Howard Abrams

Summary

Engineering Skills

Experience

• Created the user interface for H&R Block's very successful Ask for Tax Advice portal. See my initial prototype on my website. ( Javascript, AJAX )
• Created a repository for storing company-specific software components (this included storing scripts, documentation and other supporting files). The repository supporting versioning, searching, etc. See my website for details. ( Groovy, Grails, MySQL )

• Recognized and engineered fixes for a number of usability defects in core product, including implementing a new scripting language, adding security, authorization features, and redesigning its plugin interface. ( JavaCC )
• Developed Xen hypervisor management application for controlling virtual machines as well as controlling processes on the VM. This was done for Fortune 500 company. ( Xen / AJAX / Dojo Toolkit / XSLT / SOAP / SBLIM / CIM-XML )
• Created a UI framework for web-based user interface that took XML data received from remote agents and reformatted for web display. ( Java (J2EE) Servlets / XML / XSLT )
• Wrote a number of reusable plugin components for product's service architecture for customer applications. ( Java / XML / Encryption (JCE) / CIM and WBEM / VMware's Management API )
• Worked on many of the company's deliverable applications, including front-end and back-end work. ( Java / XML / XSLT / Javascript / Hibernate / Ant / Eclipse )
• Engineered nightly builds and code control processes. Helped migrate code base to take advantage of the Eclipse build process and automated test suites. ( Eclipse / JUnit / CruiseControl / Ant )

• Established core architecture and IT for nascent startup including an intranet portal architecture (see my web site for details).
• Recovered under-served product from WebGain to create AppComposer (a Java development tool suite) which was licensed and branded for OEMs and software vendors. (Client-side Java (Swing) / Ant / CVS / Eclipse / EJBs / Weblogic / Websphere / JBoss )
• Used component technologies to build a web-based CRM application for realtors. (Java servlets / JDBC / MySQL / Freemarker)
• Built an online ordering system that would fax orders to Internet-limited offices (like the kitchens of restaurants). Go to e-santhai.com to see this application in action. (Java / Spring Framework / JSP / JSTL)
• Built a B2B web service for OEMs to license product to their customers. Included both the server component and client beans. (JAX-RPC / WSDL / Tomcat)
• Created a number of Java components for specific vertical markets. (JDBC database access / XML Parsing / Date and Internationalization / Mail)

• Built secure, web-based server administration product that was licensed to Dell for their PowerEdge server series and HP/Compaq for their Proliant servers. Product was translated into many languages and branded for each OEM. ( Java servlets / My own template engine / Perl / Linux ).
• Developed web framework for creating wizard-oriented applications. It integrated Java data in the UI with Perl scripts for administrating low-level server functions.
• Designed several portals for interfacing with customers as well as a general back-end support for automatically upgraded deployed Linux servers. ( Java / Cocoon )
• Managed the engineering team and was the engineering interface to the business units as well as to customers.
  (See my web site for more details and examples of my work with this company).
• (Note: This company was purchased by Novell and integrated into the OpenSUSE Linux distribution.)

• Built a distributed GUI installer for their distributed database server that was included in version 8.2. The installer would push files from the GUI client running on a workstation to each node, configure the database, and then start it. (Java client using AWT / RSH / SSH / Clearcase)
• Create node-to-node communication module through Unix shared memory. (Unix / C)
• Built dynamic intranet portal to coordinate engineers over project status, build results and test regressions. (Perl / CGI )

• Developed a multi-tiered, database interface between PCs and legacy systems.
• Debugged legacy embedded micro-code and Unix Streams modules.

• Developed user level interfaces, stream analyzers, and kernel modules for X.25 communications protocol. (SVR4 Unix / C)
• Part of Unisys' effort to standardize X.25 extensions with X/Open subcommittee to XTI.

• Developed multimedia database system capable of storing photos, thumb prints, etc. Work was primarily on the graphical interface and data manipulation.
• Worked on an imaging enhancement package.

• Worked on a variety of computer platforms with many different languages for companies on short-term software development projects.
  • SNMP Query VBX for Visual Basic for DreamPark Development
  • Bi-Sync Data Acquisition Driver for National Semiconductor
  • Office Software Development for Cascade Industries
  • Inventory Control Package for Beneficial Health International
  • Educational Programs for Washington County School District
  • Computer Instructor for Dixie College

Education