Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Timeline
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JOHNNY HOUGH

Glendale,USA

Summary

Senior Database Engineer with 20+ years of experience designing, optimizing, and operating high-performance data platforms with deep specialization in SQL Server internals, query optimization, and scalable database architecture. Expert in execution plan analysis, indexing strategies, SQL Trace, Extended Events, and system-level performance tuning across large-scale, mission-critical environments.

Proven track record delivering cloud-native data solutions in Azure, including Azure SQL Database (Hyperscale concepts), Azure Managed Instance, and Azure Data Factory, with extensive experience leading on-prem to cloud migration initiatives and modernizing legacy data platforms. Strong background in 3rd Normal Form (3NF) data modeling, schema design, and building highly efficient transactional systems.

Hands-on experience with NoSQL and distributed databases, including Cosmos DB and Cassandra-based platforms, with expertise in partitioning strategies, denormalized data models, and high-throughput workload design aligned to access patterns.

Operates effectively in AI-driven SDLC environments, leveraging tools such as GitHub Copilot and generative AI to accelerate SQL development, refactor complex queries, and implement automated validation, anomaly detection, and self-healing data pipelines.

Collaborative engineering partner with strong experience aligning database architecture with application design,

Overview

22
22
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Senior Database Engineer / Data Platform Reliability

Hulu
01.2015 - 01.2026
  • Owned and operated large-scale, mission-critical database platforms supporting millions of concurrent users across SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and distributed NoSQL systems, ensuring high availability, scalability, and performance in a 24/7 production environment
  • Supported multi-terabyte, high-throughput database systems, sustaining performance during peak streaming demand events and ensuring consistent low-latency response under extreme load conditions
  • Led end-to-end performance optimization initiatives, leveraging execution plans, wait statistics, indexing strategies, and deep SQL Server internals analysis to significantly reduce query latency and improve throughput across transactional workloads
  • Designed and implemented high-availability and disaster recovery architectures, including replication, clustering, and failover strategies, achieving near-zero downtime SLAs for critical services
  • Drove database modernization and cloud adoption efforts, contributing to migration strategies from on-prem systems to cloud-native platforms (AWS RDS, S3, and Azure SQL equivalents), improving scalability, resiliency, and operational efficiency
  • Built and maintained scalable ELT/ETL data pipelines, enabling reliable data ingestion and transformation across distributed systems and microservices architectures
  • Developed and implemented observability and performance monitoring solutions, including query-level diagnostics and system-level metrics, enabling proactive identification of bottlenecks and faster incident resolution
  • Performed advanced stored procedure and query optimization, including execution plan analysis, indexing redesign, and workload tuning to improve database efficiency and resource utilization
  • Leveraged SQL Server Trace, Extended Events, and system-level diagnostics to troubleshoot complex issues including deadlocks, blocking, and resource contention in high-volume production environments
  • Collaborated closely with application engineering teams to design efficient data access patterns and scalable schema architectures (3NF), ensuring seamless integration between backend systems and product features
  • Operated in an AI-driven development environment, utilizing tools such as GitHub Copilot to accelerate SQL development, refactor complex queries, and improve performance tuning workflows
  • Implemented automation for data validation, anomaly detection, and pipeline resiliency, aligning with self-healing data pipeline principles and reducing manual intervention
  • Championed DevOps and Infrastructure-as-Code practices, leveraging Terraform, Git, and CI/CD pipelines to standardize database deployments and improve operational consistency

SQL Premier Field Engineer

Microsoft
09.2013 - 08.2015
  • Delivered advanced SQL Server performance tuning engagements across enterprise clients, analyzing execution plans, wait statistics, and I/O patterns to resolve critical bottlenecks and consistently improve query performance by up to 50%+ in high-volume environments
  • Led design and implementation of high-availability and disaster recovery (HA/DR) solutions, including Always On Availability Groups and failover clustering, ensuring near-zero downtime for mission-critical systems
  • Conducted deep-dive SQL Server internals assessments, identifying inefficiencies in indexing strategies, memory utilization, tempdb contention, and parallelism to optimize system-wide performance
  • Partnered with engineering teams to refactor complex stored procedures and T-SQL code, improving maintainability, reducing CPU utilization, and enhancing execution efficiency in large-scale transactional systems
  • Designed and implemented data models aligned to 3rd Normal Form (3NF), improving data integrity, scalability, and query performance across enterprise applications
  • Led early-stage cloud migration assessments and strategy planning, guiding customers in transitioning on-prem SQL Server workloads to Azure SQL Database and Managed Instance, including schema compatibility and performance benchmarking
  • Developed and delivered automated health check frameworks leveraging SQL Trace, Extended Events, and custom scripts to proactively detect performance regressions and system anomalies
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to align database architecture with application design, ensuring efficient data access patterns and optimal integration with backend services
  • Provided hands-on expertise in troubleshooting production incidents, including blocking, deadlocks, long-running queries, and resource contention, restoring system stability under high-pressure scenarios
  • Acted as a trusted technical advisor to enterprise clients, delivering workshops and knowledge transfer sessions on SQL Server best practices, performance tuning, and scalable database architecture

