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Phillip Edwards, Technical Writing Developer in Marseillan, France
Phillip Edwards

Technical Writing Developer in Marseillan, France

Member since October 10, 2018
Phillip has many years of experience in all aspects of the software development lifecycle, with particular expertise in problem-solving, coaching, training, and DevOps and Agile philosophies. He advocates Agile, test-driven development, the DevOps culture, and has coached several developers and testers to adopt DevOps methodologies. Phillip has been developing applications using Google Firebase and lifting and shifting applications from AWS and Heroku to GCP.
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Portfolio

  • Reward Gateway, Limited
    Linux, System Administration, Docker, Cloud, Amazon, Elasticsearch, RabbitMQ...
  • BCG
    OAuth 2, Okta, Auth0, Identity & Access Management (IAM)...
  • Okta
    NGINX, Elasticsearch, Tornado, Okta, Go, Python 3, Terraform, JavaScript...

Experience

Location

Marseillan, France

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Go, Python 3, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Kubernetes, Docker, Java, MacOS, Linux, Bash, GitHub

The most amazing...

...thing I've done was to write software in Java and Go which uses NASA data to predict astronomical events, including sunrise and sunset times.

Employment

  • DevOps Engineer

    2022 - PRESENT
    Reward Gateway, Limited
    • Deployed existing PHP applications in Docker containers.
    • Set up and configured CentOS virtual machines using Terraform.
    • Deployed applications in Docker Swarm using Docker secrets routed through an NGINX proxy.
    Technologies: Linux, System Administration, Docker, Cloud, Amazon, Elasticsearch, RabbitMQ, MySQL, PHP, Networking

  • Okta | IAM Expert

    2021 - 2022
    BCG
    • Wrote training materials on the use of Okta authentication and IAM.
    • Developed a proof of concept (POC) for using a command-line interface to create Okta resources.
    • Created software for timing and recording OAuth 2.0 login times.
    • Wrote tools in Python 3 to automate the creation of Okta applications using the Okta API. This greatly improved teams' productivity and reduced their dependence on support teams.
    • Implemented secrets management in Python for HashiCorp Vault, 1Password, and Google Secrets Manager.
    Technologies: OAuth 2, Okta, Auth0, Identity & Access Management (IAM), Information Technology, APIs, Security, DevSecOps, Confluence, Writing & Editing, Python 3, SOC 2, Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS), HashiCorp, Cloud Security, Bash, Shell Scripting, Jira, Cloudflare, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Unit Testing, Network Security, Keycloak

  • Technical Writer

    2020 - 2022
    Okta
    • Developed an application and wrote an article on the Python Tornado framework with authentication.
    • Built an application and wrote an article on Go and Gin, securing it with authentication.
    • Constructed Elasticsearch applications in Python and Go and wrote articles on them.
    • Created and implemented serverless containers on GCP, Azure, and AWS and wrote an article comparing the clouds.
    • Implemented HCL to deploy applications using Terraform and wrote an article on the implementation.
    Technologies: NGINX, Elasticsearch, Tornado, Okta, Go, Python 3, Terraform, JavaScript, Swift, Swift 5, GitHub, Service-oriented Architecture (SOA), REST APIs, Cloud Platforms, Cloud Architecture, Shell, Cloud, Scripting, SQL, Apache2, Google Cloud, Technical Writing, Information Technology, Technical Documentation, APIs, Technical Writer, SSH, Git, Writing & Editing, Helm, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Azure, Cloud Security, Bash, Shell Scripting, AWS Lambda, Amazon EKS, NoSQL, TypeScript, Container Orchestration, Serverless Architecture, Cryptography, Encryption, Network Security, Amazon

  • DevOps Engineer

    2021 - 2021
    Aragon
    • Separated production from test environments by creating a separate GCP project and a Kubernetes cluster.
    • Simplified existing Kubernetes deployment using Helm charts.
    • Assisted developers in deploying their applications in a GCP Kubernetes cluster.
    Technologies: Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Kubernetes, GitHub, Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), Cloud Platforms, Google Cloud SQL, Cloud Architecture, Shell, Cloud, Scripting, SQL, Google Cloud, System Administration, Identity & Access Management (IAM), Information Technology, Networking, SSH, Cloud Computing, Networks, Git, High-availability Systems, Containerization, Helm, Consulting, Cloud Security, Bash, Shell Scripting, Container Orchestration, DevOps Engineer, Agile DevOps, Network Security, Virtualization

