DANIEL A.

SKWIRE
4800 Country Meadows Boulevard Sarasota, FL 34235 • 941-378-2383 • dskwire@mindspring.com

SOFTWARE PROBLEMS ARE MY FOCUS

A 40-year professional career devoted to both solving software problems, and preventing them:

RESOLUTION of SOFTWARE PROBLEMs

• Service delivery
• Problem manager and customer support manager
• Remote support 'fly-and-fix' team member, domestic USA and International.
• Onsite local support
• HELP desk member, team leader and escalation team.
• Remote analysis via phone-home and remote connect,
• Forced problems via functional testing, creating and using test tools.
• System Administrator and System Programmer pre-installation testing and on-call support
• Systems Availability analysis studies: Systems Outage Analysis

PREVENTION of SOFTWARE PROBLEMs

• Operating System test planning: execution, problem debug and resolution
• Education of test personnel and junior support team members
• Availability studies at Enterprise-class customer sites.
• ITIL/IBM Systems Management Problem, Change, and Configuration management process
analysis and improvement.
• ISO 9001/2000 internal auditing
• Software inspection (design, code, and test) and walkthroughs advocate and successful
evangelist at IBM and SUN Microsystems.
• Serviceability evangelist, member of SUN Microsystems team and conference speaker,
attendee.
• MVS (z/OS) software recovery design
• Author of: knowledge-base articles, independent journal articles, and a book on "First Fault
Problem Solving", same title (in progress, listed on Amazon.com).

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES
FIRST FAULT PROBLEM RESOLUTION TECHNOLOGIES LLC, Sarasota, FL
01/2007 - current
Founder and Principal Consultant
Consultancy to provide advice, analysis, support for improvements to organizations, both software
developers and users, regarding solving computer problems rapidly on their first occurrence. Create
business plan, marketing plan, write white-papers, engage and perform consulting for customers,
develop website and related web advertising campaign. Research current technologies, create and
develop new technologies, perform consulting, and plan for future activities, including papers and
presentations at technical conferences.

U.S. CENSUS, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Sarasota, FL 01/2009 – 5/2009

HELP Desk Clerk
Mobile and office environment problem resolution of information technologies focused on custom-built hand-
held computers running Microsoft Pocket PC with GPS and wireless support. Technical support was also
provided for office Windows servers and storage, desktop PCs, printers, and Windows laptops: Nine-county
Florida regional support in multi-tiered support organization: the field operations and quality control personnel
numbered 1200 personnel, and has a continual flow of new personnel joining. Guide and collaborate with non-
IT peers, as well as guide and support management regarding technical issues. Participate with all 3 levels of
three-tiered nationwide service delivery organization with use of Remedy problem management tool. Keep
updated of fast-breaking technical issues, processes and discoveries through knowledge base
articles..Coordinate with office inventory and repair/analysis team, as well as office Field Operations and
Quality Control. Post-project problem ticket analysis, as well as problem anticipation, future improvement
assessments. Passed thru US government security checks and obtained clearance.
• Computed $500K value of one-line fingerprint problem resolution (infinite swipes) - #157870
• Anticipated send/receive total failure problem (#12631), preceding yellow banner ‘patch 65’ issue.
• Suggested hot topics information transfer for AMT manager – at field leader kickoff meeting
• Suggested means to log problems after Remedy crashes –supervisor endorsed idea, wrote an application
• Initiated and performed statistical analysis of ELCO attainment by manual analysis of Remedy tickets.

GUARDIAN SOLUTIONS, Sarasota, FL 05/07 –10/07

Customer Support Manager
Pre- and post- sales installation support for leading edge intelligent video analytics application, developed in-
house, serving the industrial security market, both commercial and military. Applications are Linux-server
based, with Windows clients, networked together with security industry “VSAM” networking protocol over
TCP/IP, for an extended network. Product environments include both multiple Linux servers networked via
VSAM to multiple Windows clients (GuardianWATCH), and single Linux servers singly networked to a single
Windows laptop (FenceWATCH). Onsite and remote problem resolution (VNC, email, telephone conversations).
Planned and performed integration testing, for functional verification and performance analysis. Problem
recreation and resolution testing. Infrastructure improvements, publication verification and improvement.
Researched and built first-fault Linux and Windows systems and application fault, performance, configuration,
and administration data collection product and process. Documented installation and upgrade process for Linux
server applications. Competitive analysis – setup and learned and researched industry-leader Pelco DVR
motion-detection functionality, and collaborated with Pelco customer support on resolving its Windows client
failure. Product setup, demonstrations, presentations, and pre-sales marketing discussions at industry ASIS
(American Society for Industrial Security) 2007 Las Vegas conference.