Consultant

BMS Practice Solutions
06.2012 - 08.2013
  • Help migrate mission critical standalone database servers from VMware to clustered physical hardware.
  • Implement disaster recovery and backup and restore strategy.
  • Performance tuning, query tuning stored procedure optimization, index optimization.
  • Implement partition strategy to resolve on-going performance issues to existing batch processes.
  • Perform day to day database monitoring via custom in house scripts.
  • Work with development teams as well as business community to schedule and implement deployments monthly.
  • Migrate all existing reporting off OLTP database environment to dedicated reporting structures alleviating locking blocking issues caused by previous configuration.

Senior SQL DBA

NBCUniversal, Inc
08.2011 - 06.2012
  • Designs and maintains database structures and coordinates or performs installation, configuration and troubleshooting of SQL 2008 R2, SQL 2008, 2005 and 2000 servers.
  • Implement SQL Server high availability/DR solutions like Clustering, Database mirroring, Log Shipping and Replication.
  • Supporting SQL server reporting service (SSRS), SQL Server Analysis Service (SSAS) and SQL Server Integration Service (SSIS).
  • Member of Tier II DBA team which provides 24x7 support for over 100 production database servers.
  • Developing T-SQL scripts/PowerShell scripts/SSRS reports for database maintenance purposes.
  • Deploying and troubleshooting SSIS/DTS packages with a multitude of Data sources and complex data conversion logics.
  • Manage backup/recovery strategy for all production servers.
  • Proactively monitor and profile production database servers for load and performance bottlenecks and provide solutions for query optimization and performance tuning.
  • Provide recommendations for new server design, storage requirement and database design.
  • Implement server wide database security settings.
  • Provide code reviews and database design recommendations for development team.
  • Provide production database change management supports.

Senior SQL Database Administrator

Symantec
11.2009 - 08.2011
  • Provide support for SQL Server Database Servers over 100 instances, fail over Clustering installation\configuring, Disaster Recovery, Replication Logshipping Mirroring, Database Optimization/Backup and Restores, Data Migration, Stored Procedure Development/Optimization.
  • Worked with Triggers and Data Partitioning, SSIS Package.
  • Worked as part of team that redesigned the current OLTP DB system slicing 5 billion row tables into multiple 100 Million rows using Distributed Views.
  • Created database maintenance plans that performed weekly update statistics, and or rebuild\reorganized all indexes both Clustered and Non-Clustered.
  • Troubleshoot random production issues as they pertain to but not limited to locking\blocking in the production database, cluster issues network issues, hardware issues, SAN issues.
  • Offloaded reports running on live production databases onto secondary reporting server freeing up resources on production server.
  • Work with PERFMON, SQL Profiler, Query Analyzer to detect issues that would lead to degraded performance rather it is IO related, Memory Related, Network related.
  • Monitored all SQL jobs and Alerts.
  • Create reports that monitor production database servers for trend analysis.

SQL Data Architect

Wynn Resorts
08.2006 - 09.2009
  • Provide production support for all mission critical applications running Microsoft OS using Oracle 9i, 10G, RAC, SQL Server 2000, SQL Server 2005, MySQL, and Teradata.
  • Database tuning and optimization creating and maintaining statistics and indexes, creating backup and recovery standards for all database systems.
  • Upgrade Teradata EDW from version 7.2 on windows to Teradata Version 12 on Linux OS.
  • Upgrade existing gaming systems from SQL Server 2000 to SQL Server 2005 install and configure active-active-passive cluster configuration, ETL.
  • Set up and support 3 separate environments Production, Staging, Developments.
  • Upgrade existing SQL Server 2000 instance that comprised of 15 databases on a standalone server to SQL Server 2005 Cluster configuration with Active/Active for fault tolerance and separated the databases into 4 separate instances allowing them to have their own address space increasing performance.
  • Implement backup and recovery processes for all databases.
  • Set up Read-Only reporting server accessed by Cognos via log shipping to satisfy all reporting needs all databases were read-only.
  • Implemented and standardized all database related maintenance and naming conventions.
  • Make hardware and software recommendations.
  • DTS and SSIS development included automating FTP process of downloading customer data and applying it to database daily through SQL agent.
  • Also, DTS information from data warehouse into CSV file and compressing file and putting it on the customers FTP server all through batch files.
  • Upgrade existing databases to SQL Server 2005.
  • Create batch files and automate legacy manual processes.
  • Oracle Patch implementation.
  • Setup SQL Server 2000, 2005, 2008 clusters in both Active, Active and Active Passive configurations.
  • Work on Oracle Upgrade from 9i to 10g.
  • Monitor table spaces, backups (RMAN), archiving.
  • Performance tuning.
  • Installation, configuration, patching of Oracle server software and related products.

