Sunday, July 10, 2011

Work Experience - IBM US


Work Experience - IBM - 2000 - 2008 IBM Global Services, Nashville, TN, USA

  • Roles
    • I/T Architect, Application I/T architect, Integration I/T architect, Lead Web Architect,Technical lead
    • Systems Analysis, Design, Programming, testing,debugging,implementation  
  • Technical Environment
    • IBM Mainframes
    • Unix/Windows
  • Projects
    • Web application architecture
    • Application development (Mainframes, J2EE)
    • Application integration
    • IBM Mainframe conversion and consolidation
    • IBM Mainframe databases conversion/migration
    • Technical assessments

Assessments

Lead Architect, Mainframe Legacy Applications Maintenance Cost Review

A client noticed that its IT maintenance cost has been growing at an alarming rate and they cannot fully understand what was causing it. The client's IT (primarily COBOL/CICS/VSAM/DB2) has been outsourced 3 years ago and has been very responsive ever since to all request for changes. However, lately the turn-around for change request has been getting slower and slower and more expensive even though the level of change requests remained constant.  In addition, there has been no new system development nor major system enhancements. 


Conducted a technical review to find out why the cost of maintaining legacy applications is rising significantly to unacceptable levels. Prepared/presented a technical report indicating the reasons why and made recommendations on potential solutions. The technologies include Mainframe DB2, COBOL, VSAM, CICS, Green Screen, and mainframe legacy remediation tools/processes. Some of the recommendations included componentizing the monolithic COBOL applications, using MQ-Series, and discouraging application ‘cloning’.

Java SME (Business Control Mining)
Mined business controls in a J2EE application using CAST (http://www.castsoftware.com/Product/AIP.htm)

This is to meet Sarbanes-Oxley’s Business Controls requirements.
Enterprise Integration Architect (SOA/Web Services/Components)
Assess enterprise integration architecture of various companies to identify gaps and weaknesses and make recommendations.
  • SOA/Web Services
  • Middleware
  • Routing/Data Transformation
  • Message/Event Brokering
  • Non-Functional Requirements
  • Synchronous/Asynchrounous communication
  • Request/Response
  • Publish/Subscribe
  • Security (transport level, application level)
  • Single Sign-On


I/T Architect, Performance Tuning

Conducted a technical review to find out why a new J2EE web-base system severely degraded the performance of a backend Mainframe legacy system.  Prepared/presented a technical report indicating the reasons why and made recommendations on potential solutions. The technologies included Mainframe DB2, Websphere Application Server(UNIX), Java, JDBC, JSP, Servlets, Database Connection pooling.
Consulting I/T architect, Application Outsourcing Costing

A Telco wants to outsource its Information Technology (IT) for a given price.  Before accepting the outsourcing contract, the client wants to examine the Telco's IT to determine whether the outsourcing deal would be profitable.
 
An IT that exhibits the following attributes can be considered a high quality IT and would be in-expensive to support and thus would be profitable to operate:
  • It is always up and running with no unplanned downtimes
  • It is available 24x7 
  • It is scalable, able to provide excellent service not just to a few users but to an unlimited number of users all using the system at the same time
  • It is easy to use
  • It is easy to change to meet new business requirements
 
To determine whether the Telco's IT is comparable to an ideal IT environment, I reviewed some technical documentations and discussed it with the Telco's SME's (subject matter experts).
 
  • Problem reports
  • Frequency of problem incidents
  • Duration and cost to resolve problems
  • Nature of problems
  • Number of internal/external interfaces
  • Interface agreements
  • Non-Functional requirement
  • Service level agreements
  • Third-party software packages
  • Application development methodologies, standards, frameworks
  • Single point of failure

I/T Architect (Enterprise Technical Architecture Assessment)
Assess enterprise architecture of various companies to identify gaps and weaknesses and make recommendations.
  • Application Architecture
  • Integration Architecture
  • Database Architecture
  • Application Server Architecture
  • Non-Functional Requirements (High availability, performance, scalability, maintainability)
  • System Development Life Cycle 

Proof of Concept

Architect/Developer, Web Services Proof of Concept
After successfully implementing a consolidated CRM system, an insurance company wants to find out how to leverage its web-based applications to enable its business partners to connect to their business systems programatically using standard Internet protocols/technologies.