PLATFORM SOLUTIONS, Sunnyvale, CA 2006 – 03/07

Staff Field Support Engineer World-Wide Support
Intel Itanium Linux support for IBM mainframe-compatible system at start-up company. Remote (telephone
conversations and VNC-connected), customer onsite, and in-house product installation, problem resolution,
usage. Analysis of phoned-home daily system status reports. Assigned to perform first production customer
installation and subsequent onsite installations, including training the business partner team members who were
to perform installations after we partnered and performed the first few with them. Install process time reduction,
knowledge creation, and serviceability improvements. Verification of the instructions for factory assembly-line
manufacturing and configuration. Disk storage array configuration, setup, and performance analysis.
Volunteered for the TroubleShooting Project: Improved Troubleshooting Procedure and its documentation, and
obtained responsibility for continuous support of the materials. Positively influenced business partners and
company Systems Engineering pre-sales department. Volunteered to join special device testing Project. Used
Windows and Linux development environments, Blackberry communications.

AAA AUTO CLUB SOUTH 2005 – 2006

Club Counselor
Customer service: Travel directions and information, problem resolution, up-selling credit cards and Hertz
automobile reservations. High-volume in-bound direct customer support. Surpassed monthly sales goals

SUN MICROSYSTEMS 1997 – 2004

Escalation Team Member, SUN Storage Array Product Technical Support (2002-2004)
Escalations for storage arrays: SUN 9900 (HDS), 3510, A7000, T3/6120. Platforms: SUN Sparc (Solaris), IBM
mainframe and RS/6000 (MVS and AIX), Intel (Windows) and 3rd party hardware and software product
problem-solving, knowledge creation and teaching/presentations, and product/process improvement. Initiated
GraphTrak performance monitor usage and analysis project: led knowledge creation, taught and mentored others
for GraphTrak performance tool. Led MVS connect problem resolution team – install base included 60 MVS-
attached and 1200 HDS total arrays. Initiated analysis project to justify takeover of mainframe support from
HDS: saw a $5Million/year savings. Improved storage array knowledgebase and installation processes.

• Presented Enterprise-class first-failure storage array tool concepts, and positively influenced SUN T3
Storage Array Development executives, which led to SUN implementation of 6120/T3 crash dumps.
• Positively influenced SUN International technical conference content planning team by authoring
conference application for a demonstration of the T3/6120 Storage Array First-Failure Crash-Dump
feature. Performed demonstrations to executives and colleagues of the product built by colleagues.
• Three month project: Analyzed process problem and recommended installation of GraphTrak storage
performance monitor with install of every SUN/HDS 9900 storage array for first-failure problem
resolution: wrote “best practices” article. Action was endorsed by SUN Storage Services executive.
• Volunteered to join special Knowledge Creation Project: Conceived and created easy-to-use, 'expert
system' display of information of disk error code meanings, which was frequently used.
• Initiated and completed HDS 9900 complex storage array performance monitor data expert system
project. Created easy-to-use flow via web to analyze storage array performance. Simplified complexity.
• Participated in invitation-only 3510 storage 'Top Problem Project’; analysis appreciated by SUN VP.
Technical Support Engineer - Remote Support Center (1997-2002)
MVS, VSE, VM and Unix, Windows World-Wide support of A7000 storage array at 120 installed sites, 300
systems total in/out. 69XX support. Initiated Post-Mortem discussions. Knowledge creation, serviceability.
Analysis: IPCS, EREP, GTF trace, SLIP/Per, HCD/IOCP, Component trace, standalone, and SVC dumps – also
Unix crash, errpt, esconlp and SCSI target emulation and ckd application tools. Analysis of phoned-home
error/status data, and dial-in to remote sites, worldwide. Used IBMlink, and internal line-mode international
conferencing tool ‘metoo’

• Selected as Project Internal Auditor for new SUN department ISO 9000 education and implementation
project. Learned ISO and trained team and local SUN management, which required 22 offsite multiple-
day trips in one year. Project successful: Department passed all the official international ISO audits.
• Joined Serviceability improvement Project: Serviceability SUN Team in Software Business Unit.
• Consistent contributing active member of ‘SUN A7000 Array Sustaining Team’ joint project meetings
with SUN Services Team: contributor at daily meetings, suggested and performed improvement projects
• Volunteered and joined “SUN Software Process Improvement Project:” Software Inspections
SUNTeam. Promoted and presented “software Inspections,” to SUN Vice President of Software
Business Unit and her executive team, which resulted in expanded use of 'software inspections' at SUN.

