Mark Ellison

Principal Consultant

Ellison Software Consulting, Inc.

Atkinson, New Hampshire

Qualifications

Significant expertise in the design of management information models, the development of SNMP enterprise MIB modules and the implementation of SNMP Applications (Agents, Managers, Trap Handlers) in C/C++ and Java for network systems and services. Successful design and development of WSDL and XSD based Web-Services in pure Java. Participant in the development and implementation of management specifications within the IETF and OASIS standards development organizations. Masters degree in Software Engineering.

Publications and Presentations

RFC 2741	SNMP Agent Extensibility (AgentX) Protocol, Version 1
RFC 2742	Definitions of Managed Objects for Extensible SNMP Agents
Oasis WSDM MUWS Primer	Web Services Distributed Management: Management Using Web Services
Oasis WSDM MOWS Primer	Web Services Distributed Management: Management Of Web Services

Background

Languages and Technologies	Java (JAXP, JAXB, NIO, JNI, JMX), XML (WSDL, XSD), C, C++ (ANSI, POSIX, embedded), SSH, SNMP (v1, v2c, v3), MIB SMI (v1, v2), SNMP AgentX
Operating Systems	Linux (RH, Fedora) UNIX (Tru64 , Solaris , HP/UX, AIX);  embedded (bsd, linux, windRiver, PSOS, proprietary)
Developer Kits	iReasoning, AdventNet, SNMP4J, SNMP Research EMANATE, NET‑SNMP, WindRiver (Epilogue)
Development Tools	Eclipse, apache muse, libsmi, mosy, smicng, libpcap, tcpdump, openssl, tcl

Experience

Ellison Software Consulting, Inc.   Consulting Highlights

March 1996 to present

Alagad Enterprise ColdFusion and Flex Solutions

• Designed, created ColdFusion Gateway using Java to facilitate the monitoring of a campus wide network of data and IP telephony devices via Web browsers
• Designed, created ColdFusion Gateway using Java to interact with Intuit QuickBooks WebConnector and facilitate remote access to QuickBooks company files via Web browsers

WSI Weather Driven Business Solutions

• Collaborated with stakeholders, created a UML Information Model for active monitoring of Weather Production and Broadcast System of networked devices
• Produced XML Schema (XSD) for messages passed between monitored systems, a central monitoring device and health status GUIs
• Generated Java to XML Binding (JAXB) classes, wrote Java classes for collection of monitored metrics, for exchange of messages using NIO and for presentation of health status (SWING)
• Worked closely with staff engineer on accessing instrumentation for metrics (WMI)

ViaSat Communication Products for Commercial and Government Markets

• Provide focused SNMPv3 and MIB support to ViaSat engineering staff
• Compare, analyze, recommend Java SNMPv3 software libraries suitable for development of a configuration and monitoring system for Inline Network Encryptor (INE) network elements
• Investigate, report on usability of SNMP Agent simulation tools using HAIPE MIB modules
• Write Java code using Eclipse IDE to facilitate use of SNMPv3 software library for ViaSat Inline Network Encryptor (VINE) manager software product

Nominum Scalable Infrastructure for IP Networks

• Collaborate with technical staff, derive UML object-oriented information model for Nominum Name Server products
• Map information model to applicable IETF Standards Track MIB modules
• Collaborate with technical staff; design a set of enterprise MIB modules for remote monitoring of Nominum products including 100 columns in 20 tables, 40 event notifications and agent capabilities.
• Modify Net-SNMP mib2c templates for improved code generation
• Consult on organization of SNMP agent internals relative to implementation of IETF and Enterprise MIB modules

NexTone Session Border Controller (SBC) solutions for VOIP network providers

• Research, draft, revise detailed technical memo on SNMP management for NexTone products
• Identify IETF RFCs, I-Ds (e.g. AVT, SPEERMINT, SIPPING) applicable to NexTone products
• Identify IPMI and LMSensor instrumentation libraries for access to platform instrumentation
• Draft MIB module organizing top level of the NexTone private enterprise namespace
• Discuss Information Model for NexTone products with engineering staff
• Discuss mapping product attributes onto IETF defined managed objects with engineering staff

EMC Information Storage and Management

• Research, draft, revise detailed technical memo on SNMP management for EMC storage products
• Identify IETF RFCs, I-Ds (e.g. IMSS, IPS, IPFC) applicable to EMC storage products
• Collaborate with engineering staff, design enterprise MIB modules
• Define managed objects and notifications exposing EMC ControlCenter Alerts via SNMP
• Implement SNMP notification-originator application
• Build, integrate SNMP application into Net-SNMP Agent runing on Solaris and Windows OS

ConnecTerra Middleware for RFID applications (now BEA WebLogic RFID)

• Review, reccommend SNMP Agent developers' kits with integrated JMX instrumentation
• Obtain private enterprise number from IANA
• Collaborate, derive system-level Information Model for ConnecTerra products
• Collaborate, design set of eight enterprise MIB modules and a product capabilities profile
• Implement an HTTP servlet thread receiving alert reports and sending SNMP notifications
• Use Java, XML and JAXP/SAX to parse and manipulate alert reports, create SNMP varbinds
• Code Java class mapping xml properties to SNMP managed objects
• Integrate custom SNMP Notification-Originator application with SNMP Agent
• Exercise table handling; Correct indexing issues

Oasis WSDM TC Standards development organization

• Edit MUWS 0.5 and MUWS 1.0 specifications, significantly improving readability
• Act as liaison to ITU-T SG4 Next Generation Network Management Focus Group (NGNMFG); Submit WSDM as useful technology for management of NGN
• Present an overview of WSDM to IEEE NH IT section meeting
• Edit MUWS Primer and MOWS primer, significantly improving clarity and consistency

NetTest Monitoring equipment for current and next generation networks

• Evaluate, critique current SNMP notification definitions from client
• Review assignment, organization of MIB subtrees within private enterprise namespace
• Recommend ALARM-MIB for exposing persistent problem states
• Collaborate, design enterprise MIB modules exposing network events as SNMP notifications
• Mentor technical staff implementing of SNMP Agent and notification-originator application

Forum Systems Web-Services Security

• Modify, extend Net-SNMP package to run inside Java VM
• Use JNI to communicate with classes within Java VM 
• Design enterprise MIB exposing security processing statistics on XML docs, CRLs, certificate paths
• Prototype SNMP Agent implementing enterprise MIB module
• Create linux script automating overlay of local source tree onto Net-SNMP source tree
• Create script for generation of USM and VACM configuration for SNMP Agent

Cymtec Systems Network & Systems Security

• Collaborate, advise CTO on alternatives for an SNMP management architecture
• Review usefulness of open source SCRIPT-MIB implementation
• Provide analysis of commercial distributed SNMP Agent/Manager packages
• Build win32 perfmib.exe for use in SNMP monitoring of MS NT servers and workstations
• Modify Snort and libcpap for intermittent local caching and synching of packet logs

Nokia - IPSO IP Security Products

• Analyze, detail method for AAA to generate, distribute SNMP USM localized keys
• Provide technical detail on the configuration and use of SNMPv3 principals and security levels
• Contribute to design of next generation Firewall Applicance platform management
• Build SNMP daemon for embedded OS
• Modify UCD SNMP AgentX code to support non-default contexts
• Present seminar on SNMP Agent Extensibility (AgentX) standard
• Contribute, revise user documentation on configuration of Nokia SNMPv3 Agent
• Mentor technical staff adding MIB instrumention code to SNMP Agent

Nokia - IVC and others

• Collaborate, author document on SNMP architecture for IP/Voice Gateway
• Support technical staff using OpenSSL, UCD-SNMP on CHORUS OS for SNMP Agent development
• Review, collaborate revise SNMP Agent implementation project plans with technical staff
• Discuss SNMP indexing methods and how to extend and expand SNMP tables

INRANGE Technologies Storage networking solutions

• Review technical documents on 9801 Storage Networking System and SNMP Agent functional spec
• Collaborate with client on MIB Design
• Refine management information model, established mapping among MIB tables in IETF and client enterprise name space

Bravara Communications     MPLS-based network core switch

• Review Bravara Requirements document to identify SNMP MIB managed objects
• Work from UML conceptual model of MPLS system devise, author a set of 6 enterprise MIB modules
• Devise mechanism for mapping between ENTITY-MIB table indexing and Bravara table indexing

ARINC  design and implementation of enterprise MIB modules for client of ARINC

• Work with client engineers to identify SNMP managed objects
• Design set of 10 enterprise MIB modules for converged IP/Voice equipment
• Recommend commercial SNMP agent development kits (SADK)
• Interview, help select project team members; direct activities of two assigned software engineers
• Work with ARINC Taboret engineers on design of management application
• Assist project coders on understanding BRIDGE-MIB, other standard MIB modules
• Identify commercial RMON implementations available for porting
• Assist coders with issues related to SADK as needed

Cereva   Scalable, carrier-class system for internet content storage and delivery

• Collaborate, develop enterprise MIB architecture for content delivery system designed for internet data center environment
• Edit and co-author 16 enterprise MIB modules monitor, control and configuration Cereva equipment 

Adero  Global internet content replication and update service

• Devise strategy for SNMP monitoring of global content delivery network (CDN)
• Investigate, recommend remote poller technology for distributed SNMP data collection

Helioss Microwave Communications (now MNI)

• Develop, collaborate on enterprise MIB for point-to-point microwave radio products
• Coordinate design with applicable IETF MIBs
• Discuss SNMP Agent and MIB design topics with technical staff 
• Collaborate, devise screens for monitoring and control of microwave radio clusters

Digital Equipment Corporation Tru64 UNIX (now Hewlett-Packard)

• Revise Tru64 UNIX SNMP master agent (snmpd) and subagent developer toolkit (eSNMP)
• Replace SNMP Distributed Protocol Interface (RFC 1592) with AgentX (RFC 2741)
• Act as IETF AgentX working group editor for publication of IETF RFCs 2741, 2742
• Maintain tools for MIB development and code generation (mib_convert, snmpi, mosy)
• Maintain tools for SNMP Agent implementation (snmp_request, snmp_trapsnd, snmp_traprcv)
• Improve compliance of Tru64 SNMP Agent with RFCs 1901-1908 (SNMPv2c), RFC 2089
• Ported Scotty package (TCL extensions for SNMP) to Tru64 UNIX

Arepa    Application Services Platform R&D

• Use APPLICATION-MIB (RFC 2564) as basis for monitoring of computer applications
• Extend 2564 with enterprise MIB objects for an application service provider (ASP) environment
• Discuss SNMP Agent and MIB design topics with technical staff

PictureTel IP Video Conferencing R&D (now Polycom)

• Design enterprise MIB modules for monitoring and control of H.323 video conferencing products
• Contribute MIB modules to ITU as input for a standard H.323 MIB
• Devise, coded extensible SNMP Agent accessing instrumention about active video conferences
• Discuss commercial and open-source SNMP Agent developers' products with technical staff
• Discuss MIB design and use of SMIv2 with technical staff

Data General/Clariion Networked Storage Systems R&D (now EMC)

• Implement SNMP agent extensions for Data General/Clariion networked storage systems
• Devise, integrate management application with HP Openview NNM
• Use HPOV hooks for autodiscovery, map processing and notification subscription
• Discuss various SNMP and SMI topics with technical staff 
• Create roadmap for an extensible CLARiiON SNMP agent

Previous Accomplishments

BGS Systems (now BMC)

Jul 1995 - Jul 1996 (contract)

• Implement SNMP API and runtime library under UNIX (Solaris 2.x)
• Provide API support for remote polling, object lists,, asynchronous callbacks
• Build SNMP mid-level manager dual role entity (manager + agent)
• Handle negotiation of code modifications with kit vendor (SNMP Research)
• Port EMANATE event handling mechanism from select() to ACE package 'reactor paradigm'
• Scripte cron jobs for build and check-out report. Add testCenter build target to Imake script