Architected, designed, built, and tested a working Web Services prototype. 
Presented the prototype to the client and indicated the technologies involve, the required technical changes, and an estimate of the effort (time/money) required.
Lead Architect, JAVA/CICS, Proof of Concept
Assisted a A New Jersey based insurance company in preparing a development environment for building CICS application using the Java programming language.  This client, as most other companies, has a growing population of Java developers and a shrinking pool of seasoned COBOL developers.  It is easier to teach Java developers how to use Java to build CICS applications than to teach and train them how to use COBOL.  In addition, these Java developers are not that enthusiastic in learning COBOL.
 
I taught the Java developers on how to use Java to build CICS applications to access corporate data on DB2 and IMS/DB on the mainframe. 
For training purposes, I set up a development environment that includes the following:
 
  • WebSphere Developer for z/Series
    WebSphere® Developer for zSeries® V6.0.1 provides a comprehensive set of capabilities that help make traditional mainframe development, Web development, and integrated mixed workload or composite development faster and more efficient.
  • CICS Transaction Gateway
    CICS Transaction Gateway (CICS TG) provides connectivity to application server environments such as WebSphere Application Server delivering enterprise modernisation for your business without needing to alter fundamental CICS assets.
  • TXSeries for Multiplatforms
    As a part of CICS family, TXSeries for Multiplatforms is a distributed CICS Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) environment for mixed language applications. It is widely used for integrating data and applications between distributed solutions and enterprise systems, and the deployment of CICS applications written in COBOL, C / C++, PL/I and Java.

I also worked with the client mainframe systems programmers to describe the necessary tasks to set up the environment for running Java applications in CICS and some of the commands to control the CICS Java setup after it is up and running.
  • z/OS
  • IBM Mainframe Unix System Services
  • Mainframe CICS Transaction Server
  • Java


Application Development

J2EE Applications Architect/Developer/Tester
  • Architected, built, maintained, optimized/tuned E-Business Systems for various clients.
  • Led, mentored, and trained U.S and off-shore application development resources.
  • Installed/configured J2EE development/test platforms including legacy systems connectivity (IBM Mainframe).
     
  • Technologies/Platforms Used
    • J2EE
    • JSP (java server pages)
    • JSF (java server faces)
    • Spring Framework
    • Hibernate OODB
    • STRUTS
    • EAD4J
    • UML
    • WSAD/VisualAge for Java(development/testing)
    • WAS
    • WBI
    • DB2
    • Stored procedures
    • CICS
    • MS sourcesafe/Clearcase (source control)
    • Windows
    • UNIX
    • IBM Mainframe
 
  • Architecture Used (N-tier,MVC-Model, View, Controller)
    • Model (JavaBeans, EJB)
    • View (JSP, HTML)
    • Controller (Servlets)
  • J2EE Design Patterns Used
    • Presentation Tier
      • Front controller
      • Application Controller
    • Business Tier
      • Business Delegate
      • Session Façade
    • Integration Tier
      • Data Access Object
      • Adapter
      • Bridge 
Architect/Developer, Information Extract
Architected, designed, built, and tested an information extract application for a health care company. The data source is DB2 on UNIX, the client is character-base Java, the middleware is JDBC calling a DB2 Java Stored Procedure. The data returned is a delimited file. Other technologies included an E-Mail notification regarding the status of an information extract run. Completed this project ahead of schedule and well under budget.
Lead Architect/Developer (Web/J2EE Application Development)
Build/Test web applications using the following technologies:
  • Struts 1.2
  • Spring Framework
  • DAO
  • Hibernate
  • J-Unit
  • Ant
  • WSAD 5.12
  • RAD 6
  • WAS ND 5.1
  • WAS ND 6.1
  • Oracle 10g
  • Sybase 12.5
E2E application, integration, and Data Architect (Mainframe Web Enablement Project)
The success of DELL in marketting PCs through the effective and aggressive use of Internet technologies prompted  a Raleigh, NC based company to transform its PC business to gain similar results.  DELL allows its customer to configure their PC (memory size, hard drive, optical drive etc).  DELL builds to order. In contrast, the Raleigh based company builds to plan.  If consumers do not buy what this company built, then the company ends up with obsolete, non-saleable PC inventory.  DELL, on the other hand, always sell what they build because they only build when somebody orders.

This multi-national company has a tremendous amount of aging legacy systems that are mostly batch systems. Their business processes, procedures, and controls are also based on build- to- plan, which traditionally has a long development cycle.  All of these has to be transformed to enable build-to-order at Web speed.

Accomplishments
  • Completed an analysis, review and technical documentation of the E2E Data Architecture (addition of data, movement of data, validation of data) in support of taking Web orders, managing Web orders, manufacturing a Web order, and shipping a Web order.
  • Completed an analysis, review, and technical documentation of E2E control points to support data integrity and process architecture to support Web Transformation Project.
  • Completed a technical proposal to setup/implement a Quality Assurance Test System to ensure that a product is built  by Manufacturing as specified by Product Development and as configured by a PC configuration program on the Web.  The Test System would also prevent the product from being shipped and from generating revenue transactions.
  • Completed a technical proposal to synchronize product pricing  effectivity dates for Web sites on different time zones (North America, Europe, Asia).
  • Successfully resolved Web site ramp problems

Technical Environment
  • IBM Mainframe

OS/390, CICS/MVS 4.1, DB2, CICS, MQSeries, SAP, various financial, planning, distribution, accounting systems, Siebel, I2, OPICM

  • Risc 6000

IBM Net.Commerce 3.2, Websphere Commerce Suite 4.1, Servlets, JSP, EJB, Java Beans, HTML, XML, Net.Data, DB2/UDB, SQL, Websphere Application Server 3.2 AE, MQSeries, PC configurator (E-CIM)


Duties/Responsibilities
  • Investigate, analyze, evaluate existence/efficacy of control points as data travel from Product Concept/Development to marketing, pricing, sales (Web), manufacturing, and distribution.
  • Investigate data transformation, validation, and synchronization as it travel from various business, marketing, manufacturing, distribution systems.
  • Arrange/setup discussion workshops and prepare presentation/workshop materials
  • Analyse, review, evaluate and recommend processes and technical proposals to affected system owners.
  • Develop, Present, explain, and recommend technical solutions to system owners and get their approval/agreement.
  • Coordinate and provide technical advise to Technical staff regarding implementation of technical proposal in terms of cost, timing, and resources.
Architect, Web services
Architected, built, and tested Web Services for various clients using the following standards, tools, and technologies:
  
  • WSDL (RPC style and Document style)
  • XML, XML Schema/XML Namespaces
  • SOAP
  • EJB web service/Java Bean web service (Bottom up/Top down development)
  • Rational Application Developer V6.0.0.1 
  • DB2 UDB 8.2
  • JMS (Point-to-Point and Publish/Subscribe Messaging)
  • WESB (Websphere Enterprise Service Bus)
  • Rational Application Developer
  • JAX-RPC
  • SAAJ
  • WS-Addressing, WS-Eventing, WS-ReliableMessaging
Lead Architect/Developer (Web/J2EE Application Development)
Build/Test web applications using the following technologies:
  • Struts 1.2
  • Spring Framework
  • DAO
  • Hibernate
  • J-Unit
  • Ant
  • WSAD 5.12
  • RAD 6
  • WAS ND 5.1
  • WAS ND 6.1
  • Oracle 10g
  • Sybase 12.5
I/T Architect, Consolidated Reporting Database
Completed an application/integration architecture document (IGS Method work products) specying how to populate a reporting database with data from 7 different CRM related applications (Genesys, ACD’s, IVR’s, WFM, etc). Integration is batch only. Java, JDBC, Native API’s were used. Due to budget constraints, proprieatary middleware products were not used.

Consulting I/T Architect, insurance company
A customer satisfaction survey done for the insurance industry showed that a particular US insurance company was near the bottom of the rankings.  One primary reason is that this company takes more than one day to provide a 'quote' to a prospective client while other insurance companies can provite a 'quote' instantly.  In addition, there are numerous features that prospective clients wants that this company cannot currently offer.  To be more competitive, this company decided to re-engineer and transform its mainly batch-oriented systems. 
 
The initial business process documentation was prepared using Microsoft Visio primarily because this is what the client has been using.  I recommended converting the visio documents to IBM Business Modeler to enable 'what if' analysis (simulation/analysis) of the business processes.  Microsoft Visio does not have this capability.

To compete with other insurance companies,  this California-based insurance company has to offer real-time on-line quote to independent insurance agents, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Otherwise, the insurance agents will not even bother asking for a quotation from this insurance company.

A multi-million and multi-vendor project  (EPAS) was setup to transform a mostly mainframe batch legacy system to support an on-line real-time Personal insurance system. 

As an I/T architect, I ensure that the Business Requirements (functional and non-functional requirements) are properly understood and translated into optimal technical solution by the Solutions Architecture group and by each of the workstreams that make up EPAS.  The business requirements were in the form of BRQs (Rational Requisite Pro, Use Case documents, and Detailed Requirements Documents).

Gained familiarity and working relationships with the following systems/groups to ensure that the business requirements are properly addressed and resolved.  I have to know the technical operational characteristics of each system to be able to evaluate how each would meet the functional/non-functional requirements of the business.

