Kevin Lyda
Ballinvoher, Caherlistrane, Co. Galway H91 A4YN, Ireland
kevin@lyda.ie
Education
1992 Bachelor of Science in Computer Science - SUNY at Buffalo
Skills
- Languages: C, Go, Python, Perl, Shell, Lua
- Tools: git, gitlab, docker, prometheus, terraform, poudriere
- Platforms: Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Kubernetes
Work Experience
2018-present Software Developer / SRE Manager at TitanHQ (Salthill, Ireland)
Backend mail filtering appliance development. Migrating large, multi-decade source tree from subversion to git. Scaling up a product-based CI/CD system. Adding lower-level FreeBSD package management to the CI/CD system. Deploying a fleet-wide promethus based monitoring service. Designing, developing and deploying two Kubernetes based SAAS products. Created and managing an SRE organisation within the company. Designing the next generation of our products.
2015-2018 Software Developer at Aptarus (Galway, Ireland)
Added SAML support to a PHP web app. Added prometheus instrumentation to a number of PHP web apps. Installed and configured Jenkins. Wrote coding style, deployment and test scripts. Wrote full CI/CD delivery system for web projects.
2015-present Freelance Developer/Sysadmin (Galway, Ireland)
Maintained a legacy perl-based photo gallery site for a few photojournalists. Helped migrate one to a newer system. Implemented monitoring using prometheus and migrated servers to Digital Ocean.
Made changes to low-level Ruby libraries in a project to add prometheus instrumentation to Gitlab.
2014-2015 DevOps at Blue Tree (Galway, Ireland)
Deployed f-droid and f-droid-client for an internal Android app store. Built a REST API for f-droid to integrate Android app CI builds. Deployed Jenkins and gitlab, provided training for developers for both. Configured an internal Android build environment (75+ git repositories mirrored onto internal gitlab) and wrote a tool to simplify common build tasks. Tried to get code review going, but was not successful. Was more successful getting a branch workflow and deployment policy in place.
2012-2014 Research Fellow at DERI (Galway, Ireland)
Deployed gitlab and did a number of git/gitlab training courses. Walked people through code review with some success. Deployed mesos. Did a number of smallish python projects.
2006-2012 SRE at Google
Interviewed over 150 engineers and ran several interview training courses. Ran a Linux from Scratch course for an internal “SRE University” project for training up very junior engineers. Managed a group that worked on business critical, yet not technically as exciting projects. Retained staff by seeking out more technically challenging projects which generally involved “productionizing” our projects. Also worked on an internal MySQL team where I once managed to fix a database corruption issue by using dd to move 4k from the middle of an ancient backup to the middle of a new backup.
2005-2006 Engineer at Corvil
Build a continuous integration system for an embedded Linux system using Linux from Scratch and a basis. Wrote tools to help higher level developers run a chroot‘ed version on their desktops.
1999-2005 Lead Developer at Doolin (Dublin, Ireland)
Using Perl, C and PHP to design servers, management and reporting systems for Alphyra Card Services. Variations on APACS-30 to deploy prepaid phone codes as well as systems using APACS-30 and APACS29b. Various projects interfacing mobile phone, banking and retail systems. Other projects included utilities to manage users, migrated MDaemon mail system to sendmail, created and maintained source control system (CVS and some web based tools), created kickstart configs and local scripts for a variety of “roles.” Helped junior developers with development queries. Identified and suggested configuration changes to increase MySQL, Apache, PHP and overall system performance. Designed and specified redundant systems using Heartbeat and MySQL replication.
1998-1999 Software Engineer at Trintech (Dublin, Ireland)
Research and development on platform independence tools for an internal workflow system.
1998 Software Engineer at DreTec (Dublin, Ireland)
Java and C development on SINIX.
1996-1998 Software Engineer at UNIFI Communications (Lowell, MA)
C development on SCO UNIX for near-real time fax delivery system. I utilized sockets, SVR4 IPC, and in-house API’s as well as Brooktrout and Aculab API’s. Projects included:
- Added logic to vfax application to detect dead Brooktrout boards.
- Rewrote the Aculab interface to decrease the number of errors on E1/Aculab based platforms.
- Set up gcc cross-compiler environment (x86 Linux to SCO 3.2.4).
- Researched using the internet as a backup transmission medium to private IP network.
- Ported our internal C++ based NMS/ITO Agent interface from SCO to HP/UX.
- Involved in the redesign of an email to fax gateway using java, CORBA, LDAP, and sendmail.
1995-1996 System Administrator at Net Daemons Associates (Woburn, MA)
Contract System Administrator at an outsourcing firm. Worked with a variety of systems at several firms in the Boston area. Project highlights:
- Configured sendmail, NIS, and a firewall on a Unixware and NeXT network.
- Performed a network review for a Boston and Cape area nonprofit ISP.
- Subnetted a mixed platform Class B network. Migrated to NIS+ on the Unix machines.
- Maintained several Solaris machines (NIS+ based) and made them interoperate with WinNT/95 servers and clients.
- Maintained an Interactive UNIX UUCP network.
1994-1995 Software Engineer at MEDITECH
Maintenance and customization of admission and medical records modules utilizing MEDITECH’s MUMPS-like proprietary OS and language.
1992-1994 Scientific Programmer at SUNY at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine (Buffalo, NY)
Design, implementation, and release engineering on educational and administrative software projects - from functional spec to putting labels on floppies. Mac and PC based projects in multiple languages.