Job Wanted: Hub/Noc Op & VSAT Software Dev

Data Network Analyst who develops VSAT performance data collection and analysis software.

Hello, I am looking for NOC operations or VSAT network analysis position or training/engineering/development position. The past 13 years, I have been employed in Springleaf (FKA American General) Financial Services Hughes Network Systems satellite hub and network operations center in Evansville Indiana. My skill set includes those needed to configure, monitor and maintain a VSAT hub and corporate network operations center.

The most unique skill I have was developed over the past 5-7 years, I taught myself how to write software in VB.NET (currently migrating to C#) that collected, analyzed and reported VSAT network performance data.This is a skill that I feel sets me apart from other candidates and hopefully a potential employer will find valuable as well.

I am looking for a regular full-time position but am happy to discuss other opportunities. I am happy to talk/e-mail any time and happy to send you my resume.

I am ready to re-locate within a month. I would prefer beginning a new position in January as I have a student in school, but I am flexible for positions in the USA. I would enjoy working remotely as well. For overseas positions, I would have to wait until next June to relocate as I have a student in school.

Thank you

Eric Lamey
elamey@gmx.com

*** Example case VSAT performance data software******
Good monitoring software is expensive and rarely goes in depth enough to monitor a complex network like a VSAT network. There are just not many affordable VSAT monitoring software packages. During the past few years I have developed several applications that automated the in depth analysis needed in the VSAT environment.

One example is a "remote scoring" application. Using muti-threading and SQL database among other programming techniques, my software collected data from over 1000 HN7700 remotes in the Springleaf VSAT network using both SNMP and HTTP.

The "scoring" software collected multiple performance statistics (SQF, data rates, data rate uptimes, tx codes etc.), analyzed the stats then generated a report in Excel listing the "Top 10" (or more depending on how the software is developed) remotes most likely to have problems.

With this software, we found approximately 350 out of our 1000 remotes were under performing. So we embarked on a year long project to proactively repair those under performing remotes before they experienced down-time. We were able to prove to our vendor (in this case Hughes) that certain sites were not running optimally and they needed to repair/replace heads, dishes (if needed) cables, connectors etc. as per our contract. We made them get rid of a lot of 1.0m dishes during this time

The techniques needed to gather this data took a lot of trial and error to develop. Collecting data on a single remote is not difficult. Collecting data on 1000 remotes, in an efficient time frame is very difficult due to the unique characteristics of a VSAT network (extremely high latency being one). Once the data is collected, however, almost any conceivable analysis on any of the data points is possible.

Here is an abbreviated example of the analysis in one of my programs. Consider the problem of finding remotes that are up, but running poorly, they can be difficult to find. But to maximize the performance of your VSAT network, it's necessary to make sure "most" of the remotes are running at the maximum data rate "most" of the time. Otherwise the remotes are running slow and your "pipe" is not being used at maximum efficiency.

Consider: It can take several minutes for a person to get the following data off a single remote let alone thousands.

Example Remote:
Name:                                                HN7700_01
Dish Size:                                        1.2m (from SQL DB)

Step 1: Get SQF data over time, is it bouncing?
SQF Reading 1 @ 0 Seconds:            63
SQF Reading 2 @ 5 Seconds:            67
SQF Reading 3 @ 10 Seconds:            55
SQF Reading 4 @ 20 Seconds:            65
SQF Reading 5 @ 40 Seconds:            61
(Potential Problem…SQF Bouncing)

Step 2: Check remote is running at max data rate
Data Rate: 512k  4/5  (Looks ok right? Look further)
Data Rate Uptime 512k 4/5            25%
Data Rate Uptime 512k 2/3            50%
Data Rate Uptime 512k 1/2            25%
(Problem Remote running at 512k 2/3 half the time)

Step 3: Look at other remotes in the area, are they performing similarly to this remote (I use a lat/long algorithm to find the closest remotes)?

Nearest Remote #1, 5 miles away, 1.2m dish
SQF                                                  80
512k 4/5 Uptime                          83%
(Performing Better than example Remote)

Nearest Remote #2, 20 miles away, 1.0m dish
SQF                                          73
512k 4/5 Uptime                  72%
(Performing better than example remote)
(Consideration given for smaller dish size)

Nearest Remote #3, 35 miles away, 1.2m dish
SQF                                          79
512k 4/5 Uptime                  40%
(Not acceptable, get other uptimes, alert operator)
512k 2/3 Uptime                  40%
512k 1/2 Uptime                  10%

This is the kind of analysis  I can automate with the software I write. Look at some of the problems we can solve with this.
- You send a technician out who says "this is the best SQF and data rate this remote can get." With this data you can show the technician two local remotes (I use to pull 5) whose performance data is superior. There is still a problem with this remote install.
- Reading a remote once only gives you a slice in time on that single remote.
- Reading all the above data on a single remote is do-able, reading it on thousands of remotes would       take 100's of people and man hours. My software can automate the data collection and analysis so you can begin to optimize your whole network, not just single remote sites.
- Do you want to check the quality of work your installers are doing? With the correct database information, I can write the software to analyze the remote parameters of individual installers.
-Have a satellite dead spot that Pan Am Sat won't acknowledge? I can write software to find and document it.
-At Springleaf we were able to identify patterns, for example we found that a particular model of ODU's was problematic and wouldn't run at 512k 4/5. We also found patterns of problems with individual installers.

In theory there are very few limitations to the kinds of data queries that can be pulled…by country, state, zip code, area code, exchange, dish size etc.

I have much of this software "in the can" and can customize to your network. But it will take some programming time to customize it to your network. But the difficult stuff, the years of trial and error to figure out how to get this data from a VSAT network a timely fashion is complete.

Some of the other programs I have written are....
-Noc Technician Application - "One Click" automated data collection and analysis of 15-20 different performance statistics on a single remote. Designed for Noc technician to use during trouble shooting remotes with on-site technicians and advanced analysis after the automated reports run.
- Down Remote Report - Scans remotes in the morning (before business hours) and sends report of problems sites to call center.
- Network Average SQF - Once per minute, collects SQF of every remote on network, averages the SQF and displays it on a running graph in NOC. Also displays number of remotes above and below a threshold SQF level (example 50 remotes under 60 SQF, 10 above 90 SQF).


My former supervisor at Springleaf Financial services is one of my references, he and I get along well. If you request my resume and call him, he will be happy to verify what I have said above.

Thank you for your consideration, I hope to hear from you soon.

Eric