Clark Winters, Developer in Seymour, MO, United States
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Clark Winters

Verified Expert  in Engineering

DevOps Engineer and Developer

Seymour, MO, United States

Toptal member since December 14, 2023

Bio

Clark is an experienced DevOps engineer with a strong background in systems integration and programming. He has expertise in web, cloud, and database ecosystems and an affinity for the Go programming language and tools like Terraform and Docker. Clark helps clients build scalable cloud infrastructure, web services, REST APIs, and automation scripts, prioritizing efficient, tailored solutions with a commitment to on-time delivery and quick adaptability to new projects.

Portfolio

2nd Watch
Go, Amazon Web Services (AWS), SQL, Terraform, Python, Docker, Linux, Bitbucket...
Boeing
Linux, HTML, JavaScript, GitLab, Python, Bash, CSS, Git...
2nd Watch
Linux, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Oracle Database, MySQL, PostgreSQL...

Experience

  • SQL - 12 years
  • Linux - 12 years
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS) - 8 years
  • Markdown - 8 years
  • GitHub - 7 years
  • Go - 5 years
  • Docker - 5 years
  • Terraform - 4 years

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Linux, Go, Terraform, Docker, Bash, Vim Text Editor, PostgreSQL, Markdown, GitHub, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS), Containers

The most amazing...

...thing I’ve built is a user-friendly, reliable, and fast web app for my mom's dog rescue, facilitating efficient adoption placements with good homes.

Work Experience

Lead Cloud Engineer

2019 - 2022
2nd Watch
  • Introduced infrastructure as code configuration and other automated solutions to optimize clients' systems and streamline internal processes.
  • Developed an intuitive full-stack application, enabling a streamlined process for the patching team to categorize and patch customers' Amazon EC2 instances.
  • Performed system administration tasks such as installing software, applying patches, and maintaining file systems on Linux and Windows Virtual Machines.
  • Delivered exceptional customer experiences through on-time delivery, consistent communication, and technical expertise.
  • Collaborated regularly with other engineering teams to ensure system reliability and durability.
  • Mentored and collaborated with team members, which allowed for increased delivery quality and skill development for all involved.
Technologies: Go, Amazon Web Services (AWS), SQL, Terraform, Python, Docker, Linux, Bitbucket, GitHub, Markdown, Bash, Jira, Git, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Vim Text Editor, PostgreSQL, HTML, JavaScript, GitLab, CSS, Oracle Database, MySQL, Windows Server, DevOps, CI/CD Pipelines, Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Delivery (CD), Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Architecture, Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS), Kubernetes, Amazon EKS, AWS DevOps, GitLab CI/CD, MongoDB, Node.js, REST APIs, Vue, ECS, GitOps, Unix, Monitoring, New Relic, Performance Analysis, DevOps Engineer, Ansible, Web Development, Serverless, AWS Lambda, Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), Containers, Windows System Administration, Amazon Cognito, AWS ALB, AWS IAM, AWS CLI, Cloud, Redis, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Amazon API Gateway, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Automated Testing, Cloud Architecture, NoSQL

Systems Integration Specialist

2018 - 2019
Boeing
  • Configured and maintained Linux servers to ensure proper operation and security.
  • Authored automation scripts to streamline operating system builds and delivery.
  • Crafted custom, security hardened ISOs containing commonly required software packages for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Oracle Linux, Ubuntu, and SUSE.
  • Implemented and administered a self-hosted GitLab instance, empowering the team with enhanced source control and continuous deployment capabilities.
  • Created intranet websites that allowed internal customers to learn about the team's offerings, release cycles, and maintenance schedules.
Technologies: Linux, HTML, JavaScript, GitLab, Python, Bash, CSS, Git, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Docker, Vim Text Editor, Markdown, Jira, DevOps, CI/CD Pipelines, Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Delivery (CD), Architecture, GitLab CI/CD, Node.js, REST APIs, GitOps, Unix, Monitoring, DevOps Engineer, Ansible, Web Development, Containers, Cloud, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Database Administrator

2015 - 2017
2nd Watch
  • Managed daily operations for hundreds of database instances residing on both Amazon EC2 virtual machines and Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), including introducing strategic automation to minimize human error and time requirements.
  • Implemented automated, volume-based backup and restore for databases using Amazon EC2 snapshots, decreasing backup and restore times by 90% on average.
  • Initiated the database migration process standardization for increased efficiency and reduced error rates.
  • Pioneered the creation and integration of the database support service, revolutionizing the role of database support within the managed cloud services business.
  • Established high-quality production enterprise support for Oracle, SQL Server, and MySQL databases.
  • Proposed strategic infrastructure recommendations to customers that often allowed clients to decrease cloud spend on database services by up to 30%.
Technologies: Linux, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Oracle Database, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Bash, Bitbucket, Windows Server, Git, GitHub, Vim Text Editor, Markdown, SQL, Jira, Architecture, AWS DevOps, GitOps, Unix, Monitoring, New Relic, Performance Analysis, DevOps Engineer, Serverless, AWS Lambda, Windows System Administration, Windows PowerShell, AWS IAM, AWS CLI, Cloud, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Cloud Architecture, NoSQL