ENCORE COMPUTER CORP (acquired by SUN in 1997) 1995 – 1997

Corporate Lead MVS Internals Expert – “Principal Systems Software Analyst “ - Worldwide Support

Expert knowledge led mainframe internals support for mainframe support team of 4 USA and 2 UK personnel,
and unix team of 12 USA, 4 UK. Responsible for expert S/390 host (MVS, VM and VSE) - attached support for
Encore/SP large storage multi-platform array, remote and on-site worldwide support (trips to UK, Germany, and
Italy). Supported installs and install planning, and install process and documentation improvement, performance
and reliability problem resolution, developer and 3rdparty design advice (initiated engineering /marketing
SYNCSORT relationship) , marketing guidance and support (leads to Verizon Corporate product vendor
evaluation team), knowledge creation, problem reproduction, fix development and testing.
• Positively influenced Senior Management at Encore in product marketing and product development to
implement IBM 3990 storage array Extended Features. Worked with development design organization
to research the function, tested and supported installation at first customer.
 • Positively influenced and collaborated with Encore software engineer who voluntarily created and
documented highly effective ‘esconlp’ analysis tool for remote analysis of Encore/SP-attached ESCON
and BMC channels and associated mainframe server hosts. Congratulated, and celebrated with engineer.
• Ongoing project: taught S/390-attach knowledge: installation, debugging, data gathering, operations,
etc. to predominantly “unix-oriented” colleagues. Remotely taught MVS crash debugging (“IPCS” tool)
to key product Development engineer.
• Upon request from lead Engineering Product Developer, completed a six-month project to create a test
tool (“CCWDRIVER”) via MVS Assembler language, for prototyping and problem analysis. This
engineer was pleased and used the tool for testing new features and prototypes of his firmware
• Internal Education Project: Created and taught class on Mainframe and MVS Architecture, Design,
Problem-Solving for new Encore UK team.
• Process Improvement Project: Requested by management, led International conference call with
domestic and USA team performing brainstorming post-mortem session after critical service incident
• Initiated two IBM APARs (defect reports due to IBM MVS Operating System bugs):. Tested fixes.
• Pioneered successful pilot telecommute project, which expanded across Encore and SUN services.
FLORIDA POWER CORPORATION (FPC), St. Petersburg, FL 1992 – 1995
Senior MVS Systems Programmer and Senior HP-UX Systems Administrator
Installed, tuned and debugged HP-UX Local Area Network (HP-UX servers with Windows client and
Beame&Whiteside data-sharing) & MVS related software products and servers. Performed company-wide
server and Windows PC hardware and software upgrades, teamed in mainframe disaster recovery preparations
and test.

• Project Leader and chief editor, author of articles for: FPC HP-UX Troubleshooting manual.
• Project leader: Redesigned, coded, tested, and implemented six MVS SMF exits upgraded to 31-bit.
• Was appointed Problem Manager and 3rd party Vendor relationship manager. Positively influenced HP.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, Tampa, FL 1984 – 1988

Adjunct Instructor, Department of Engineering Technology
• College Educator Project: Successfully convinced Department of Engineering Technology to launch my
Operating Systems class, their first. Created, taught, and modified over time, "Operating Systems (OS)
- Design and Practice,” which afforded the department the opportunity to add this subject to their
curriculum. Initiated and evaluated special student ‘outside’ Operating Systems Research Project, which
included student written and oral reports to the class: everyone learned about multiple Operating
Systems, via student first-hand experiences. Taught class seven/semesters; students said class was an
asset when they were interviewed for computer industry jobs..

IBM CORPORATION - Large Systems Sales Support – Tampa, FL 1981 – 1992

Advisory Systems Engineer & Systems Availability Management Specialist
Positively influenced key customer executives and technical personnel. Pre- and Post- Sales & Availability
Specialist - Tampa Bay Large Enterprise (MVS) Customers. Performed all roles: specialist, generalist and team
leader. Performed technical marketing and installation planning and collaborated with support. Communicated
via oral presentations at customer and IBM internal meetings, email, and one-on-one meetings, conference calls,
and written reports.
Customer: GTE Corporation (presently Verizon) Large Systems - Lead Systems Engineer, IBM Selected
National Accounts (Jun 1981- Jun 1986)

