Derrick Cassidy
Verified Expert in Engineering
Network Engineer and Developer
New York, NY, United States
Toptal member since May 12, 2025
Derrick is a network engineer with nearly three decades of experience in network design, automation, security, redundancy, and cloud networking across on-premises and cloud environments. He specializes in implementing CI/CD pipelines for network automation tools such as Arista CloudVision and Arista Advanced Query Language (AQL), and source-of-truth solutions like NetBox, BMC Network Automation, and Ansible Tower. His skills enable the creation of scalable and efficient network infrastructures.
Portfolio
Experience
- Computer Networking - 20 years
- Programming - 20 years
- Cisco - 20 years
- Multicast - 20 years
- TCP/IP - 20 years
- Network Automation - 15 years
- Arista Switches - 15 years
- Ansible - 8 years
Preferred Environment
Linux, GoLand, PyCharm, MacOS
The most amazing...
...achievement has been designing and implementing an ultra-low-latency network for financial market data and network automation using Arista CloudVision.
Work Experience
Lead Network Engineer
Disney/ABC News
- Set up network automation for Arista switches by integrating Arista CloudVision with NetBox as the source of truth for all Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) 2110 devices and leveraging Arista AQL and Arista AVD.
- Supported the SMPTE 2110 network, including the reddish and blueish redundant Arista ultra-low-latency 400 Gb OSFP optical network, using Arista 7816 and 7200 series switches.
- Configured Precision Time Protocol (PTP) using Meinberg LANTIME M3000 appliances to synchronize video across television broadcasting vendor equipment and to support network segmentation in a spine-leaf architecture.
Principal Network Engineer
Nasdaq
- Migrated Cisco Access Control Server (ACS) to Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) for all remote offices, including multiple data centers in the US and internationally, to maintain centralized authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA).
- Set up network automation for routers and switches across all remote offices and data centers using Ansible, BMC Network Automation, and Arista CloudVision.
- Provided quarterly Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance network reports to internal and external auditors.
- Provided network automation, vulnerability management, and configuration compliance for NASDAQ’s global wide area network, remote office switches, wireless access points, and firewalls.
- Used the following tools to maintain configuration compliance: BMC True Sight Network Automation for reporting configuration compliance violations and Ansible Tower playbooks for configuration compliance and enforcement.
- Experienced in HashiCorp Terraform, Packer, and Vault.
- Ensured network device configurations met and exceeded Sarbanes–Oxley (SOX) regulatory compliance based on internal and external auditors’ recommendations and requirements.
- Maintained NASDAQ Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) globally using Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) for our sites in North America, EMEA, and APAC locations.
- Role-based access control (RBAC). Cisco SmartNet Total Care Asset Manager for global Cisco Devices using SNMPv3.
- Configured Low Latency and Ultra Low Latency Trading Environment Network switches (Arista EOS Version 4.30.0F on Arista Switch Models 7010TX-48, and 7130L Series).
Senior Network Architect
Macy's Systems and Technology
- Designed and implemented store network infrastructure to include Cisco IOS devices, routers, switches, MPLS, F5 server load balancers (LTM, GTM), and cabling design.
- Led the design and architecture of telecommunications networks, considering scalability, redundancy, security, and performance.
- Led the definition and communication of architecture standards, guidelines, and statements of direction by providing expertise and guidance to engineers on designing and establishing architecture standards to ensure alignment with IT strategy.
- Upgraded hardware and software recommendations for core and end-site equipment to promote the growing company's business objectives. Led the efforts for validation testing of planned architectures and equipment to demonstrate their effectiveness.
- Reviewed, contributed to, and approved architecture standards or controls that meet business needs.
- Developed and presented comprehensive network design proposals to stakeholders, addressing business requirements and technical specifications.
- Designed and managed core Telco network infrastructure, including routers, switches, load balancers, and other relevant hardware.
- Project-managed the build-outs of national stores, including working with electrical and civil engineers and local governments to ensure building code standards were implemented in reference to low-voltage cabling standards.
- Worked on contract management and negotiation with network device and cabling vendors throughout the continental United States.
- Worked with PCI Regulatory Compliance from a data communications perspective on a quarterly audit.
