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Sam Varshavchik, Software Developer in New York, NY, United States
Sam Varshavchik

Software Developer in New York, NY, United States

Member since November 5, 2013
Sam is a senior freelance developer and architect with over 20 years of experience developing in the financial industry.
Sam is now available for hire
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Portfolio

Experience

Location

New York, NY, United States

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Linux

The most amazing...

...project that I've created is the Courier Mail Server.

Employment

  • Consultant

    1994 - PRESENT
    Independent Incorporated Consultant
    • Independent Incorporated Consultant for major financial companies in the greater New York City Area.
    Technologies: jQuery, JavaScript, HTML5, Sybase, Oracle, MySQL, Java, Perl, C++

  • Consultant

    2005 - 2011
    Merrill Lynch/Bank Of America
    • Designed and developed a library of C++ classes and APIs: multi-threading APIs and objects; Unix/Linux /POSIX resources; Oracle Call Interface, and PostgreSQL; XML parser, based on Gnome's libxml2; HTML/XML generator; LDAP client; HTTP application server.
    • Designed and developed an XML-over-HTTP service that offered access to data in Oracle and PostgreSQL databases. Automatic generation of technical reference documentation using HTTP, XSLT, Docbook XML, and HTML.
    • Worked with the system engineering team to develop a new global software turnover/release deployment infrastructure offering a wide choice of free software development tools: multiple versions of C and Java compilers (gcc, Sun Studio 11, Sun Java VM), a large library of Perl modules, and many popular Linux development tools. All software was built and deployed for multiple supported hardware platforms (32 and 64 bit Linux, and Solaris). Designed and developed software tools for managing deployment of third-party and homegrown software into the newly-built infrastructure.
    • Designed and developed comprehensive infrastructure (Perl scripts) for handling and archiving a wide variety of vendor data feeds, received via FTP, HTTP, and IMAP: Compustat Xpressfeed; MSCI Barra; Capco; FinancialCalendar; LSE Director Deals; Reuters-Multex, Markit equity index composition, and many others. Designed and developed infrastructure to download and archive daily tick data from production market data servers.
    • Coordinated migration of production infrastructure from Red Hat 3 to Red Hat 4 (2006) and Red Hat 4 to Red Hat 5 (2009). The RH4 migration was an upgrade in place. The RH5 migration was a parallel upgrade.
    Technologies: Linux, LDAP, PostgreSQL, Java, Perl, C++

  • Consultant

    2003 - 2005
    Morgan Stanley
    • Development and support of a high-profile, firm-wide, middleware multithreaded server application that disseminates market data from multiple data sources via an XML/SOAP interface. Maintained a Solaris and Linux platform.
    • Reviewed internally-developed XML/SOAP API infrastructure and conducted performance analysis. Developed proposals to improve the system response time and internal software architecture.
    • Developed regression tests for quality-control purposes.
    • Designed new XML/SOAP message formats. Created new multithreaded classes.
    • Developed Perl modules for client access to the XML/SOAP server.
    Technologies: SOAP, XML, Java, Perl

  • Consultant

    2002 - 2003
    Instinet/Reuters
    • FIX reporting: worked with Oracle DBAs to analyze the performance of the real-time FIX support tool; redesigned the tool's SQL to gain a five-fold improvement in performance.
    • Reporting: developed real-time web-based reports that report on missing/lost data in Instinet's internal ECN, after network failures or other production problems.
    • FIX reporting: worked with the business unit to design and develop a prototype for a new reporting tool that monitors the status of all client FIX sessions in real-time. Used by customer service in handling client inquiries.
    • Converted the customer service support tool to a Java/Swing applet/Java-WEBSTART application.
    • Systems/IT engineering: Built, verified, and certified custom configurations of the latest Perl release to be used as a foundation for a future heterogeneous (Linux/Solaris/HP-UX) IT development platform. Built, verified, and certified add-on Perl modules (including the Perl Oracle driver).
    Technologies: Swing, Java, TCP/IP, HP-UX, Solaris, Linux, Unix, Sybase, Oracle, C++, Perl

  • Consultant

    1997 - 2002
    Morgan Stanley
    • Web development: created and installed web/CGI applications which generate real-time risk management reports for portfolio managers. Created a web-based reporting infrastructure for the GEAC SSR application used by portfolio managers to reconcile GIM2's ledger against custodian SWIFT statements in real-time.
    • Data warehousing/database architect: designed a database used to archive historical accounting records. Converted and loaded mainframe data extracts. Developed a user interface to implement historical inquiries in real-time.
    • EMU/Y2K conversion: participated in multiple consecutive cycles of acceptance-testing of new releases of the GIM2 application. The scope of new releases included: SunOS/Solaris upgrades, EMU/Y2K upgrades. Worked closely with the business unit to develop GIM2 acceptance/regression testing tools in order to verify and validate the accuracy of the new portfolio management system release. Ported company-specific GIM2 enhancements to the new releases.
    • Y2K effort: extensively participated in producing the necessary documentation for the firm's auditors to certify GIM2 as Y2K compliant. Scope of work involved development of regression testing tools; development of tools to reconcile and certify the simulated post-Y2K environment.
    • Reviewed, corrected, and enhanced a web application developed by a subcontractor.
    Technologies: JDBC, Swing, Java, IBM Informix, Perl, TCP/IP, Unix, Sybase, C, C++

Experience

  • Courier Mail Server
    http://www.courier-mta.org

    The Courier mail transfer agent (MTA) is an integrated mail/groupware server based on open commodity protocols, such as ESMTP, IMAP, POP3, LDAP, SSL, and HTTP. Courier provides ESMTP, IMAP, POP3, webmail, and mailing list services within a single, consistent, framework. Individual components can be enabled or disabled at will. The Courier mail server now implements basic web-based calendaring and scheduling services integrated in the webmail module. Advanced groupware calendaring services will follow soon.

  • LibCXX Class Collection
    http://www.libcxx.org

    LibCXX is a C++ class library focused on high-level application framework classes and Linux-specific features.

Skills

  • Languages

    C++, Perl, SQL, Java, HTML5, JavaScript, XML, C

  • Libraries/APIs

    jQuery, JDBC

  • Platforms

    Red Hat Linux, Linux RHEL/CentOS, Linux, Unix, Oracle, Solaris, HP-UX

  • Storage

    MySQL, Sybase, PostgreSQL, IBM Informix

  • Frameworks

    Swing

  • Other

    LDAP, SOAP, TCP/IP

Education

  • BS Degree in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and Statistics
    1986 - 1990
    SUNY Stony Brook - Stony Brook, NY

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