Oracle Database Administrator

2013 - 2015
Boeing
  • Served as the tech lead for the internal Oracle Database on Linux managed service offering at Boeing, overseeing 65% of all Oracle Database infrastructure for the company, which amounted to nearly 8,000 databases on Oracle RAC clusters.
  • Implemented, maintained, troubleshot, and planned the capacity of Oracle RAC clusters, including the orchestration of round-the-clock operational support.
  • Composed run books and automation scripts to minimize errors and reduce delivery times.
  • Produced Oracle Database on Linux golden images used on VMware instances for Boeing's internal cloud-managed database service offering.
Technologies: Linux, Bash, Oracle Database, Oracle RAC, Oracle Data Guard, Vim Text Editor, SQL, Unix, Monitoring, Performance Analysis, Windows PowerShell, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Database Administrator

2011 - 2013
IBM
  • Maintained Oracle, IBM Db2, and SQL Server databases hosted on Linux and Windows, including 24/7 on-call support.
  • Ensured that all database instances were highly available and recoverable.
  • Improved daily health check processes by creating shell scripts that ran on Cron schedules and automatically delivered results to the appropriate stakeholders, replacing high-touch and manual procedures.
  • Migrated Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN) backup jobs to Oracle Enterprise Manager, resulting in greater scheduling flexibility and consistent alerting.
Technologies: Linux, Bash, Windows Server, Oracle Database, Oracle Data Guard, Microsoft SQL Server, Vim Text Editor, SQL, Unix, Monitoring, Windows System Administration, Windows PowerShell

Cloud Custodian

A service created to help reduce cloud spend on non-production infrastructure by running a development, test, or QA environment only when needed. Users can access a URL with specific parameters to indicate the environment they want to use. The service then authenticates the user and checks whether the domain is running. If it isn't, the service starts the environment using the appropriate Cloud SDK functions. While the environment begins, the user sees a "pending" screen with a loading spinner. Once the domain is available, the user is automatically directed to the correct URL. The environment remains active until there are two hours of inactivity before being automatically shut down. This solution results in significant cost savings of approximately 80% for cloud infrastructure.

Additionally, it provides internal users with a consistent URL for the environment, making it more convenient to access. I designed and implemented this solution using Go, HTML templates, and WebSockets. The service runs on a virtual server within the client's Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) account, where the target environment is also configured.

Devon Farm Rescue

https://forms.devonfarmrescue.com
A web application for accepting adoption applications from potential homes for Devon Farm Rescue. To accomplish this project, I implemented a Go server that renders HTML using templates and accepts form data from HTTP POST requests. The application is hosted on DigitalOcean's App Platform and utilizes a CockroachDB Serverless database for data storage.

One of the interesting features of the project is the implementation of a workflow that automatically sets up a new live environment whenever a new pull request is opened in the GitHub repository. This workflow plays a crucial role in validating the application's functionality in a real environment, eliminating the common issue of "it works on my computer" before changes reach the production application. The setup of the validation environment is facilitated using GitHub Actions and Terraform.

GoMap

https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/cwinters8/gomap
A BSD-3-Clause licensed Go module designed for interacting with JMAP mail servers, including Fastmail. I developed GoMap because I needed to send emails from an application I was working on and wanted more than the available email SaaS offerings. These services were more complex and expensive than what I needed. Since I was already a Fastmail user, I discovered they used the JMAP protocol for email communication, which I could leverage to programmatically send and query emails. By creating GoMap, I solved my problem and deepened my understanding of email protocols.

Inclusive Care Colorado

A revolutionary health provider directory service thoughtfully tailored for LGBTQ individuals, generously supported by the Colorado nonprofit Out Boulder County. In this endeavor, I developed an API service in Go, complemented by a serene and inviting front end crafted with Next.js and the sophisticated Tailwind CSS framework. This transformative service empowered individuals who frequently encountered discrimination in healthcare, bridging them with meticulously screened providers who not only empathized with their distinctive needs but also provided an inclusive space for their well-being.

Libraries/APIs

REST APIs, Node.js, React, Vue

Tools

Terraform, Vim Text Editor, GitHub, AWS IAM, AWS CLI, Git, Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS), Amazon EKS, AWS CodeBuild, Ansible, Bitbucket, Jira, GitLab, Oracle RAC, GitLab CI/CD, Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), Amazon Cognito, Auth0

Languages

Bash, Markdown, HTML, Go, SQL, JavaScript, CSS, Python, TypeScript

Paradigms

DevOps, Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Delivery (CD), Automated Testing

Platforms

Linux, Docker, Amazon Web Services (AWS), AWS Lambda, AWS ALB, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Oracle Database, Kubernetes, Vercel, Unix, Windows Server, DigitalOcean, New Relic

Storage

Amazon S3 (AWS S3), PostgreSQL, MySQL, CockroachDB, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle Cloud, MongoDB, Redis, NoSQL

Frameworks

Next.js, Windows PowerShell, Tailwind CSS

Other

CI/CD Pipelines, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), DevOps Engineer, Serverless, Containers, Cloud, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Cloud Architecture, Architecture, AWS DevOps, AWS CodePipeline, ECS, GitOps, Monitoring, Performance Analysis, Web Development, Windows System Administration, Amazon API Gateway, Oracle Data Guard, WebSockets, Jmap, Email, Lint

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