Senior Network Architect
Fiserv (Formally Security First Corporation)
- Worked on the network design and implementation of network infrastructure to include Cisco routers, switches, point-to-point circuits, MPLS, OSPF, EIGRP, and IP telephony.
- Performed network project management of design implementation until completion.
- Designed and managed core Telco network infrastructure, including routers, switches, load balancers, and other relevant hardware.
- Managed and negotiated annual contract management and negotiation with network device maintenance and network software-related support contracts.
- Worked accordingly with PCI Regulatory Compliance from a data communications perspective, and quarterly audit.
Software Engineer
Cisco Systems
- Developed hardware and software of the Cisco LocalDirector server load balancers using the C programming language.
- Provided tier 4 customer support to Cisco LocalDirector customers. When bugs were discovered, our team would create custom software fixes and release them to our critical customers (e.g., large banks and financial institutions.
- Maintained the updates to the CCO documentation for the Cisco LocalDirector load balancer.
- Recreated customer network environment in Cisco lab to solve TAC issues.
Experience
Arista CloudVision Portal and NetBox Integration Project
Additionally, I customized dashboards within the Arista CloudVision Portal using Arista Advanced Query Language (AQL). These dashboards were developed in alignment with Arista Validated Design (AVD) principles and utilized YAML and Jinja templating to ensure consistency, scalability, and reusability across deployments.
Python Essentials Crash Course | Udemy Instructor
Setup Market Data Solution to Detect Market Data GAPs
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science
Adelphi University - Garden City, NY, USA
Certifications
AWS Knowledge: Architecting
AWS
AWS Solutions Architect Knowledge Badge Assessment
AWS
Certified in Cybersecurity
ISC2
Understanding SMPTE ST 2110
Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
Skills
Tools
Terraform, Ansible, BMC Remedy, Palo Alto Panorama, F5 Load Balancer, Citrix NetScaler, Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), GitLab, GitHub, Makefile, GoLand, PyCharm, GitLab CI/CD, VPN, Cisco PIX, AWS IAM, Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS)
Frameworks
Jinja, Flask, Django, AWS Well-Architected Framework, AWS HA
Paradigms
Change Management
Platforms
Precision Time Protocol (PTP), Aruba ClearPass, Docker, Linux, Apache2, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, MacOS, AWS Cloud Computing Services, AWS Lambda
Languages
Python, Go, YAML, Python 3, C, PHP
Industry Expertise
Telecommunications, Cybersecurity
Storage
JSON, AWS Storage Gateway, Amazon S3 (AWS S3)
Other
Computer Networking, TCP/IP, Networking, Cisco, Low Latency, Ultra-low Latency Networking, Network Time Protocol (NTP), RTP, Network Access Control, Network Monitoring, IT Infrastructure, Network Infrastructure, IT Security, Network Design, DMZ Networks, Fiber Optics, Arista ZTP/ZTR, Vendor Management, IT Support, UDP, 400GB Optics, Ansible Playbooks, Active Directory (AD), IPv4, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), IPsec, Multiplexers (MUX), Cabling Design, Development, IP Routing, Network Engineering, Network Security, Juniper, Identity & Access Management (IAM), Programming, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), Multicast, EIGRP, Network Automation, Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Arista Switches, Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), Arista EOS, Cisco IOS, Cisco NX-OS, Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP), DNS, DHCP, Policy Based Routing, Route Maps, Keysight (Formally IXIA) Tradevision - Market Data Feed Monitoring Appliance, Arista CloudVision, Corvil, SevOne, CI/CD Pipelines, SOX Compliance, IT Audits, Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), SSL, SMPTE 2110, IPTV, Scripting, PIM, NetBox, Arista AQL Language, Poetry, Arista Validated Design, Arista Configlet Scripting, L2VPN, L3VPN, Microware, Cisco Switches, SSL Configurations, Network Systems, Servers, SNMPv3, Security, ASA Firewalls, FIX Protocol, RESTFul APIs, Arista Advanced Query Language, 100GB Optics, IPv6, Citrix WAF, Enterprise Cybersecurity, AWS Cloud Security, AWS VPN, AWS Database Management System
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