SQL DBA\Consultant

Westfield Corp
02.2006 - 08.2006
  • Implement successful backup and recovery processes for mission critical databases.
  • Performance tuning and database optimizations.
  • Make hardware and software recommendations.
  • Upgrade existing databases to SQL Server 2005.
  • Disaster recovery planning, implementation, and testing.
  • Documentation of existing processes and environments.
  • Code review and enhancements.
  • Implement security best practices for SQL Server 2005.
  • Install and configure SQL Server 2005 instances according to Microsoft best practices.
  • Set up replication from production AS400 DB2 to SQL Server 2005 (reporting server) migrating reports off of production system and onto separate reporting structures.
  • Capacity planning tracking database growth patterns.

Sr. SQL Server DBA

Myspace.Com
07.2004 - 02.2006
  • Provide 24/7 Support to over 200 production databases running on SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition 64 bit on HP Proliant DL585 Opteron, dual core, 64 bit boxes utilizing connecting to 3Par SANs.
  • Duties included but were not limited to performance tuning, database design, production support, code review to ensure scalability and performance goals were achieved.
  • Supported Transactional Replication on a remote publisher, remote distributor, and subscriber topology troubleshooting issues such as transactional latency, creating publications, configuring distributors, adding subscribers, and creating scripts to help streamline the process.
  • Query tuning and code review ensuring scalability and optimization goals are met by minimizing IOs by implementing useful indexes and removing unnecessary indexes.
  • Streamline process of installing SQL Server 2005 on new systems for rollover process creating production database template build that would be deployed every time a new database was added in production environment.
  • Mentor junior database administrator.
  • Ad Hoc query and report request, support QA and Dev environments, create SSIS packages and support existing packages, create and monitor SQL Server Agent jobs.
  • Upgrade from SQL Server 2000 to SQL Server 2005.
  • Implement backup and restore strategy.
  • Help create and maintain one of the fastest if not the fastest growing websites of our generation.

SQL DBA

Herbalife International
10.2004 - 07.2005
  • Database maintenance and performance tuning.
  • Setup and troubleshoot new and existing clusters.
  • Administer and configure heterogeneous transactional replication between platforms including HP3000, SQL 2000, and Oracle.
  • Code promotion and revisal for tests, QA, and production environments.
  • Implement effective backup and recovery plan for all tests, QA, and production environments.
  • Provide support 24/7 for all SQL DB related issues.
  • Support OLTP, OLAP, and Reporting database systems.
  • Make recommendations regarding hardware and software maximizing resource utilization and improving business processes.
  • Provide documentation for Auditing.
  • General Database administration duties include configuring and troubleshooting DTS packages, configure SQL mail, configure and monitor SQL jobs, run batch processes via SMA scheduler.
  • Manage database users and security by granting/revoking appropriate logins and permissions for individual users in both OLTP and Data Warehousing environments.
  • Install and upgrade SQL Server /2000 to run on Windows/2000 servers and build infrastructure for large number of database servers.
  • Set up transaction log shipping for disaster.

SQL Consultant

First American Title Corporation
03.2004 - 10.2004
  • Database performance tuning and optimization.
  • Implemented disaster recovery.
  • Supported very large DB over 1.5 TB in size on HP Superdome 32 Processor running 64 bit SQL Server using DMX storage.
  • Monitor Database and O/S resource utilization via NetIQ k.
  • Supported baseline load testing and configuring test environment to mirror production environment and simulating workload.
  • Created Stored Procedures to support and automate ongoing production issues.
  • Support Data Warehouse and ETL environment.
  • Mentor Junior Database Administrator.
  • Document important mission critical processes.
  • Perform production environment switch from Disaster recovery perspective to secondary site.
  • Logical and physical data modeling, database design and implementation, including maintaining and updating the database architecture.