• GTE Data Services, GTE, and GTE Service Corps IBM Large Systems Specialist – GTE was IBM’s
Sixth Largest world-wide customer. Provided technical marketing and support to GTE executives and
technical personnel, communicated and teamed with all remote IBM GTE account Systems Engineers,
positively influencing technical peers across the USA.
• Project Leader: Led five 308X product installations at the showcase GTEDS Tampa Datacenter.
 • Project Leader for GTE and IBM Branch Office: Led MVS/XA technical marketing, education,
installation, testing, support and debug.
• Led GTE operations 'SWAT' team Project. Teamed and attained 100% Tampa datacenter availability.
• Led 3084 processor “Single Image” upgrade project in Tampa. Upon first failure, successfully guided
system recovery and reconfiguration back to single-image mode after remove/replace of failed TCM,
concurrent with only half the complex up. Live failure and recovery validated vendor promises and
value. (Bad news of failure projected into good news of successful recovery).
• Technical responsibility for $One Billion sale: GTESC Technical Relationship Project: Fixed and
enhanced IBM relationship over two years, with GTE Service Corps worldwide technical evaluation
team, by leading technical information delivery, regular and special GTESC fact-finding investigations
with divisional and IBM Executive Headquarters worldwide processor technical marketing. This
relationship was the technical half of the GTESC-IBM relationship; it produced positive written
distributed technical evaluations of the IBM 308X processor line, and 3084 Single Image server, and
MVS/XA Operating Systems, and a 5 year IBM-first International Volume Purchase agreement for
$1Billion IBM servers (5 X 20 X $10Million). This was followed by a similar contract the next year for
a multi-year International VPA for 3380 DASD storage.
• Positively influenced IBM Poughkeepsie USA Technical Marketing: Our GTESC-IBM 3084 “special
investigation” was converted by IBM World-Wide Poughkeepsie Technical Marketing into a special
IBM all-USA ‘3084 Roadshow’, which improved 3084 domestic sales.
Non-GTE utilities (Electric Utilities): Lead Systems Engineer and Availability Specialist (6/1986-4/1992)
• Created, performed and presented an availability study at TECO, whose project results were used by
customer data-center director to improve availability, with purchase of IBM 3990-3 storage array cache.
• Suggested a project team and regular meeting: Initiated and led successful regular IBM-TECO problem
meeting to improve responsibility-sharing on open problems. Shrunk list to zero.
• Initiated IBM Tampa Availability Management Project: Created the consultant role and performed it at
six Tampa Bay Enterprise-class sites, which both positively influenced and improved customer
availability and generated opportunities for IBM sales (redundancy, faster servers and storage, etc).
Studies included unscheduled and scheduled downtime analysis. Trained two peers in Availability
analysis methodology, and supervised their analysis of their sites. Positively influenced IBM
Corporation since the following year, all IBM Systems Engineers were called “Availability Specialists”.
IBM CORPORATION - Development Laboratory, Poughkeepsie, NY 1972 – 1981
Lead Systems Programmer
Performed function and system testing of the MVS operating system from inception. Individual tester and test
team leader. Focused on internals, serviceability, recovery, reconfiguration, debugging and IPCS tools.
Co-designed, co-wrote (in Assembler language and PL/S), co-tested, co-documented RANDOM error-injection
test tool with great effectiveness – this tool simulated software and hardware errors..

• Design: MVS Project Office Software Recovery 1972

Coded: VARY PATH command processor in PL/S. 1972
• Testing experiences: Products and Project and Technical Leadership

OS/VS2 MVS Release 2: Recovery Support Group – Software recovery testing and debugging 1973
Machine Check, Alternate CPU Recovery, general crash debugging
OS/VS2 MVS Release 3: Performance testing, packaging, service update process. 1974
OS/VS2 MVS Release 3.6, 3.7, 3.8 Crash debug, sole debugger for 3.8 1975-1976
(SU33) Selectable Unit – Dumping Improvements – 2-person Team Leader and Tester
Created SMP process for developers to package weekly massive fix upgrade tapes 1976
SU19/29/56 – VPSS – Vector Processing Subsystem – 3838 support – Recovery special tests 1977
SU50/51 (System Enhancements 1 – 303X Processor support – Lead (sole) crash dump analyzer 1978
SU 64/65 – System Enhancements II) – Serviceability Enhancements – Special SLIP/Per Testing 1979
System Product 1 – SP1 - Test and debug 1979
System Product 1.1.1 308X Support: Reconfiguration 4-person Team (experienced) Leader 1980
 System Product 1.3 (SP1.3) –Performance Enhancements: 4-person (inexperienced) Team Leader 1981

• Project creator and implementer: Convinced IBM management of the value of additional functional tests
for the very first release of SLIP/Per (SU64/65), and performed them, which saved $400K by finding
forty defects: 10 by reading Assembler and PL/S code, 30 by running tests. Seven defects were
predicted “PER-recursion” design faults. Awarded IBM Laboratory award.
• Initiated ‘Software Inspections’ research project to better understand and use Inspections in
Poughkeepsie Development.
• Initiated ‘Function Test Plan Inspections’ at IBM Poughkeepsie Development laboratory. This started at
highly successful SP1.3 Paging supervisor rewrite Function Test Plan Inspection meeting with
Development programmers and management.
• Initiated a Project to Plan and deliver a ‘Testing’ Class. Mentored two junior testers and taught them
‘testing’ with class-room presentations and hands-on projects, supported their testing efforts.

EDUCATION
Master of Science, Computer Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY