Test Architect at Microsoft
Greater Seattle Area
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Josh Poley’s Summary
Microsoft (Zune, Xbox, Passport); T3 Systems; University of Colorado
Josh Poley has been a software tester (SDET) at Microsoft since 1998. He initially worked on the very first version of the Passport authentication service (currently called Windows Live ID). Then, in the spring of 2000, Josh moved over and joined a small handful of people who were starting to work on a project code-named Xbox. His initial responsibilities covered various pieces of the low level operating system (file systems, peripheral communication, etc.). Shortly after the Xbox game console launched in 2001, Josh took over as lead of the Kernel Test Team and remained in charge of validating the core operating system throughout the development and launch of the Xbox 360. Then, in the spring of 2007, Josh joined the Zune group as a Test Architect, where he helped solve various problems across the four main test teams in the organization. After a year in Zune, Josh went back to Xbox to help solve some more hard problems there.
Josh Poley’s Specialties:
Testing, Windows Programming, Operating Systems
Programming Languages: C/C++, JavaScript, XScript, SQL
Technologies: ASP, HTML, Sockets
Josh Poley’s Experience
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Xbox Ninja
Microsoft
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; MSFT; Computer Software industry)
May 2008 — Present (1 year 7 months)
Test Architect - Xbox
Working on the platform software team. Solving problems, filling holes, fixing whatever is broken. -
Zune Ninja
Microsoft
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; MSFT; Computer Software industry)
May 2007 — May 2008 (1 year 1 month)
Test Architect for Zune
Problem solving and tools development for the Zune device team, the Zune PC Client team, and the Zune services test teams.
Jumped in to help the struggling device manufacturing team for the v2.0 devices:
* Analyzed, documented, and provided direction for the software architecture
* Wrote WIFI test modules
* Developed an ISAPI application for IIS which interfaced with an nCipher device and managed the encryption and decryption of sensitive DRM keys
Designed and wrote a metrics tracking dashboard which included:
* A SQL backend database
* Web based user interface
* Native COM DLL for submitting metric data
Wrote a generic module for performing several different genetic AI algorithms. -
Xbox Kernel Test Lead
Microsoft
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; MSFT; Computer Software industry)
April 2000 — May 2007 (7 years 2 months)
Wrote API tests for the Xbox Kernel and Title Libraries; including file IO APIs, the USB stack, and peripheral device drivers
Wrote the software library for a USB Simulator used in testing the Xbox
Became Lead of the Kernel Test team in December of 2001, responsibilities including:
* Xbox boot loader, kernel, and title library testing
* Hardware test support (low level tests of DVD, HD, memory, etc.)
* Xbox/Sega Arcade testing
* Backward compatibility testing (as an Emulation Ninja)
* System security
Designed and implemented the Xbox 360 test harness (H2) which is in use by Xbox testers world-wide (including ATI and IBM), major harness features include:
* Fully fledged high level script language (similar to JScript) and a run time debugger
* Remote COM server compatible with Xboxs consoles
* Pluggable logging libraries to support the needs of different teams -
Passport SDET
Microsoft
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; MSFT; Computer Software industry)
June 1998 — March 2000 (1 year 10 months)
Developed a Radius stress/test tool for the MSN group
Passport stress tools, including Surge a general web stress application used by several other groups
Performance Testing
API testing on the core authentication COM objects used by the passport servers
Monitoring tool for the live Passport service -
Demo Rep
Microsoft
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; MSFT; Computer Software industry)
July 1995 — April 1998 (2 years 10 months)
Marketed and demonstrated Microsoft Products at computer retailers, clubs, and special events.
Developed an internal web site for the entire northwest reseller team. -
Junior Executive Programmer
T3 Systems
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Computer Software industry)
September 1993 — August 1995 (2 years )
Programming in ASM, C, and C++ on embedded system applications.
* Primary developer on a three-axis servo system used to stabilize video optics due to low frequency angular motions
* Development on a programmable road-side message board
* Wrote the controller for a high speed motor, which drove an electronic label reader/writer
Extensive development with Microsoft Access on an Inventory Control System
Josh Poley’s Education
-
University of Colorado at Boulder
BS , Computer Science , 1993 — 1998
Won 3rd place in a programming contest that I got bored with and walked out in the middle.
- Activities and Societies:
- Computer Science, Theta Tau, Broomball
Additional Information
Josh Poley’s Websites:
Josh Poley’s Interests:
Xbox, Zune, Movies, Photography
Josh Poley’s Groups:
Theta Tau
-
Theta Tau: Professional Engineering Fraternity -
Software Testing & Quality Assurance -
Xbox and Alumni -
Canon EOS Digital Photography -
VideoGame Professionals
Josh Poley’s Honors:
Patent 7162407/7418377: "Testing a host's support for peripheral devices".
Patent 7421731: "Transparent authentication using an authentication server".
Josh Poley’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- getting back in touch
