Bennett K. Scharf    
E-mail: bennett_scharf@yahoo.com
Home: 303-733-8931

Summary

SQL Database administrator skilled in variety of areas including very large data warehouses and analytic databases, Business Intelligence systems, query tuning, index tuning, capacity planning, and overall performance tuning. Excellent troubleshooting skills with fast, accurate diagnosis and resolution of issues. System administration, network, and information security background that includes 15 years of experience supporting information security audits. Known for a strong work ethic and the ability to communicate with both technical and business colleagues. 

Experience

UDR Inc., Littleton, CO
Sr. DBA/Developer  			                                  	 	January 2016 – April 2017
UDR Inc. is a REIT owns, operates, acquires, renovates, develops, redevelops, and manages multifamily apartment communities throughout the United States. An S&P 500 company with a market cap of approx. $8.3 BN.
•	The company, despite its size, never had a dedicated DBA, so there was a lot of catching up to do.  I was brought in as part of the BI team, so in addition to traditional DBA work, I also supported multiple BI initiatives.
•	Stabilized and documented existing SQL Server environment. Realized significant performance gains through index tuning as well as automated index rebuilds and statistics updates.
•	Set up a DBA monitoring, alerting, and logging solution based on code that I have developed over the last 10 years.  Solution consists of repository, lookup tables, DMV-based T-SQL code, and agent jobs.
•	Baselined server performance with a variety of DMV-based scripts that I have developed and/or modified over time.
•	Developed PowerShell scripts perform automated nightly backups of schema objects, SSIS packages, SSRS RDL files, and SQL Agent jobs across multiple servers.
•	Moved SQL, SharePoint, and application servers to a new data center.
•	Helped migrate PeopleSoft Financials from Oracle to SQL Server.
•	Standardized and documented server builds, tightened configurations, identified and cleaned up orphaned accounts and databases, and implemented SQL Audit.
•	Moved development databases, Analysis Services, and Reporting Services to 2016.  Currently moving production to 2016.  Created SQL Azure test environment.
•	Performed disaster recovery planning and testing. Implemented LiteSpeed backups and maintenance jobs using Ola Hallengren's maintenance solution. Regularly restored production databases to the development environment to validate backups.

Cliintel LLC, Denver, CO
Development DBA   			                                  	 	October 2013 – January 2016
CliIntel is a data analytics and software development firm that until 2016 had a multi-year contract with Comcast to provide a data warehouse and BI platform for their field operations division.  In my role I provided development and production support of approximately 120 databases across approximately 24 physical and virtualized servers.  Production servers utilized failover clustering for high availability.  The largest databases were around 5TB.

•	Query tuning, overall performance tuning, and stabilization of existing systems. On the query tuning side I realized impressive performance gains, typically reducing run times from minutes to seconds. 
•	Created a DBA repository along with database monitoring and alerting jobs and scripts to improve performance and availability.
•	Developed and fixed stored procedures, views, SSIS packages, jobs and other objects.
•	Architected a DW/BI server environment to replace aging servers and accommodate long-term growth.  Migrated databases, SSIS packages, and SQL Agent Jobs from SQL Server 2008 to SQL Server 2014.
•	 Implemented columstore indexes on a dimensional data warehouse. Queries that already had well-tuned rowstore indexes typically realized performance gains of 7:1 or better.
•	Developed PowerShell script to quickly deploy multiple objects across multiple databases.  Also developed PowerShell scripts perform automated nightly backups of schema objects, SSIS packages, SSRS RDL files, and SQL Agent jobs across multiple servers.
•	Trained and mentored junior developers.

MountainView Servicing Group, Denver, CO
SQL DBA/Developer   			                                  	 	September 2011 – September 2013
MountainView Servicing Group is the leading provider of MSR portfolio valuation services.  In this role I supported several databases ranging in size from roughly 100MB to 1TB.

•	Reduced runtimes of analytics jobs from 40% - 300%
•	Wrote monitoring, alerting and analysis scripts to identify and alert on issues.
•	Eliminated blocking by aligning clustered index layouts with end-user usage patterns.
•	Added and tuned indexes to improve performance.
•	Implemented automated, “intelligent” database maintenance jobs.
•	Tuned storage to minimize contention and maximize throughput.
•	Created a data repository and wrote code to collecting key metrics about the infrastructure and performance.  This facilitated capacity planning, utilization forecasting, and troubleshooting.
•	Performed two major database and code upgrades. 
•	Debugged vendor-supplied code using server-side traces.  Provided vendor with required SQL changes and persuaded them to release timely hotfixes.
•	Routinely wrote database stored procedures, functions, triggers, and ad-hoc reports to support end users.
•	Tightened permissions on databases and database servers. Created a system to audit and record schema changes.
•	Upgraded servers and migrated DBMS from SQL Server 2005 to 2008 R2
•	Performed vulnerability assessments, tightened OS and database security, created DDL audit triggers, and documented the network infrastructure to support SSAE 16 SOC 2 audit.

Fetter Logic, Denver, CO
Production DBA   			                                  		August 2008 – September 2011

Fetter Logic is an application service provider providing data warehousing and business intelligence software for the brokerage industry.  In this role I was part of a 3-person DBA team that performed production support of over 600 SQL Server databases ranging in size from a few Megabytes to over 8 Terabytes.  Environment used Inmage replication on Hitachi SANs for disaster recovery.  
•	Implemented row-level partitioning to improve query performance.
•	Created SQL scripts to load balance 300 databases of varying sizes across multiple servers.  Also created scripts to load balance partitioned data files for VLDBs across multiple disk volumes.  Both scripts employed a least-used-first load balancing algorithm.
•	Troubleshot ETL failures and performance problems.
•	Wrote monitoring and alerting scripts and jobs to ensure that SLAs were met.
•	Created system performance and resource utilization baselines to understand workloads and improve troubleshooting efficiency.   
•	Maintained and fixed broken legacy stored procedures and SSIS packages.
•	Automated index rebuilds and performed index and query tuning.
•	Used SSIS to automate repetitive tasks, generate reports, and extract, transform and load data.
•	Created repositories for IIS logs, application server file attributes, and storage utilization statistics as well as automated data collection scripts to populate these repositories.
•	Wrote a change detection and alerting system, similar to Tripwire, using a combination of T-SQL, LogParser, and WSH.
•	Supported transactional replication as well as custom replication scripts.

Open Technology Solutions, Centennial, CO
Database Administrator						         			2007 - 2008	    
Supported a major credit card application based on .Net and Microsoft SQL Server.  The system authorized approximately 60,000 credit card transactions a day and included administration, accounting, and reporting services.  Also supported several smaller SQL Server 2005 and 2000 instances.

•	Used a variety of tools to document and understand workloads.
•	Reduced batch job run times by approximately 65% and Visa stand-ins by roughly 90% through a variety of methods including AWE implementation, migration to the 64 bit platform, moving large, heavily-accessed tables and indexes to their own disks, and automated index rebuilds.
•	Wrote custom SQL scripts, triggers and stored procedures
•	Automated reports and extracts via DTS and SSIS
•	Migrated from SQL Server 2000 to 2005

Citigroup / Diners Club International, Centennial, CO
Engineer / Vice President						2002 - 2006
•	Designed and supported a very robust and secure application infrastructure built around Active Directory, SQL Server, and IIS.  Deployed and supported applications built around Active Server Pages, AD, COM+, SQL Server, Seagate Info and Crystal Enterprise.
•	Reduced downtime by implementing server hardware, OS, and application monitoring and alerting.  Enhanced monitoring with custom scripts.
•	Planned, documented, and led disaster recovery tests for public web sites.  Quickly recovered from several major unplanned outages.  
•	Planned application, OS, and hardware migrations and upgrades, wrote supporting installation and change-control documentation, determined and documented firewall rules, and engaged and coordinated the work of multiple infrastructure teams.  Negotiated routine and emergency maintenance windows with business managers and data center staff.  Managed infrastructure and application upgrade projects. 

Sr. System Administrator 		   	                                1999 - 2002
•	Automated routine administration, software deployment, and patch verification tasks with scripts.
•	Relocated the Centennial, CO data center, with an outage window of under 8 hours.
•	Performed vulnerability assessments and hardened OS configurations.
•	Implemented and maintained MS Exchange, SQL Server, IIS and various application servers.

Skills Summary

DBMS/tools:		SQL Server 2016, 2014, 2012, 2008/R2, 2000, 7, SSIS, SSRS, Red Gate SQL Toolbelt, Data Masker, SQL Sentry Plan Explorer. 
Operating Systems: 	Windows Server 2012, 2008, 2003, 2000, NT, and NetWare.  Limited experience with AIX, Solaris, Linux and OS/400.
Languages & APIs	T-SQL, PowerShell, SQL Management Objects, Windows Scripting Host, C/C++, VB.Net, Windows shell scripts, and PERL.  COM APIs include WMI, ADSI, ADO and SQL-DMO
Firewalls & Security:	Prior Information security background that includes experience administering firewalls as well as performing vulnerability assessments. Ongoing experience troubleshooting firewall connectivity issues.
Monitoring & Mgmt:	Over the last 10 years I have developed a database monitoring and alerting system that includes a repository, lookup tables, DMV-based T-SQL code, and agent jobs.  Prior to switching over to being a full-time DBA I used SiteScope, WhatsUP, Servers Alive, custom scripts, Netfinity Director, Insight Manager, Tivoli
Networks / Protocols: 	Decent knowledge of major transport and application layer protocols.  Experienced at using Wireshark, Sniffer, and Netmon.  Prior experience managing switches and routers and firewalls.

Education and Certification

Excelsior College
	Bachelors of Science, Computer Information Systems             
•	Summa Cum Laude

Mohegan Community College, Norwich, CT
	Associate of Science, General Studies	

Institute for the Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP)
Passed the DBA exam at the mastery level

Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer 
MCP + Internet

Product-Specific training from a variety of vendors, including:
•	Microsoft		•	Seagate Software
•	Network Associates	•	Sterling Commerce
•	Cabletron		•	HP/Compaq
•	IBM