Here’s what I bring to APG
Dimitri Modderman is a DevOps engineer in APG’s dealing room. He makes sure investors can keep working without interruption. When a technical problem arises, he fixes it. “The show must go on,” he says. He thinks on his feet, adapts quickly and knows how to improvise. These are skills he also puts into practice in his spare time, when he creates pyrotechnic and laser shows at major festivals.
Reliable technology
Dimitri is responsible for the technical environment of the dealing room, where investors execute transactions on the financial markets. From workstations and connections to the underlying infrastructure and part of the application landscape, Dimitri makes sure everything keeps running.
Reliability, availability and security are inextricably linked. “We design the environment so that connections to stock exchanges continue to work even when something goes wrong. If, for example, a fibre-optic connection fails, traffic must be able to continue via an alternative route without any noticeable interruption.”
From lasers to flame effects
“I’ve always loved technology. I was already taking radios apart when I was eight. At eighteen, I built my first laser, using tubes carrying 20,000 volts. Later, I got my hands on a green laser, which was still quite rare at the time. With small mirrors, you could make the beam move around.”
“When I built my first projector, someone asked me, ‘Couldn’t you do this at our party?’ That’s how it all began. Now I work with fourteen lasers and homemade flame-effect systems. Last year, I even created a 160-metre-long wall of fire — a literal firewall for a hackers’ event.”
Improvising wherever I go
“My hobby has taught me how to improvise. What if someone suddenly wants to set up their stall in the exact spot I’ve planned to use at a festival? I quickly look for alternatives. I’ve learned to be flexible. I make sure everything is carefully planned, but sometimes you have to let go of the plan.”
“I bring that ability to improvise from the festival grounds into the dealing room every day. If a PC fails, finding the root cause isn’t my first priority. First, I make sure people can keep working. Investors shouldn’t have to worry about what’s happening behind the scenes. That’s my job. They simply need to be able to carry on working.”