Dan Campbell

Senior DevOps Specialist | Gaming Industry Veteran
London, GB.

About

Highly accomplished Senior DevOps Specialist with over 15 years of experience in the gaming industry, collaborating with a diverse range of developers and publishers, from indie studios to AAA+ enterprises. Expert in designing, implementing, and optimizing scalable, resilient, and automated infrastructure solutions across cloud and on-premise environments. Proficient in leveraging cutting-edge technologies like Kubernetes, Terraform, Ansible, and major cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, VMware) to drive efficiency, enhance system reliability, and facilitate seamless service transitions. Passionate about applying deep technical knowledge to complex challenges, ensuring robust backend operations and exceptional user experiences.

Work

Square Enix Limited
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Senior DevOps Specialist

Summary

Navigated complex post-acquisition challenges to ensure seamless service management and uphold a smooth user experience through innovative tooling and infrastructure transformation.

Highlights

Led the complete rebuild and migration of critical Eidos-hosted services from legacy hardware to scalable VMware clusters, fully automating infrastructure provisioning and configuration management using Terraform and Ansible.

Automated the migration of numerous previously manual system changes into Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) pipelines using Terraform, Ansible, and Kubernetes, significantly reducing deployment errors and increasing operational efficiency.

Successfully migrated approximately 1,000 websites to new Kubernetes clusters, including complex database and local storage relocation, ensuring zero downtime and enhanced scalability.

Transformed Pulse Secure Virtual Traffic Manager setup from 'best effort' checks to a Terraform-managed system, enabling automated updates for certificates and improving security posture.

Developed and implemented internal Terraform Modules, automating a significant number of tasks previously done manually, enhancing consistency and reducing operational overhead.

Square Enix Limited
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DevOps Engineer

Summary

Contributed to a small team responsible for the backend infrastructure of western titles, focusing on modernization and automation.

Highlights

Migrated backend services from traditional Debian package deployments to a containerized Kubernetes-based deployment, enhancing scalability and agility.

Collaborated with cross-functional teams, including MongoDB and Google Cloud specialists, to plan and prepare infrastructure for upcoming title releases.

Implemented Terraform with an S3 backend to provision and manage both VMware and Google Cloud Platform infrastructure, ensuring consistent and reproducible environments.

Automated deployments using Flux to facilitate rapid and reliable updates to Kubernetes clusters, streamlining the release process.

Antstream Ltd
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DevOps Engineer

Summary

Enhanced existing infrastructure and processes for a small team, focusing on improving system reliability, automation, and security.

Highlights

Improved monitoring and alerting processes, leading to faster detection and resolution of critical issues and enhanced system uptime.

Automated the build and deployment of iOS, Android, and Windows UWP applications, ensuring timely availability in respective app stores.

Implemented Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) across critical systems, strengthening security posture and adhering to best practices.

Identified and removed dormant services, optimizing resource utilization and improving the overall scalability and performance of critical services.

Multiplay (UK) Ltd
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DevOps

Summary

Orchestrated significant infrastructure and deployment automation initiatives, contributing to the development and scaling of gaming services.

Highlights

Deployed and managed an in-house-built cloud scaling system, enhancing resource elasticity and operational efficiency.

Automated the deployment of Windows Game servers using Packer and Puppet, streamlining provisioning and configuration management.

Automated the deployment of Ubuntu servers with ZFS using Packer and Puppet, ensuring consistent and efficient Linux infrastructure.

Established quality control code checks via Jenkins, Virtualbox, and Docker, integrating robust CI/CD practices into the development workflow.

Developed a customized solution to update over 1,000 physical machines without a Puppet master, significantly reducing manual effort and deployment time.

Served as Project Manager for a critical data center migration between Interxion and Telehouse, coordinating with suppliers, data centers, and customers to ensure a smooth and on-time transition.

Assisted in migrating multiple projects from SVN to Git, introducing peer review workflows and improving overall code quality.

Multiplay (UK) Ltd
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Systems Administrator

Summary

Managed and expanded global infrastructure, ensuring high availability and robust support for gaming publishers and events.

Highlights

Expanded existing infrastructure from 2 to over 20 global locations, supporting significant business growth.

Planned and implemented a migration from a 20-rack suite to a more efficient 5-rack high-capacity colocation setup, optimizing data center footprint.

Managed the physical installation of multiple hardware upgrades across three countries within a seven-day period, ensuring minimal service disruption.

Provided comprehensive support to multiple publishers during game development and post-launch, including integrating game support into Clanforge, the proprietary control panel.

Delivered on-site technical support for publishers at major gaming expos (e.g., EGX, Rezzed, Insomnia), ensuring seamless promotional activities.

Contributed to the networking team for Multiplay's Insomnia Events, managing over 2,000 customer-facing BYOD ports.

Multiplay (UK) Ltd
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First/Second line support

Summary

Provided critical first and second-line technical support to B2C, B2B, and ADSL customers, ensuring high satisfaction and efficient issue resolution.

Highlights

Served as a primary point of contact for B2C, B2B, and ADSL customers, delivering responsive technical assistance.

Engaged with customers via phone, live chat, and ticketing systems to configure and troubleshoot game servers according to their specific needs.

Assisted ADSL customers with new service setups and complex issue resolution, coordinating with BT SPF Engineers for on-site support when necessary.

Languages

English

Native

Skills

Software & Tools

Kubernetes, Ansible, Terraform, Docker, Vagrant, Jenkins, Jira, Confluence, Grafana, Graylog.

Operating Systems

Ubuntu, Windows.

Programming & Scripting

Shell Scripting, YAML, HCL (HashiCorp Configuration Language).

Databases

MongoDB, MySQL, InfluxDB, Redis, Elasticsearch, Postgres.

Cloud & Virtualization Platforms

Google Compute Engine (GCP), VMware, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure.

Interests

Gaming

Gamer, Video Games, Gaming Industry.

Technology

Geek, DevOps, System Administration.