking Systems: IP; Ethernet; IPSec; BGP; MS-PPTP; routing,
bridging, firewalling; proxy serving; NAT
Softwares: PostgreSQL, Apache, OpenSSL, sendmail, BIND, OpenLDAP,
SAMBA, Git, SVN, CVS, gcc, MS Visual Studio
Experience
SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Cisco Systems / Remote
August 2014 - present (9+ years)
Develop, deploy, and monitor (Linux-based) malware analysis software
and services (Cisco Threat Grid) for static and sandbox forensics,
analyzing network activity based on pcaps, file i/o based on QCOW2
activity, Windows registry hive changes, etc. Primary development
languages are Go, C, and Python. Implemented and enhanced numerous
micro-services, including a custom, secure, VM-to-network VPN service
based on the VDE protocol.
SENIOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPER
Arbor Networks / Ann Arbor, MI
Feb. 2006 - May 2014 (8 years)
Worked for seven years as a software developer for a product series
(Peakflow SP) which performs monitoring, detection, alerting, and
mitigation of IP-based traffic using NetFlow and BGP, typically
deployed at network providers. Work involved debugging and extending
existing software components, ranging from traffic capture,
correlation, data storage, data replication, and user interfacing for
data presentation. Also performed troubleshooting for in-the-field
customer issues for this product. Subsequent work was in the ASERT team
performing development, operations, and research utilizing cloud-based
infrastructures (Amazon AWS EC2/S3, and OpenStack Nova/Swift) for
network-security related data feeds to company products, the ATLAS
portal, and the Google Digital Attack Map.
Software Development
* Developed code for Ubuntu Linux, Arbor's custom Linux, and
OpenBSD
* UI coding done in PHP/Apache, nginx/uWSGI/Python
* Command-line style interface coded in TCL and KSH
* Back-end coding using C, Python, and PHP
* Integrated and maintained third-party software
* Heavy use of XML
* Collaborated on software architecture
* Developed, extended, and debugged product features
Highlights
* Developed a database and API to millions of attacks processed
through Arbor products
* Developed custom near real-time PostgreSQL database
replication code for multi-slave environment
* Enhanced traffic processing's matching and binning engines
* Implemented malicious host detection and reporting engine
* Enhanced binary time-series traffic databases for speed and
accuracy
Support and Maintenance
* Involved in maintaining and developing production ATLAS feeds
* Worked closely with QA to find, replicate, and fix bugs
* Filed bugs into Bugzilla, stories and tasks into VersionOne
* Debug core dumps, syslogs, and packet captures from customer
installations
SENIOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPER
University of Michigan Health Systems, Medical Center Information
Technology / Ann Arbor, MI
Feb. 2002 - January 2006 (4 years)
At UHMS / MCIT, I worked with the Central Transcription System, and was
responsible for maintaining an in-house developed medical transcription
system, enhancing it, as well as keeping it functioning by providing
troubleshooting support. I also was a primary and backup on-call
resource after-hours. Technologies involve PL/SQL, Web-CGI, Visual
Basic, Pro*C, and shell-scripting. I greatly enhanced the systems'
stability and capability through integration of open-source softwares,
active monitoring, and development and implementation numerous QAs.
Worked at enhancing the existing enterprise:
* Administered an Oracle db server system running on Sun
Solaris.
* Extended and re-implemented existing PL/SQL stored procedures
used by caregivers.
* Wrote many Perl, shell, AWK, and PL/SQL-based applications for
data-reporting, QA, and monitoring purposes.
* Developed a web-based interface to enterprise databases to
present information as it related to documents through the
system.
* Coded document-vs-patient visit deficiency reports.
Also, troubleshooting of the CTS system:
* Wrote softwares for database data auditing and reporting.
* Developed a monitoring and notification system that pings
hosts/ports, runs SQL, watches/checks files, runaway
processes, etc.
* Develop a web-based interface for running daily and on-demand
QA and other reporting.
* Implemented the feedback-loop portion of QA for many processes
(printing, data import verfication, data export verification,
others).
* Provide timely support for all CTS-related systems, on a daily
basis as well as paged on-call.
* Audited Solaris system for security.
SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Adapted Wave Technologies / Ann Arbor, MI
Feb. 2001 - Oct. 2001 (8 months)
Adapted Wave developed a high quality wavelet-packet based audio codec,
which is being reviewed for license by Sony and the makers of
RealPlayer. My responsibilities included design and implementation of a
high-level public API for the codec, enhancement of the flat file
format, and design of a bandwidth-driven streaming media protocol. As
the only programmer working on these items, I was solely responsible
for their structure and implementation. Other responsibilities included
network setup, web server configuration, creation of web pages which
included large amounts of JavaScript, and working with technologies
such as Java, XML, and ActiveX.
Work involved enhancing proprietary, wavelet-packet based audio
compression and decompression software:
* Familiarization and coding of mathematical transforms such as
FFT, DFT, DCT, and Hartley.