  • Senior Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)

    2020 - 2020
    ClickFunnels
    • Ported four Heroku and AWS cloud applications to the Google Cloud Platform.
    • Assisted three teams of developers in porting their applications to GCP.
    • Created Docker builds to containerize the legacy application.
    • Deployed applications in GKE using Helm and CircleCI.
    • Created Kubernetes clusters in GCP/GKE and configured IAM permissions.
    • Configured Kubernetes ingresses with static IP addresses and created DNS entries. Also configured load balancers to handle HTTPS traffic.
    Technologies: NGINX, Linux, Architecture, Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), Kubernetes, Docker, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), DevOps, Continuous Integration (CI), TCP/IP, GitHub, Cloud Platforms, CircleCI, Google Cloud SQL, Cloud Architecture, Shell, Cloud, Scripting, SQL, Google Cloud, Identity & Access Management (IAM), Information Technology, Networking, SSH, Security, DevSecOps, Cloud Computing, Firewalls, Linux Administration, Networks, Git, Systemd, High-availability Systems, Containerization, Helm, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Continuous Deployment, Cloud Security, Bash, Microservices, Shell Scripting, Cloudflare, Amazon EKS, Amazon EC2, AWS RDS, NoSQL, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Container Orchestration, DevOps Engineer, Web Security, Network Security, PostgreSQL, Virtualization, Traefik

  • Solutions Architect

    2018 - 2019
    Dito
    • Developed SDLC workshops to migrate development teams to Agile and Scrum.
    • Created a workshop on serverless mobile development using Google Firebase.
    • Enhanced a REST application using Go and Go templates.
    • Built a REST back end using Python and Flask to access Google APIs.
    • Designed REST APIs using Open API specifications to access Google APIs.
    • Produced webinars promoting Firebase and Kubernetes solutions on Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
    • Developed and supported applications running on GCP.
    Technologies: Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Firebase, Kubernetes, REST, Go, Python, Java, Cloud Platforms, Cloud Architecture, Shell, Cloud, Scripting, SQL, Test-driven Development (TDD), Google Cloud, Identity & Access Management (IAM), Technical Writing, Information Technology, Technical Documentation, Writing & Editing, Source Code Review, GitLab CI/CD, Consulting, Mentorship, Training, Bash, XP, Shell Scripting, NoSQL, Container Orchestration, Serverless Architecture, Unit Testing, Agile DevOps, Web Security, Google Cloud Functions, Firebase Cloud Functions

  • DevOps Coach

    2017 - 2018
    BNP Paribas Fortis
    • Convinced teams to adopt new technologies and DevOps practices.
    • Ran test-driven development (TDD) kata sessions in Java.
    • Assisted teams in creating Jenkins pipelines to build, test, and deploy their code into the cloud.
    • Led contract-first workshops to design REST APIs and build stub services.
    • Held workshops on how to safely refactor legacy Java code.
    • Performed as an engineering and operations guild lead, managing technical coaches.
    Technologies: Java 8, DevOps, Linux, Docker, Jenkins, Spring Boot, Maven, Eclipse, Java, Continuous Integration (CI), TCP/IP, Service-oriented Architecture (SOA), REST APIs, Eclipse IDE, Shell, Cloud, Scripting, Continuous Delivery (CD), SQL, Test-driven Development (TDD), Apache2, System Administration, CI/CD Pipelines, Information Technology, Docker Compose, Writing & Editing, Technical Hiring, Source Code Review, Interviewing, Task Analysis, Systemd, SOC 2, SonarQube, Mentorship, Continuous Deployment, Training, Bash, Shell Scripting, Jira, DevOps Engineer, Unit Testing, Agile DevOps, Web Security, Network Security

  • Senior Java Developer

    2017 - 2017
    Egencia
    • Designed a cloud-based replacement for a legacy system.
    • Implemented back-end system components in Java and deployed them to the cloud.
    • Performed peer code reviews for the development team.
    • Deployed system components into the AWS cloud using Jenkins and Marathon.
    • Coached colleagues on microservice implementations.
    Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Java 8, Agile, Mesos, Marathon, Docker, RabbitMQ, Spring Boot, Maven, Java, Eclipse IDE, Shell, Cloud, Scripting, SQL, Test-driven Development (TDD), CI/CD Pipelines, Information Technology, Technical Hiring, Source Code Review, Containerization, SonarQube, Continuous Deployment, Bash, Microservices, Shell Scripting, Jira, Amazon EC2, AWS RDS, Container Orchestration, Unit Testing, Network Security

  • Trainer | Coach

    2015 - 2017
    Self-employed
    • Developed and delivered training programs on a range of subjects, including Java and Python, to several companies.
    • Created a Kubernetes course for Airbus, which enabled them to migrate an imaging application from a data center to the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) within a few months.
    • Delivered a number of workshops on Apache Camel.
    • Created workshops on how to use test-driven development (TDD) effectively.
    • Developed and presented a DevOps course.
    Technologies: Python, Docker, Kubernetes, Java, TCP/IP, JavaScript, Swift, Service-oriented Architecture (SOA), Android, Eclipse IDE, Shell, Cloud, Scripting, Continuous Delivery (CD), SQL, Apache, Test-driven Development (TDD), Apache2, Technical Writing, Information Technology, Technical Documentation, APIs, Technical Hiring, Source Code Review, Interviewing, Task Analysis, SonarQube, Mentorship, Ansible, Training, Bash, PHP 7, Shell Scripting, PHP, MySQL, Oracle 11g, iOS, Jira, Cryptography, Encryption, C, Unit Testing, Virtualization, Puppet

  • Technical Subject Matter Expert | Trainer

    2011 - 2015
    Royal Bank of Scotland
    • Worked with subject matter experts to design a training program to make new developers desk-ready.
    • Wrote and reviewed the course modules defined by subject matter experts.
    • Built the course software for in-course workshops in Java and SQL.
    • Coached the course pilot in India to a group of software developers.
    • Taught or co-taught all of the courses that were held in both London and India.
    Technologies: Linux, Oracle, C#, Java, Continuous Integration (CI), TCP/IP, Eclipse IDE, Shell, Cloud, Scripting, SQL, Apache, Test-driven Development (TDD), Apache2, System Administration, Technical Writing, CI/CD Pipelines, Information Technology, Confluence, Technical Hiring, Source Code Review, SonarQube, Mentorship, Training, Bash, Spring, Shell Scripting, Oracle 11g, Jira, Unit Testing, Web Security, Virtualization

  • Senior Developer

    2009 - 2010
    Kantar Media
    • Ported the key TV viewing figures application from AIX to Linux.
    • Replaced legacy Cobol components with PL/SQL stored procedures.
    • Improved the overnight batch processing performance and reduced the processing time from four hours to one hour.
    • Improved the unit test coverage of legacy code that had no documentation.
    • Implemented a web services application in Java and Apache CXF.
    Technologies: PL/SQL, Bash Script, Oracle, Java, C++, Eclipse IDE, Shell, Cloud, Scripting, SQL, Test-driven Development (TDD), System Administration, Bash, Shell Scripting, MySQL, Jira, C, Unit Testing

Experience

  • Taking Firebase Serverless
    https://www.toptal.com/google/firebase-serverless-mobile-and-web-apps

    Firebase is a suite of over 20 components that greatly simplify the creation of mobile and web applications. It is fully integrated with the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). I developed a workshop highlighting the use of Firebase for front-end developers. As part of the process, I was in direct contact with the Firebase team at Google. The focus is to allow developers to develop end-to-end applications without needing a back-end server. All back-end components are deployed directly into the Google Cloud using Cloud Functions and Cloud Run.

  • Pandoc and Docker Publication Chain
    https://www.toptal.com/docker/pandoc-docker-publication-chain

    Moving into a new computer is a time consuming and often frustrating process. The software needs to be installed, and data needs to be moved. Having purchased a new Mac Mini, I didn't want to go through this process, so I made some decisions.
    First of all, data files; I purchased a NAS, which has RAID backup, and most of the files are also in the cloud in Github. Simply NFS mounting the NBAS drives means that multiple machines can access them, and there is no need to copy files other than to the NAS.

    Installing and updating software is always tricky. This is particularly true if there are dependencies. A solution to this is to run the software in Docker images. I decided to use this approach. The complex Docker run command can be wrapped in an alias, a function, or a script.

    Another issue is documentation. Documents are often required in multiple formats, including HTML, PDF, and proprietary. The other issue is that documents are ideally in a text format for versioning. There is an ideal solution. Markdown is a commonly used document format. The Pandoc software can easily convert markdown to other formats, eliminating the need to have multiple copies of the same document.

  • Astronomical Predictions and Simulations
    https://dr-phill-edwards.eu/

    I wanted to predict the times of astronomical events, so I have an ongoing Java project to build a suite of programs to predict events and model the solar system. There are sections on my website which show some of the calculations and results.

    Most of the current literature is based on unexplained approximations. Still, I found the NASA JPL Ephemerides Data, which allows the accurate calculation of the positions of the sun, moon, and planets between the years 1550 and 2550.

    The application is currently being rewritten in Go.

  • Create a Publication Chain with Pandoc and Docker (Publication)
    https://www.toptal.com/docker/pandoc-docker-publication-chain
    Pandoc is a software package capable of converting documents into various formats, and since it’s available as a Docker image, it’s easy to run. In this article, Toptal Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) Phillip Edwards demonstrates how you can easily create a robust publication chain using Pandoc, Docker, and a pinch of Markdown.
  • Taking Firebase Serverless – Mobile and Web Applications Made Easy (Publication)
    https://www.toptal.com/google/firebase-serverless-mobile-and-web-apps
    Mobile and web applications typically need a back-end server, which requires maintenance, updates, backups, and more. So why not dispense with them? In this article, Toptal Java Developer Phillip Edwards outlines how you can use Google Firebase to develop serverless applications without incurring a lot of costs.

Skills

  • Languages

    Java, C++, Bash Script, Python, Go, Java 8, SQL, Python 3, PHP, Bash, C, Swift 5, JavaScript 6, Swift, JavaScript, PHP 7, TypeScript, C#, UML 2

  • Frameworks

    Spring Boot, Spring, Marathon, OAuth 2

  • Libraries/APIs

    REST APIs

  • Tools

    Apache, Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), Shell, Jenkins, Maven, GitHub, Terraform, Eclipse IDE, Docker Compose, Git, SonarQube, Helm, HashiCorp, Jira, NGINX, RabbitMQ, CircleCI, Confluence, Systemd, GitLab CI/CD, Ansible, Amazon EKS, Puppet, Keycloak, Mesos, Auth0, CAD, Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS), Traefik

  • Paradigms

    Continuous Integration (CI), Microservices, Agile, REST, Service-oriented Architecture (SOA), DevOps, Test-driven Development (TDD), Serverless Architecture, Unit Testing, Continuous Deployment, Continuous Delivery (CD), XP, DevSecOps

  • Platforms

    Apache2, MacOS, Eclipse, Firebase, Kubernetes, Docker, Linux, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), Android, iOS, Oracle, AWS Lambda, Amazon EC2, Amazon, Azure

  • Storage

    PL/SQL, Google Cloud, Google Cloud SQL, MySQL, Oracle 11g, NoSQL, PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch, Amazon S3 (AWS S3)

  • Industry Expertise

    Security, Network Security

  • Other

    Cloud, Cloud Architecture, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), Scripting, Architecture, Okta, Cloud Platforms, Mathematics, TCP/IP, Shell Scripting, Identity & Access Management (IAM), System Administration, Technical Writing, CI/CD Pipelines, Science, Information Technology, Technical Documentation, APIs, Training, Technical Writer, Networking, SSH, Firewalls, Linux Administration, Networks, Writing & Editing, Technical Hiring, Source Code Review, Task Analysis, Containerization, Consulting, Mentorship, Container Orchestration, Cryptography, Encryption, DevOps Engineer, Agile DevOps, Web Security, Google Cloud Functions, Firebase Cloud Functions, Virtualization, Cloud Computing, Interviewing, High-availability Systems, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Cloud Security, Cloudflare, Tornado, Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM), English, SOC 2, AWS RDS

Education

  • PhD in Computer Aided Design and Manufacture
    1984 - 1987
    University of Nottingham - Nottingham, United Kingdom
  • Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics
    1976 - 1979
    University of Manchester - Manchester, United Kingdom

Certifications

  • TEFL Certification
    JULY 2014 - PRESENT
    TEFL Scotland
  • UML Professional Fundamental
    NOVEMBER 2008 - PRESENT
    OMG | Object Management Group

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