About Jason

Biography

Jason Cox is a Director of Platform and Systems Reliability Engineering (SRE) at The Walt Disney Company in Burbank, California. He majored in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the University of Tulsa and earned a Bachelor’s of Computer Science at the American Institute of Computer Sciences in Birmingham, Alabama. After graduation, Jason transitioned into Civil Engineering and helped transition from manual engineering and drafting to computer-aided design (CAD) building commercial and residential subdivisions, infrastructure, ponds and bridges for nearly 7 years. He later co-founded FamilyNet, Inc., a local internet service provider and web hosting startup, managing datacenters and business operations until it was sold. He relocated with his family to sunny Los Angeles to work on an M.Div. degree and shortly after took a job at The Walt Disney Company as a Systems Engineer in 2005.  He is currently responsible for leading software engineers and SRE teams to provide platforms and embedded DevOps support for physical and cloud-based infrastructure, systems and applications for TWDC business segments (Studios, Parks, Imagineering, Direct to Consumer and Consumer Products).

Jason is passionate about promoting DevOps practices, collaboration, curiosity, automation, agile, and lean methodologies. He has spoken at several tech conferences and enjoys writing on leadership and DevOps topics. He is the author of iCurlHTTP, an iOS app for those who want to cURL on the go, and a co-author of Investments Unlimited: A Novel About DevOps, Security, Audit Compliance, and Thriving in the Digital Age. Jason currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and children.

Bibliography

Books

  • Investments Unlimited: A Novel About DevOps, Security, Audit Compliance, and Thriving in the Digital Age. Helen Beal, Bill Bensing, Jason Cox, Michael Edenzon, Tapabrata Pal, Caleb Queern, John Rzeszotarski, Andres Vega, and John Willis. (2022). Portland, Oregon: IT Revolution.  https://itrevolution.com/investments-unlimited-book/
  • Projekt Eureka bei Investments Unlimited Menge, Der Roman über DevOps, Sicherheit, Audit, Compliance und Erfolg im digitalen Zeitalter. Helen Beal, Bill Bensing, Jason Cox, Michael Edenzon, