Jason Forst

(913) 481-7325

jason@tsrof.com

www.linkedin.com/in/jasonforst

SUMMARY:

An experienced technology manager with extensive experience in data networking and infrastructure,

with special expertise in applying solid engineering principles to resolve network design and

implementation challenges. Additional experience and skill in infrastructure requirements analysis,

solution design, equipment selection, and implementation. Key strengths are the ability to architect and

design cost-effective, innovative network systems and infrastructure, and managing cross-functional

technical teams on complex projects. Demonstrable accomplishment of project completion within tight

time and budget constraints. Excellent leadership skills, written and oral communications abilities,

organizational skills, and mentoring abilities.

Experienced in developing architectures, strategic plans, and tactical/implementation plans.

Experienced in TCP/IP and related protocols. Past experience in many types of telecommunications

technologies, including Telco (e.g. DS-3, T-1, etc.), Serial communications, Packet-, Frame-, and Cellswitching,

MetroEthernet, MPLS, Private Line (e.g. VPLS, Leased facilities, etc.), optical transport.

Routing protocols such as BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Over Twenty-five years of progressively responsible experience in the computer communications field:

  · Seven plus years in the financial sector, with special emphasis on low-latency networking and equities

exchange challenges.

  · Extensive experience in network architecture and design (recently for low-latency solutions), capacity

planning, project management, premises distribution design, procurement, and implementation.

  · Enterprise/SMB network architecture, planning, implementation, operation, and management, to include

customer connectivity via dedicated and Internet access.

  · Datacenter site selection using objective criteria. Evaluation of multiple colocation providers to determine the

optimum solution fitting the company's needs.

  · Datacenter implementation, including space planning, infrastructure (cable plant, cabinets, power

requirements), infrastructure procurement, delivery, installation, and turn-up.

  · Federal systems experience, both classified systems and NASA.

  · Pre- and post-sales systems engineering and support to a large and diverse nation-wide sales organization.

  · Designing, performing, and presenting interoperability testing of networking equipment, primarily Cisco

equipment.

  · All aspects in preparation and processing of an RFP for a 2600 site IP over Frame Relay internetwork.

  · Independent Consulting for several clients in LAN / WAN analysis, design, and implementation.

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

  · Key team member in achieving consistent monthly and quarterly up-time goals for BATS' systems.

  · Conceived a core system design concept that contributed to BATS' out-performing competitors, reducing the

"Order-to-ACK" time for customer orders.

  · Repeatedly lead design, selection, and implementation teams in a very dynamic and growth-oriented

organization.

  · Successful datacenter and network implementations delivered on-time and within or under budget.

  · Led network architecture design and RFP project for $50M IP network with 2600 locations. As the resident

expert on traffic engineering and capacity planning, led design project and authored RFP. Evaluated

responses – both technical and budget – and led the vendor selection process.

  · Directed successful lab trials for customers, directly resulting in equipment sales for the company. Led the

project at the customer location, providing configuration, architecture guidance, and test plan protocols.

  · Established a state-of-the-art lab at AT&T GNS (then IBM GNS) for IP device Test & Evaluation. Managed a

$1.5M budget to purchase equipment. Lab served for over four years with only minor additional capital.

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Jason Forst

EXPERIENCE:

Independent Network Consultant, Nov 13 -- Present

Network Consultant.

Recent consultation to clients in the areas of operational processes and procedures, including:

  · Documenting processes and procedures

  · Process and procedure improvement and automation

  · Daily task processes; and

  · Troubleshooting.

Available for network architecture, design, engineering, and implementation, at all levels, from concept to

configuration files. Documentation of existing networks. Requirements definition, alignment with business needs

and budget availability, identification of appropriate solutions, vendor liaison, purchasing, implementation and

configuration. All types of network topologies, including MPLS, Private Line (e.g. VPLS, Leased facilities, etc.),

optical transport. Routing protocols such as BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP.

Available for co-location and datacenter infrastructure consultation, including planning and implementation,

from site selection to network and hardware turn-up, including space planning, power and cooling, cabling,

cabinets and support equipment, rack elevations, installation and implementation procedures and instructions,

and documentation.