Education

BS - Computer Science

Devry Pomona

HS Diploma - undefined

Nogales High school

Skills

    Database Platforms

    SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance SQL Server Always On SQL Server Failover Cluster Instances PostgreSQL MySQL Amazon Aurora Cosmos DB Cassandra ScyllaDB Amazon Keyspaces Redshift

    SQL Server Expertise

    SQL Server Architecture T-SQL Development Stored Procedures Functions Views Triggers Query Optimization Execution Plan Analysis Index Design Clustered / Nonclustered Indexing Covering Indexes Partitioning Data Compression TempDB Optimization Wait Statistics Analysis Blocking / Deadlock Analysis Parameter Sniffing Remediation Cardinality Estimation Query Store SQL Trace Extended Events DMVs PerfMon SQL Agent SSIS SSRS Backup / Restore DBCC Integrity Checks Capacity Planning

    Azure Data & Cloud Platforms

    Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Hyperscale concepts Azure Managed Instance Azure Data Factory Azure Storage Azure Blob Storage Azure Files Azure Virtual Machines Azure Networking fundamentals for database migrations Azure migration planning Cloud-native database architecture Hybrid cloud database operations Platform modernization Lift-and-shift migrations Replatforming strategies

    NoSQL / Distributed Database Expertise

    Cosmos DB Cassandra ScyllaDB Amazon Keyspaces Wide-column data modeling Partition key design Clustering key strategy Denormalized schema design TTL strategy High-throughput workload design Distributed read/write patterns Consistency models Replication concepts Horizontal scaling Query patterns for distributed systems Access-pattern-based schema design

    Data Architecture & Modeling

    3rd Normal Form (3NF) Logical Data Modeling Physical Data Modeling Data Architecture Schema Design Referential Integrity Transactional data design OLTP system design Denormalization strategies Data lifecycle planning Archival design Partition-aligned table strategies Data standardization Metadata-driven design

    Performance Engineering

    Execution Plan Tuning Workload Analysis Query Refactoring Stored Procedure Optimization Index Tuning I/O Bottleneck Analysis CPU / Memory Pressure Analysis Concurrency Tuning Throughput Optimization Latency Reduction System-level performance diagnostics Database-level performance monitoring Baseline analysis Performance regression detection Capacity and growth forecasting

    High Availability / Disaster Recovery

    Always On Availability Groups Failover Clustering Log Shipping Replication Backup / Restore Strategy Point-in-time recovery DR runbooks Failover planning Recovery testing Resiliency engineering Operational readiness Business continuity support

    ETL / ELT / Data Movement

    Azure Data Factory SSIS ETL modernization ELT pipelines Batch ingestion CDC concepts DMS / Debezium familiarity Data transformation workflows Data validation Reconciliation checks Pipeline resiliency Automated data movement Cross-platform migrations

    Operating Systems & Platforms

    Windows Server Linux Ubuntu Red Hat / RHEL familiarity CentOS familiarity Microsoft Windows environments Hybrid infrastructure environments On-premises data center platforms Virtualized server environments Cloud-hosted database platforms

    Infrastructure / DevOps / Automation

    Terraform Git Git-based change control Jenkins CI/CD pipelines Infrastructure as Code Release automation Configuration-driven deployments Environment standardization Scripting for database administration PowerShell Bash Python for automation Runbook development Operational tooling

    Monitoring / Observability / Troubleshooting

    Datadog Grafana Prometheus familiarity SQL Server monitoring Database health checks Alert tuning Incident response Root cause analysis Trend analysis Production troubleshooting Log analysis Cross-system observability Monitoring standardization

    Security / Governance / Compliance

    Database Security Least privilege principles Role-based access concepts Data protection practices Secure configuration review Audit support Change control Production access discipline Backup governance Compliance-aware operational processes

    AI-Assisted Engineering

    GitHub Copilot AI-assisted SQL development AI-assisted troubleshooting AI-assisted query refactoring AI-assisted documentation AI-assisted requirements translation into data models Generative AI support for database design iteration Automated validation workflows AI-augmented engineering productivity

Certification

  • Microsoft Certified System Engineer
  • Microsoft Certified Axure Database Administrator Associate
  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect

Timeline

Senior Database Engineer / Data Platform Reliability

Hulu
01.2015 - 01.2026

SQL Premier Field Engineer

Microsoft
09.2013 - 08.2015

Consultant

BMS Practice Solutions
06.2012 - 08.2013

Senior SQL DBA

NBCUniversal, Inc
08.2011 - 06.2012

Senior SQL Database Administrator

Symantec
11.2009 - 08.2011

SQL Data Architect

Wynn Resorts
08.2006 - 09.2009

SQL DBA\Consultant

Westfield Corp
02.2006 - 08.2006

SQL DBA

Herbalife International
10.2004 - 07.2005

Sr. SQL Server DBA

Myspace.Com
07.2004 - 02.2006

SQL Consultant

First American Title Corporation
03.2004 - 10.2004

HS Diploma - undefined

Nogales High school

BS - Computer Science

Devry Pomona
JOHNNY HOUGH