  • A1 (Ascendant One)
  • AgencyHub(EMF)
  • Archive
  • ATLAS
  • BCWS
  • Docucorp
  • ECM
  • ELDS
  • LBC
  • NWPA
  • ROI (MVR, CLUE, NCF)
  • SRS
  • SSO
  • Vehicle Services SOA-COE

I Reviewed and requested changes to the following documents to ensure that the business requirements are included and properly addressed.

  • SBAD - Solution Business Architecture Document
  • SDD - Solution Design Document
  • Solution Outline Document
  • Architecture Design Decisions Documents
  • Architectural Drill Down Documents
Architect/Developer/Tester (Client/Server Applications)
Architected, built, maintained, optimized/tuned Business Systems for various companies.

Technologies/Platforms Used
  • MS Visual Basic, VB.Net, VBScript, Windows (95, 98, NT, XP), MS ActiveX controls,
  • MS Visual Studio, MS SQL Server, MS Internet Information Server, MS .NET
Architect/Developer/Tester (IBM Mainframes)
  • Architected, built, maintained, optimized/tuned, migrated, converted on-line(CICS) and batch Business Systems for various companies.
  • Led, mentored, and trained US and off-shore application development resources.
  • Technologies/Platforms Used
    • IBM WSED,
    • Visualage Generator,
    • Visualage for Java,
    • COBOL
    • PL/I
    • TSO/ISPF
    • DB2
    • SQL
    • Stored Procedures
    • CICS
    • TELON
    • z/OS
    • OS/390
Architect/Developer/Tester (Web Services)
Architected, built, and tested Web Services for various companies.

I used the following standards, tools, and technologies:
  • WSDL (RPC style and Document style)
  • XML, XML Schema/XML Namespaces
  • SOAP
  • EJB web service/Java Bean web service (Bottom up/Top down development)
  • Rational Application Developer V6.0.0.1
  • DB2 UDB 8.2
  • JMS (Point-to-Point and Publish/Subscribe Messaging)
  • ESB (Enterprise Service Bus)
  • Websphere Application Developer V6
  • JAX-RPC
  • SAAJ
  • WS-Addressing, WS-Eventing, WS-ReliableMessaging


Application Integration

Integration Architect, Siebel to Mainframe Database Integration
Completed an application/integration architecture document (IGS Method work products) specying how Siebel should retrieve data from an IBM Mainframe and how Siebel should update Mainframe databases. The technologies used were MQ/MQSI/XML and MQ CICS adapters.  The Siebel/Mainframe Systems integration consisted of batch/real time integration.
Integration Architect/Developer/Tester (Enterprise Applications Integration)
Assess and design enterprise integration architecture of various clients to identify gaps and weaknesses and make appropriate recommendations for improvements (Mainframe to Mainframe and Mainframe to workstations (Intel PC's and UNIX workstations) business applications)
  
  • SOA/Web Services
  • Middleware
  • Routing/Data Transformation
  • Message/vent Brokering
  • Non-Functional Requirements
  • Synchronous/Asynchrounous communication
  • Request/Response
  • Publish/Subscribe
  • Security (transport level, application level)
  • Single Sign-On

IBM Mainframe Consolidation

Lead Architect/Developer/Tester, IBM Mainframe Consolidation
Due to a bank merger/buyout, one of the top 10 US banks decided to consolidate its various IBM Mainframe Systems located in various US locations into a single/centralized IBM Mainframe system.

The basic objective is to migrate all applications from one IBM Mainframe System to another IBM Mainframe System. Most of the work involved remediating JCL (2,500 jobs,  procs)  to conform to the target host JCL standards, changing,recompiling and testing  5,000 COBOL/DB2/CICS programs,  changing FTPs and NDMs to use new IP addresses and new data set naming conventions.


Led the conversion/recompilation/testing of the application/JCL for one of the major systems.
Lead Technical Architect, IBM Mainframe Systems Consolidation
Assisted several clients in consolidating their IBM Mainframes systems due to mergers and acquisitions.  Maintaining multiple databases (IMS, DB2, VSAM), transaction managers (IMS/DC, CICS), and different mainframe utilities (i.e, Sort, Job scheduler, source control) is expensive because they require different skill sets to use and support.
 
The following are some of the Mainframe systems consolidations I performed:
  • Migrated VSAM files to DB2 and change data access to DB2 SQL.
  • Migrated IMS data to DB2 and change data access from IMS/DL1 to DB2 SQL.
  • Changed IMS/DC to CICS
  • Migrated Mainframe SORT JCL from one vendor to a preferred vendor

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