BATS Global Markets (BATS Exchange), Jan 06 – Nov 13

Senior Network Engineer

Sr. Network Engineer; all aspects of network architecture/design, implementation, and support. SME and key team

member for datacenter and infrastructure planning and implementation.

  · Emphasis on low-latency solutions and "fair access" for all members of the exchange. Deep understanding of

the principles and requirements for high-capacity low-latency networks, and the implications for traditional

network interconnectivity;

  · Architected and implemented a system of optical TAPS and aggregation devices for capture and monitoring

of customer traffic. Later extended to in-bound and out-bound market data. This system enables a number of

unique features for the exchange and eases regulatory compliance efforts;

  · Primary interface to ARIN for AS and IP resource assignment, including multicast addresses, and architect of

the company's IP assignment plan;

  · Develop common design and implementation documentation diagrams, standardizing layout and visual

features for infrastructure components, including structured cabling, rack/cabinet components, floor plans, and

a standard template for rack elevations;

  · SME for assuring accurate and precise timing for the exchange, and that the exchange exceeds regulatory

requirements;

  · Build and manage relationships with colocation providers, service providers, and equipment vendors; and

  · Engineering and implementation of PTP/IEEE1588 for internal use, including GPS timing receiver selection

and implementation at multiple geographically diverse sites. Concept for expansion as a revenue-generating

service offering.

Developed a Core System Concept

Conceived a core system concept that enabled BATS to out-perform competitors, reducing the "Order-to-ACK"

time for customer orders. BATS needed to ensure that customer orders were accurately recorded before sending

the acknowledgement. Traditional methods of remote SAN replication, involving a long wait for confirmation of the

SAN write before sending the Order-ACK, were costly in terms of elapsed time. The solution removed the need

to wait for a remote SAN write confirmation, thus reducing the Order-to-ACK time. This concept, while evolved, is

still an important part of BATS' systems.

DR Site Selection and Design and Implement DR Site, Infrastructure, and Network

Research and develop requirements for BATS first DR site. Included all infrastructure and network components.

Developed objective site selection criteria, contacted multiple vendors and colocation hosts, site visits, and final

selection against objective selection criteria. Managed the project to implement and bring-live the DR site,

including vendor management, equipment installation, telecommunications implementation, and network

architecture and implementation to integrate with existing network. Delivered on-schedule and within budget.

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Jason Forst

Design and Implement BATS' Options Exchange Infrastructure and Network

Key team member for planning and implementation of BATS' Options market. Floor-plan development, network

architecture and expansion, implementation management. Colocation expansion; facilities HVAC coordination;

cabinets; cable infrastructure (trunk cables, patch infrastructure, overhead basket and trough); cabinets; power;

and network equipment installation and turn-up. Delivered ahead of schedule and within budget estimates.

Migration of BATS' Primary Equities Exchange to 10GEthernet

Key team member for planning and implementation of 10GEthernet implementation for the BATS primary

equities market. This migration required space planning, pre-placement of cabinets, power, cable infrastructure

(trunk cables, patch panels, overhead tray and trough), network equipment, followed by several weekends of

physical migration of servers. Team lead for one of three 'physical-move' week-ends. Migration accomplished with

zero downtime.

Design and Implement BATS' Second DR Site, Infrastructure, and Network

Research and develop requirements for BATS second DR site (required by regulatory body). Building on the

previous DR site selection criteria, responsible for the design and implementation of the replacement DR site. All

aspects of the project from site design to final implementation and turn-up of the system, ready for production.

Included last-minute replacement of a non-performing sub-contractor. DR site ready ahead of schedule and under

budget.

Set the corporate standard for customer responsiveness

Early on, I set the corporate standard for customer interaction, consistently achieving customer turn-up in less

than a day. This set the standard that the exchange's NOC still aims for, more than seven years later.

Top-level problem resolution

Responsible for assisting the tier-1 help desk with complex customer and extranet connectivity, in both an ongoing

support role and pre-implementation review of new or complex implementations. Also part of the on-call

rotation for network issues. Recently worked with a provider of market data, which was consistently having errors

on start-up at 0330 each morning. These errors caused alerts to the on-call engineer. Several early-morning

troubleshooting sessions were coordinated, ultimately identifying a bug in a network equipment vendor's software.

Computer Sciences Corporation, Sep 03 – Jan 06

Senior Principle Engineer.

Provide communications systems engineering and support to several federal government clients.

  · Provide engineering leadership to several federal clients with large classified networks;

  · Provide management of network projects, including maintaining the MS Project schedule;

  · Update on-line HTML-based information sources HTML;

  · Original engineering and review of existing engineering;

  · Chair of the Network Change Control Board;

  · Review and recommendations for existing network infrastructure;

  · Creating documentation sets and field integration test plans for the installation teams;

  · Creating and executing test plans for integration testing of equipment from leading network vendors such as

Cisco Systems, Marconi, and NET; and

  · Supporting day-to-day integration of the communications systems.

Independent Network Consultant, Mar 05 – Oct 05

Network Consultant.

Provide IP network systems engineering and support to a client for an international network to be deployed.

  · Provide network architecture review and recommendation;

  · Develop an IP addressing scheme for the deployment;

  · Refine IP routing architecture for the deployment;

  · Provide testing and analysis of an open-source-based router product under consideration;

  · Perform, and report on, proof-of-design testing in the customer's in-house lab;

  · Equipment selection guidance to the customer, interaction with the manufacturer; and

  · Write an implementation test plan.

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Jason Forst

Lucent Technologies, May 00 – Dec 02

Regional Systems Engineer.

(Formerly SpringTide Networks). Provide pre- and post-sales system and network engineering support to the

Sales teams, specifically on the SpringTide 5000 and 7000 IP Service Switches.

  · Successful lab trials for several large telecommunications providers;

  · Many RFP responses prepared as part of the Lucent team, with responsibility for the technical content

regarding the SpringTide IP service switch;

  · Prepare and deliver presentations on IP services and the features and functions of the SpringTide IP Service

Switches;

  · Provide training on the SpringTide IP Services Switches to customers, Lucent teams, and other Systems

Engineers.

AT&T Global Network Services, Aug 96 – May 00

Senior Network Engineer, Test and Evaluation.

(Formerly IBM Global Services, Network Services). Consistently ranked as a Superior Contributor to the

organization, due to organizational skills, thoroughness, mentoring abilities, team leadership, and written and oral

communications abilities.

  · Provide Test and Evaluation services to the organization for all types of Layer 3 devices;

  · Responsible for a $1.5M test equipment budget;

  · Testing for operational and inter-operability issues of all Cisco products and many IBM Layer 3 products;

  · Multimedia Network Architecture pre-deployment testing;

  · A major network consolidation and upgrade for a Fortune 50 financial concern;

  · High-visibility Proof of Concept tests for major customers in both pre-and post-award sales opportunities;

  · Selected for various quick response teams to support urgent and critical business needs;

  · Preparation of test requirements, test plans, and test reports;

  · Frequent proof-of-concept testing and evaluation; and

  · Review and comment on proposed customer solutions.

Boeing Computer Support Services, May 96 – Aug 96

Senior Network Engineer.

Temporary position supporting a NASA Headquarters contract; providing ongoing network engineering and

support to HQ and NASA-wide networks.

  · Perform daily engineering support;

  · Provide analysis, design, and test of ISDN dial capabilities; and

  · Prepare and present weekly engineering activities reports to NASA and Boeing management teams.

Independent Network Consultant, Sep 95 – May 96

Provide network requirements analysis and prepare an RFP for a 2600-location IP/Frame Relay network

  · Determine network architecture, IP addressing scheme, equipment requirements (router, DSU/CSU, terminal

servers, equipment cabinets), vendor liaison, and information gathering;

  · Perform analysis of responses, select vendor, and participate in contract negotiations;

  · Set time frame for initial implementation; and

  · Assist with determining requirements for the Network Management Center.

Sprint International, Reston, VA, Sep 94 – Sep 95

Global Implementation Engineer.

Provide design and implementation engineering for complex multi-national customer IP and IPX routed networks

on Frame Relay.

  · Designed and implemented networks from simple single protocol 2-router networks to complex, multi-protocol,

multi-site international networks; and

  · Included firewalls, Internet access, Frame Relay and X.25 integration, and topology changes.

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  · Prepare and perform customer and account team demonstrations and trials at customer and Lucent locations;

  · Perform evaluations of existing customer networks and provide engineering recommendations for

enhancements to services, scalability, and reliability; and

Jason Forst

Independent Network Consultant, Oct 93 – Sep 94

Prepare solutions proposals for the account managers of a large regulated telecommunications company. Projects

ranged from 2-node bridged networks to very large and complex multi-site networks using the company's latest

service offerings and very diverse product lines.

  · Analysis of customer needs and requirement definition;

  · Prepare responses to RFPs and systems configuration and pricing;

  · Sub-contractor liaison and procurement preparation; and

  · Premise distribution designs.

Perform LAN / WAN analysis, design, implementation, and user support for a NASA subcontractor.

  · Prepared an analysis of the LAN architecture, protocol utilization and server load; and

  · Provided guidance to the permanent staff for defining requirements for test and analysis equipment, help desk

policies and procedures, and daily support tasks.

Boeing Computer Support Services, Reston, VA, May 89 – Oct 93

Lead Network Engineer, Jan 93 – Oct 93

Lead three engineers in development of solutions to meet NASA's Space Station Freedom Program Office

(SSFPO) network engineering and operations requirements and goals.

  · Translated requirements into designs, full life cycle schedules, priority assignments, and budgets;

  · Presented plans, designs, and results to NASA SSFPO and Boeing senior management; and

  · Created an Engineering Excellence Program to provide initial and on-going peer review of projects, designs,

specifications, and implementation plans to ensure well-designed solutions to customer requests.

Network Engineer, May 89 – Jan 93

Provided sustaining engineering efforts to the SSFPO Network Services Group. Provided LAN / WAN architecture

and design, premises distribution systems, second level network problem resolution, and protocol analysis.

EDUCATION:

BS Management of Telecommunications Systems, Capitol College, Laurel, MD.

Additional accredited courses in Internetwork design, network troubleshooting, Cisco Routers & IOS, CCNA,

CCNP, CCDA, CCDP, TCP/IP, X.25, SNA, FDDI, and others.

SKILLS SUMMARY:

WAN: Architecture, Design, Implementation, Installation, Troubleshooting, Capacity Planning, MetroEthernet,

Switches (Arista, Cisco), Routers (Cisco, IBM, Bay, Lucent), Frame Relay & ATM Switching, Video & Voice

Teleconferencing

LAN: Architecture, Design, Installation, Implementation, Troubleshooting, Ethernet, Switches (Arista, Cisco),

Routers (Cisco, IBM, Bay, Lucent), VLANs, Premises Distribution Systems, Network Management, Fiber Optics

Protocols: IP, TCP, UDP, OSPF, IGRP, BGP, RIP, EIGRP, PTP/IEEE1588, NTP, FIX.

Infrastructure: Datacenter and infrastructure space planning, power, structured cabling, rack elevation,

equipment installation, remote hands tasking, documentation, implementation planning.

Cisco Certifications: Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) (re-certification in process), Cisco Certified

Network Professional (CCNP) (lapsed), Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA) (lapsed), and Cisco Certified

Design Professional (CCDP) (lapsed).

Hardware: Arista switches; Cisco Routers/Switches; Foundry (now Brocade) Switches; Lucent SpringTide IP

Services Switches, Access Point routers; Bay Networks Routers/Hubs; protocol analyzers; and others (e.g.

Juniper, Ascend).

Software: Arista EOS; Cisco IOS; Wireshark; MS Office; MS Visio; MS Project; SolarWinds (NPM, NCM, etc.),

IPPlan, Rancid, and others.

Computer languages: Basic; C; COBOL; FORTRAN; APL; some c-shell, bash, HTML, and Python.

Management: Network Architecture and Design, Project Management, Documentation, RFP/RFI & Specification

writing, Schedules & Resources, Presentations, Reports, Deployment and Implementation Plans, and Processes,

Operations Documentation, Training Materials, Network Performance Management, Sales plans, Customer

activity reports

U.S. Government Security Clearance: ISSA TS/SCI with Lifestyle/Full Scope Polygraph (expired, renewable).

August2014

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