Samuel Desta
Silver Spring
Summary
Results-driven Performance Engineer with over 15 years of experience in performance analysis and engineering. Expertise in diagnosing application issues at the code, database, and API levels while evaluating deployment impacts on critical metrics. Skilled in load testing, performance monitoring, and code quality assurance, alongside JVM tuning in cloud environments using Dynatrace for server performance analysis.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Performance Engineering
Tek-Connexion-PNC
03.2022 - 09.2025
- Conducted performance testing using tools like LoadRunner, Jmeter and Dynatrace for monitoring.
- Utilized monitoring tool (Dynatrace) to debug and enhance issues during performance test execution.
- Investigated and troubleshot performance problems in QA and production environments to identify root causes.
- Performs in-depth analysis to isolate points of failure in the application
- Assisted with a production issue by running and duplicating the issue in QA and providing root cause analysis.
- Executed and reported test performance results to provide clear insights on application efficiency.
- Supported the development team in identifying real-world use cases and workflows.
- Use of Agile tool Jira to conduct the full performance cycle. Requirements gathering, test prep, test run and reporting
Performance Engineering
Blackstone technology
03.2019 - 07.2022
- Investigated and troubleshot performance problems in lab and production environments to identify root causes.
- Investigate and troubleshoot performance problems in a lab environment. This will also include analysis of performance problems in a production environment.
- Configure and set up monitors in APM tool AppDynamics.
- Executed and reported on test performance results to inform development processes.
- Evaluated tools like Neo load, LoadRunner, and JMeter for potential replacement of RPT tool, assessing capabilities and benefits.
- Performs in-depth analysis to isolate points of failure in the application
- Ensure that quality issues are appropriately identified, analyzed, documented, tracked, and resolved in Quality Center.
- Take an active role in ensuring that the software components meet the highest quality standards.
- Work closely with software developers and take an active role in ensuring that the software components meet the highest quality standards.
- Supported the development team in identifying real-world use cases and defining workflows.
- Assist in production of testing and capacity certification reports.
- Interface with developers, project managers, and management in the development.
Performance Analyst
Vidoori/Census 2020
Silver Spring
06.2017 - 03.2019
- Support application monitoring for Java, .NET, NodeJS and other application architectures
- Monitor the responsiveness and availability of critical websites and web applications from the end-user perspective.
- Monitor, alert and report on the health and performance of project team applications.
- Track applications’ availability across cluster servers, including AWS cloud with built-in alerting and instant notification of issues.
- Provide deep visibility of application performance for project teams.
- Set up analytical databases to predict application performance on application changes.
- Simulate and measure Quality of Experience (QoE) for project team applications.
- Contributed to corporate continuous improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing client service and operational efficiency.
- Analyzed complex problems requiring in-depth evaluation of multiple factors to identify root causes and solutions.
- Used technical expertise to help internal project teams and others by answering technical questions regarding the usage, troubleshooting and functionality of delivery systems products to ensure effective implementation and usage of delivery system products.
- Applied knowledge of computing systems to choose appropriate troubleshooting techniques to resolve complex, escalated delivery systems problems.
- Work with appropriate product supplier (Dynatrace) for enhancements and issues not resolved in-house.
- Used technical and industry knowledge to choose an appropriate solution from a number of possible standards.
- Documented information such as configuration, installation and user guides following process standard and template management and rollout.
- Managed Oracle upgrade project from 10g to 11g, conducting performance verification through apples-to-apples comparison of database capabilities.
- Migrate existing on-premises applications to the Cloud.
- Implement processes for and control the flow of data to the Cloud.
- Ensure the compatibility of all application platform components, configurations and their upgrade levels in production and make necessary changes to the lab environment to match production.
- Coordinate with DBA for optimizing UNIX server for querying data in SQL and running scripts.
- Configure and set up monitors in APM tool App-Dynamics.
- Ensure that quality issues are appropriately identified, analyzed, documented, tracked, and resolved in Quality Center.
- Take an active role in ensuring that the software components meet the highest quality standards.
- Provide support to the development team in identifying real world use cases and appropriate workflows.
- Performs in-depth analysis to isolate points of failure in the application.
- Assist in production of testing and capacity certification reports.
- Investigate and troubleshoot performance problems in a lab environment. This will also include analysis of performance problems in a production environment.
- Tools/Technologies: App-Dynamics, Riverbed, Splunk, OEM, SolarWinds, AWR report, Jmeter, BSM, BPM
Performance Tester
Ferguson a Wolseley company
Newport News
10.2013 - 06.2017
- Configured Dynatrace to monitor and analyze server performance, generating reports on CPU utilization, memory usage, and heap size.
- Analyzed system responsiveness to identify performance issues and implemented optimization strategies.
- Assessed scalability and reliability of systems to ensure they meet business demands.
- Monitored system performance, ensuring stable operations during fluctuating demands.
- Analyzed and interpreted results to create a comprehensive Performance Test Report.
- Analyzed Load Runner metrics and performance monitoring tool results during and after performance testing, producing graphs and reports for insights.
- Utilized Database, Network, Application server and Web Logic Monitors during the execution to identify bottlenecks, bandwidth problems, infrastructure problems, and scalability and reliability benchmarks.
- Configure Automatic discovery of application topology and how components in the application environment work together to fulfill key business transactions for its users.
- Measure end-to-end business transaction performance, along with the health of individual application and infrastructure nodes.
- Analyzed applications at the code execution level using snapshots.
- Https://www.google.com/search?site=async/lcl_akp&q=ferguson%20corporate%20annex%20address&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAOPgE-LVT9c3NEwyTzdIKy6s1JLNTrbSz8lPTizJzM-DM6wSU1KKUouLAZ0MeEAwAAAA&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjp6e6mssvUAhXDGT4KHUCHCNwQ6BMIFzAE
- Tools /Technologies: CA Wiley Introscope, Dynatrace, Splunk, BSM
Performance Tester
Chamber IT Inc/Client: Wells Fargo
Dalton
07.2011 - 10.2013
- Defining the performance goals and objectives based on the client requirements and input.
- Built a performance test environment.
- Installed, configured and maintained Loadrunner 10.0.
- Completely handled Oracle upgrade project. There was an upgrade from 9i to 10g. Apples to apples comparison was done to verify the performance of the new database.
- Scripted legacy desktop applications using Winsock protocol.
- Designing, managing, building, configuring, administering, operating and maintaining all components of an AWS cloud platform.
- Migrating existing on-premises applications to the Cloud.
- Implementing processes for and controlling the flow of data to the Cloud.
- Ensure the compatibility of all application platform components, configurations and their upgrade levels in production and make necessary changes to the lab environment to match production.
- Create automated test scripts with LoadRunner VuGen.
- Execute test and monitor system performance Sitescope, LoadRunner Controller.
- Extensively used SOAP UI to perform web services testing.
- Executed performance and volume tests to validate system capabilities under varying loads.
- Develop test scenarios to properly load / stress the system in a lab environment and monitor / debug performance & stability problems.
- Coordinated with DBA for optimizing UNIX server for querying data in SQL and running scripts.
- Configure and set up monitors in Sitescope.
- Analyzed, interpreted, and summarized results in a complete performance test report.
- Collaborated closely with software developers to ensure software components met high-quality standards.
- Used Virtual User Generator to generate VuGen Scripts for web protocol.
- Developed and deployed test Load scripts to do end to end performance testing using Load Runner.
- Implemented and maintained an effective performance test environment.
- Identified and eliminated performance bottlenecks throughout the development lifecycle to enhance application efficiency.
- Accurately produce regular project status reports to senior management to ensure on-time project launch.
- Hands on experience with load driving tools such as Loadrunner, SilkPerformer, JMeter, etc.
- Prepared and executed test scripts using JMeter and SOAP UI tool to perform Web Services testing.
- Conducted Duration test, Stress test, Baseline test.
- Verify that new or upgraded applications meet specified performance requirements.
- Used Performance Center to execute tests and maintain scripts.
- Used to identify the queries which were taking too long and optimize those queries to improve performance.
- Provide support to the development team in identifying real world use cases and appropriate workflows.
- Performs in-depth analysis to isolate points of failure in the application.
- Assist in production of testing and capacity certification reports.
- Investigate and troubleshoot performance problems in a lab environment. This will also include analysis of performance problems in a production environment.
- Developed detailed test schedules to ensure timely execution of testing phases.
- Collaborated directly with clients to gather requirements and ensure project alignment.
- Interface with developers, project managers, and management in the development.
- Execution and reporting of test performance results.
- Environment: LoadRunner 11.5, Performance Center, visual studio 2008 JMeter, SiteScope, Oracle, Citrix, MS SQL Server, WebLogic, Load Balancer, JAVA, Cloud Platform, Quality Center 10, J2EE Diagnostic Tool, web, Windows 2000/XP
Performance Tester
Chamber IT Inc/Client: JPMorgan Chase
Dalton
03.2009 - 07.2011
- Developed performance test plans, test scripts, test scenarios based on business requirements.
- Executed multi-user performance tests using online monitors and real-time output messages to assess system behavior under load.
- Prepared and executed test scripts using JMeter and SOAP UI tool to perform Web Services testing.
- Recorded and enhanced test scripts in protocol such as Web (HTTP/HTML), Oracle NCA, Oracle Web Application 11i with parameterization, correlation, adding ANSI C and Oracle NCA functions.
- Conducted load test scenarios at various levels of concurrent activity, advising on practical solutions to meet scalability targets.
- Measured and analyzed response times of key product features of Master Tax application.
- Compared application performance, reported performance statistics to application team, and recommended improvements for performance optimization.
- Worked with development team to identify the appropriate data for testing, and prepared test data for Parameterized values in the scripts.
- Worked closely with development team and provided assistance in performance tuning.
- Analyzed performance transaction, and server resource monitors for meaningful results for the entire test run using LoadRunner and Jmeter Analysis.
- Environment: HP LoadRunner 11, DB2, HP Performance center, JMeter, Windows Server 2003, Oracle 10g/11g, Toad for Oracle, HP ALM 11(Application Lifecycle Management), WebLogic, CA Wiley Introscope
Performance Test
Chamber IT Inc/Client: CDI Corp/AMEX
Dalton
09.2006 - 03.2009
- Worked closely with Business Analysts and Developers to gather Application Requirements and Business Processes in order to formulate the test plan.
- Developed LoadRunner scripts through recording, playback, and custom functions to enhance testing accuracy.
- Built the test environment and designed the load capacity model based on current volume and projected percentage increase.
- Developed VuGen test scripts in Loadrunner for Oracle forms and JSP pages using NCA and HTTP protocols.
- Interacted directly with developers, project managers for the development, execution and reporting of all testing efforts.
- Actively took ownership of defects and coordinate with different groups from initial finding of defects to final resolution.
- Analyzed LoadRunner graphs and reports to pinpoint network/client delays, CPU/memory usage, I/O delays, and database locking issues.
- Analyzed system usage information such as task distribution diagram and load model to create effective test scenarios.
- Used IP spoofing to generate and associate different IP addresses to Virtual Users to emulate real-time scenarios for load balancing issues.
- Activated and configured monitoring systems, incorporating performance counters into graphs for analysis.
- Performed SQL querying to validate the data in the back end database, and also to check the data flow between different modules.
- Monitored the CPU, memory, and network utilizations on the Unix server using Site Scope monitor.
- Analyzed results of Transactions Response time, Transaction under load, Transaction Summary by Vusers, Hit per Second and Throughput.
- Tested Custom Screens, Views and Applets in Siebel to suit the business requirements.
- Identified bottlenecks by correlating performance data with end-user loads and response times to improve application responsiveness.
- Environment: HP LoadRunner, HP QTP, Performance Center, SharePoint, IBM Mainframe, Sitescope, Java, C, VBScript, TSL, XML, HTML, MS Office, SQL, PL/SQL, WSDL, VTS, SOA, Crystal Reports, Web Services, XML Marker, Putty, Wireshark, WebSphere (WAS), IBM HTTP Server(IHS), Unix and Windows.
Education
Bachelor of Science Degree -
UMES
MarylandTools Technologies
- App-Dynamics
- Loadrunner
- Dynatrace
- Splunk
- Jmeter
- Confulence
- Jira
- AWS and Azure
Timeline
Performance Engineering
Tek-Connexion-PNC
03.2022 - 09.2025
Performance Engineering
Blackstone technology
03.2019 - 07.2022
Performance Analyst
Vidoori/Census 2020
06.2017 - 03.2019
Performance Tester
Ferguson a Wolseley company
10.2013 - 06.2017
Performance Tester
Chamber IT Inc/Client: Wells Fargo
07.2011 - 10.2013
Performance Tester
Chamber IT Inc/Client: JPMorgan Chase
03.2009 - 07.2011
Performance Test
Chamber IT Inc/Client: CDI Corp/AMEX
09.2006 - 03.2009
Bachelor of Science Degree -
UMES