* Low-level C and Intel x86 assembly optimization of these
transforms and related functions.
* Enhancement of the basic audio file format, and design of a
streaming media version.
* Programming using Microsoft's Visual Studio toolset.
* Implementation of a web front-end for the Java applet version
of the decoder/player.
Also, setup and operation of the computer network:
* Installation and setup of a Linux server, including IBM DB2,
J2EE, and Resin.
* Deployment and use of a CVS-based revision control system.
* Some setup of the corporate Apache web server (Cobalt-RAQ
based).
* Setup of secure services (SSL, SSH, secure IMAP) on the
corporate server, including SSH tunneling.
* Installation and setup of a Windows 2000 router, including
IPSec and Microsoft ISA server.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPER AND RESEARCHER
Cybernet Systems Corporation / Ann Arbor, MI
Dec. 1990 - Jan. 2001 (10 years)
Cybernet Systems is a leader in small-business government contracting
and has developed many front-running technologies. I was involved in
many projects, both as sole designer and in a team, to develop
technologies such as force-feedback robotics, computer vision, and
web-based applications. Several of these projects reached the
commercial market, including a 6 degree-of-freedom force-feedback
joystick, and the GUI for OS configuration and management (NetMAX). I
am co-inventor on six patents of force-feedback robotic control (used
in the Logitech iFeel mouse and others), and was technical lead on the
NetMAX project. Other projects included an embedded system for computer
vision, another embedded system for secure radio communications, and
programming, modifications, and setup of open source software for
Unixes (FreeBSD/Linux) such as ISC-DHCP, sendmail, UW-IMAP, and mySQL.
Developed skills in web-based GUI programming:
* Extensive programming for a web-based GUI using CGI (mostly in
Perl) for Unix-based OS (FreeBSD, Linux) and subsystems
configuration for the commercial market
(http://www.netmax.com/). Subsystems included Apache, SAMBA,
BIND, sendmail, OpenSSL, ProFTP, inn (news), and UW-IMAP.
* Wrote many web-based utility applications for tasks such as
note taking, statistics gathering, file retrieval, and login.
Developed skills in operating systems and computer networking:
* Performed general OS programming and debugging (including
kernel) with FreeBSD and Linux. Corrected many OS bugs,
including: a "long" overflow in the FreeBSD concatenated-disk
driver, many instances in user-level code where the
SIOCGIFCONF ioctl was used improperly, and enhanced PAM
capabilities.
* Developed a variety of tools for routers and bridges with
multiple LAN and WAN ports, including configuration and
bridging.
* Presented paper at 1999 BSDCon "Building an Integrated Server
Product Using FreeBSD".
* Developed, implemented, and maintained Cybernet's TCP/IP-based
LAN, WAN, and dialup.
* Used RCS/CVS version control software for project source code
management.
* Developed a multi-platform backup and restore utility.
Originally written as a shell script, later rewritten in Perl.
* Programmed applications on a variety of operating systems:
numerous versions of Unix (FreeBSD, Linux, Sun OS, SGI/Irix),
MacOS, Windows, VxWorks.
* Exposed to many web servers, including Microsoft IIS, Netscape
Enterprise Server, and AOL Server.
Developed skills in embedded systems design and programming:
* Developed and patented a virtual force-feedback control
system, implemented in DOS, DOS/32, Irix, and VxWorks.
Cybernet later sold these patents to Logitech. U.S. patent
numbers 5,389,865, 5,629,594, 6,104,158, 5,459,382, 5,831,408,
and 6,801,008.
* Developed a man-portable Unix-based wireless force-feedback
vehicle remote control system.
* Developed a PC/104 embedded DOS-based network web camera with
image processing capabilities using a 32-bit DOS gcc (djgpp).
* Developed an embedded processor (Motorola 68HC11) based serial
port digital interface for SINCGARS simplex-mode analog
military radios.
* Developed a Macintosh-based computer vision system that
included a custom programming language tokenizer and executor.
Other features included video frame grabbing, advanced object
detection and discrimination, and mathematical and
morphological image operations.
INTERN SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Veridian ERIM International Corporation / Ann Arbor, MI
Jan. 1989 - Dec. 1990 (2 years)
Worked as a software engineering intern on various projects:
* Programmed a robotics control system using an embedded Unix.
* Assisted in development and simulation of an outer space-based
robotic wafer production module which was to use molecular
beam epitaxy on the Space Shuttle's Wake Shield Facility.
* Performed general computer networking and support operations
for Macintosh, PC, and Unix (primarily SGI/Irix) systems.
* Developed an IEEE-488 based robotic arm positioning and wafer
testing system using Forth for a clean-room application.
* Developed a serial-based interface to the Mattel Power Glove
using a PAL and the ABEL software.
* Developed an application in C for VAX and SGI workstations to
convert bitmap images into PostScript for printing to
networked PostScript printers.
* Developed robotic simulation systems using a CAD/CAM package.