Dean Peter Southall
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Tandem/HP Non Stop Consultant - CURRICULUM VITAE
Updated 17th
August 2010 - available
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For advice on contracting in Holland click here
For Dean's TACL course in word & HTML (zipped, only 40K) click here for Dutch
and here for English
Type of work : All. The more
technical the better.
Skills:-
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I'm a Compaq Mission Critical Consultant! I've been working on Tandem (also known as HP Non Stop) since November 1987. I have more than 21 years Tandem experience in the following COBOL, SCOBOL, C, Guardian, Enscribe, SQL & TACL. I have S-Series, K series and Itanium experience. |
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Place of
Birth: Doncaster, South
Yorkshire, U.K. 
Marital status: Single
Permanent Email
Address: deanso (at) yahoo.com
Web
Page
http://www.theblackadder.co.uk
Mobile Phone +31 (06) 38304481
Driving Licence: Clean and also passed Institute of Advanced Motorists driving test.
Sort of Jobs I'm a Tandem (HP NonStop) contractor. I'm a techie by trade. I like development, systems management and technical support most.
Languages: Fluent Dutch. (Passed some Dutch exams). I speak quite reasonable German.
Skills Summary: TANDEM COBOL, SCOBOL, TACL(I've written a course in English & Dutch), TEDIT, 'C' Native mode & TNS ‘C’, NETBATCH, FUP, PATHWAY, SQLCI, DDL, ENFORM, TCIP/IP, DSM SCM, NDM and CONTROL. ENSCRIBE & SQL DATABASES. TCP/IP. OSS ITP Webserver. Interfaces to IEF generated code on the Tandem. Atlas.
Systems utilities e.g. Safecom, Mediacom, TAPECOM, RMS, CONTROL, BACKUP, RESTORE, MEASURE, ENLIGHTEN, VIEWPT, TMFCOM, SAFEGUARD TN6530 and DCOM.
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April 2010 - current - running my own beer shop company in The Hague I started up for myself and now run a beer shop supplying micro brewed Dutch beers and great beers from around the world. I've had my own beer brewed It's called Haagse Harry Porter. Haagse Harry is a local popular cartoon character. |
Feb 2007 - March 2009 - Atos-Origin Rijswijk (The Hague) 
Tandem (HP NonStop). Myself and 1 other, took over the support for KPN's MMI (Mobile Mainswitch Interface) system which interfaces between KPN's MCCS application and the outside world. I managed releases, fixed problems and did development and maintenance. I also did oncall 1 week in 3 in case of problems. The system used Cobol and C and TACL batch jobs. I did some MCCS work. We upgraded MMI to the new Itanium system including creation of new environments and testing and also converting some programs to Native mode. I would often meet with the client, KPN, to sort out specs for new functionality. I would also monitor the system to make sure queues din't build up, that files didn't get too big and that critical programs were running. I would also run defrags of our 2 most used files to keep optimal performance. I automated a lot of manual work using TACL scripts. This makes life easier for everyone and reduces the chance of human error. Automated a lot of Netbatch jobs.
September 2006 - Jan 2007 - Interpay/Equens, Utrecht
Jan 2006 - July 2006 - Shell, Singapore 
Tandem (HP NonStop) I was doing application support and performance for Shell, supporting a Petrol card system on a Tandem. Same work as I did in Holland. I did a lot of performance tweaks to get the end of days running quicker. I managed to reduce the running times of most of the countries by about 2 hours. I'm helped out with the disaster recovery testing. I was also backup for the systems manager and moved SQL database tables.
Oct 2005– Nov 2005 – On Sabbatical, travelling the world a 2nd time (US (including ITUG), Tonga, New Zealand, & Singapore) :- http://www.theblackadder.co.uk
2005 May 12 & 13th - Tandem Itanium Migration Course
Nov 2004 – April 2005 – On Sabbatical, travelling the world (Thailand, Malasia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands & the US) :- http://www.theblackadder.co.uk
Oct 2000 - Oct 2004 - Shell, The Hague & Rotterdam
Tandem (HP NonStop). I did systems management and application support for Shell. I helped support a Petrol card system on an S series Tandem. I worked on the project for 4 years. Tasks included looking after Backup strategy, general maintenance of disks, spoolers, the application, batch and so on. I installed OSS on our Tandem and also got the ITP Webserver running. I used Safecom to manage users on the Tandem. resetting passwords, adding new users, changing security at a volume and subvolume level. I also looked after the application and helped the users and testers. This included fixing problems quickly for front line users and local application specialists. I completed several special projects for Shell. The most important was a TACL based menu system so that the testers could test the application without ANY Tandem knowledge e.g backups (using PAK and UNPAK), restores, running end of days etc. I also wrote a lot of specialised TACL routines for production to enhance & improve the functionality of the package we used to tailor it to our needs e.g Hotlists. I was on weekly overnight support every 4 weeks. The package we used was written by another company and I had to add TACL based enhancements to their programs to get them to work properly or more in the way we envisaged. These were stopgaps which ended up being used for months or even years. I also helped interview some of the prospective new candidates by doing the technical parts of some interviews.
June 2000 - Sept 2000- Rabo Bank Utrecht
Tandem (HP NonStop) Developer - Shares team working with Cobol/Scobol and embedded SQL.
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November 1997 - End of April 2000 -
Tandem (HP NonStop). I was part of the systems management team. I helped maintain 4 Tandems, answer Tandem questions from the developers and I worked on improving the TACL’s to start and stop the system. This was a support role and a maintenance/development role. I helped keep the system running and deal with live problems when they occur. I helped the developers with Tandem advice and manage Security and userid's using SAFECOM. I maintained and improved the macros that start and stop the system processes, improving the macros by adding error handling, error messages, improving readability, maintainability and speed. I analysed TACL parts of the application and rewrote/developed new code to improve the application for users, developers and operators. I did other day to day Systems managments tasks including adding IPM's to the system using DSM SCM. I spoke Dutch in the working environment and dealt with telephone problems in Dutch. I helped with the conversion from the K series machines over to the S series Servernet machines. |
April 1997 – October 1997 Rabobank/Origin, Utrecht,
Holland
Tandem (HP NonStop). I worked with Atlas doing maintenance work and wrote new programs in Cobol (SQL & Enscribe). I did performance work and teaching TACL/Performance Techniques to Dutch colleagues.
November 1996 - April 1997 Logica, Stockholm Sweden
Tandem (HP NonStop). We wrote a system which needs to process transactions for the Norwegian bank - BBS. We need to process a lot of data very quickly and are therefore using the Native Mode C (NMC)/RISC compiler. I have been educating 2 ‘C’ programmers in how to use the Tandem. I wrote & designed the Netbatch/TACL batch relationships between the batch programs.
May 1996 - October 1996 P.T.T. in Den Haag Holland.
Testing an Access application for the first month. Tested the new SQL/IEF Tandem telephone Card system for the other 5 months. I provided technical advice. Dutch was the working language.
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November 1995 - April 1996 Interpay (via Twinsoft) in
Utrecht/Hoofdorp, Holland
Tandem (HP NonStop). Developed software for use with paying over THE INTERNET. I
have written 2 TCP/IP C communication servers in C (one waited,
one nowaited) which talk to users via Internet. |
November 1994 - October 1995 P.T.T. in Den Haag &
Groningen, Holland.
Tandem (HP NonStop). Working on P.T.Telecomm's chargecard project. I was working in the
test team as the Technical Tandem expert, providing technical support
for the Application
Testing department. I wrote test specs, test
programs, SQL queries, sorted out Tandem related problems and
supported the other members of the team. I provided the technical
link between our team and development to discuss Tandem/Application
problems. I moved to the development department in PTT at the end of
January
when the test team was disbanded. I worked to enhance the
Cobol programs for new functionality for the exisiting system. We
used embedded SQL code. I also
rewrote TACL macros for
efficiency, readability and compactness. I worked on the replacement
system which is being written using IEF. I converted the old
Cobol
interface code into C modules to work with the new IEF system. I
integrated the IEF code with the Interface code and solved the
problems we have
with IEF.
April 1994 - November 1994 Syntegra in Brighton (part of BT)
Tandem (HP NonStop). Application and technical support on the chargecard project. I
dealt with live and overnight batch support of the SQL application
and I answered queries from the
users. I provided a link between
technical and application support and perform a variety of technical
duties. I then moved to application development to write COBOL/SQL
programs.
January 1992 - April 1994 B.P. Oil UK Ltd in Hemel Hempstead.
Tandem (HP NonStop). I progressed from application programming to the Quality Assurance team and onto Systems Managing after impressing BP with various performance improving projects. As Systems Manager I looked after the running of the system and I evaluated new hardware. I worked on the performance team to increase system performance. I reduced the batch logon time by half and I completed a major project to make further improvements to reduce the batch run time and eliminated memory problems. I programmed in COBOL and SCOBOL on many parts of the system writing online and batch programs. In the Q. A. team I looked after the CONTROL software package and wrote TACL code and menus. I provided live application and system support for the UK & German systems. I worked long hours and worked hard to beat tight deadlines.
December 1990 - January 1992 EDS in Sheffield
Tandem (HP NonStop) and IBM mainframe. I
worked as an Associate Systems Engineer in Sheffield after being
transferred by Midland Bank.
I worked on both the Tandem and IBM
mainframes, converting the Tandem hot card system onto the IBM. I was
a major part of the team to resurrect the Tandem
Polling System,
acting as Systems Manager (with another SE) and rewriting the old DB
Batch jobs into TACL / NETBATCH. As such I was responsible for
operator
education and supervised the system that went live in
1991. On the IBM I wrote batch programs in COBOL.
June 1990 - December 1990 Midland Bank Plc in Sheffield
Tandem (HP NonStop). I was an Analyst programmer working on Midland's Switch Card batch and on-line systems. I was on call-out duty for the Switch (English version of PIN) Card polling system.
November 1987 - June 1990 Equity and Law in High Wycombe.
Tandem (HP NonStop). Junior Analyst working on Payroll and Pensions Payments systems
Courses:
Itanium Migration Course - 2 days 2005 May
ZLE (Zero Latency Enterprise) 3 day course May 2003
Cobol/Scobol (in house at Equity and Law) - 6 weeks
Tools and
Techniques for Analyst Programmers - 1 week
Introduction to IBM
hardware and software - 1 week
IBM Cobol conversion course - 1
week
Easytrieve IBM - 2 days
Netbatch Self-teach - 20 hours
SMDM1 - 1 week
C II Programming - City and Guilds - Evening
Course
C III Programming - City and Guilds - Evening Course
Enlighten - 2 Hours
SQLCI Self-Teach - 1 week
Embedded
SQL Self-Teach (COBOL/C) - 1 week
TACL programming - 1 week
Academic Qualifications
Education: 1978-1984 Weston Favell
Upper School, Booth Lane South, Northampton.
1982 'O' level
passes in Maths (A), Physics (B), Geography (C), Biology (A),
Chemistry (A), German (B/C), English (C), Religious Education (C).
1983-1984 'AO' passes in Maths (A) and General Studies (C).
1984 'A' level passes in Chemistry (B),
Biology (D), Maths
[Pure and Statistics] (B).
1984-1987 Sheffield University, gained a special Honours degree in
Mathematics, Class II(i).
Courses studied included Statistics,
Pascal, Convexity, History of Maths, Optimisation, Control Theory,
Modelling and Mechanics/Biological Dynamic Systems.
Final year: Mechanics of snooker.
Projects Calculus in the
18th century.
Corrosion of reinforced concrete under marine
conditions.
Interests: I love to travelling and spend a lot of spare time exploring new countries and cultures. I write about my experiences on my web page.
I'm the co-founder of the Legal Aliens Expats group. We organise activities to help integrate ex-pats into Dutch life. We have over 1000 members
I'm on the committee of the Homebrewing club 'Twortwat based in Hoofddorp. We have 150+ members. I brew beer once a month with friends
Referees: Available on request
Amsterdam
Stock Exchange, Amsterdam, Holland