GTE Labs   Telecom Research Lab (TRL) (now Verizon)

Apr 1994 - May 1995 (contract)

• Implement portions of mediation device for TONICS Telecommunications Management platform
• Design, implement finite state machine for CMIP/GDMO agent simulator
• Devise, code CMIP PDU handlers and API
• Improve error handling, correct protocol issues
• Enhance API, reference code, internals including ASN.1 data structures
• Devise, improve build utility for AIX and HP/UX variants, add archive, shared libs
• Implement API, handling routines for ITU-T X.852
• Use sockets, pipes, shared mem to create spawned processses, API for monitoring X.25 SVCs
• Devise, code routines for real-time parsing of TL1 syndrome messages
• Configure, integrate X.25 PAD and modem pool for collection of TL1 syndrome messages

Hewlett Packard Custom Products Group

Oct 1993 - Sep 1994 (contract)

• Devise, implement OCD demonstration of HP/UX 10.x external interrupt handler latency
• Devise, code SCSI device driver for OCD of PCMCIA reader under HP/UX 10.x
• Resolve HP hardware integration issues with third party devices (MPL, Ultranet, Spyrus)
• Devise, code daemon monitoring Power Distribution Unit (PDU)

AT&T Bell Labs FT-2000 Engineering (now Lucent)

Oct 1992 - Oct 1993 (contract)

• Refactor code for firmware installation, in-service upgrade for OC48 SONET terminal
• Resolve in-service upgrade abend problem present in previous version of installation utility
• Write functional requirements, specifications, code security and login enhancements

Digital Equipment Corporation NAC and CSS (now Hewlett-Packard)

Oct 1988 - Oct 1992 (employee)

Networks and Communications (NAC)

• Co-author requirements, design specs for network access server (DECserver 700)
• Design, code embedded SNMP Agent for network access server products
• Implement SNMP Agent methods for RFC1213-MIB (mib-2), CHARACTER-MIB, RS-232-MIB
• Verifiy SNMP protocol compliance on the wire using Tektronix, Sniffer probes
• Author "SNMP Survival Guide" relating MIB objects to command line input
• Collaborate on test procedures for SNMP and DNS
• Contribute to other protocol work (Telnet, TCP/IP, PPP, SLIP, LAT)

Computer Special Systems (CSS)

• Research, write paper on Token Ring/Ethernet translating bridge devices
• Contribute to DEC LAN traffic monitoring extensions for IP monitoring
• Consult on Vitalink and Metrowave ethernet-microwave bridge devices
• Contribute to Computer Integrated Telephony project
• Liaison to IEEE 802.6
• Implement ISDN Q.931 signaling layer

Wang Laboratories Small Systems Communications R&D

Jul 1984 - Oct 1988 (employee)

• Port SUN RPC to moto 68K workstation under UNIX variant
• Devise, adapt BSD sockets library. Contribute to debugging, porting of NFS
• Design, prototype a distributed, flexible alert mechanism
• Code, enhance, corrected 802.4 LAN drivers under x86/ DOS 2.1
• Devise LAN instant messaging utility, user installation utilities
• Concurrently complete Master of Software Engineering degree at Wang Institute

Education

Wang Institute	Master of Software Engineering (MSE)
Harvard University Extension	Graduate work in Software Engineering
Wesleyan University	Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Affiliations

IEEE	Member since 1987, follow IM and NOMS symposia
IETF	Past Editor SNMP-AgentX (concluded); Follow OPS area Working Groups
DMTF	Past Member; Follow convergence of other Information Models into CIM
OASIS	Past Member, Editor Web Services Distributed Management (WSDM) TC
ITU-T	Past Participant Next Generation Network Management Focus Group (NGNMFG)
NHHTC	Past member (2000-2005) New Hampshire High Technology Council

Last Modified: April 10, 2009

Copyright(c) 2008 Mark Ellison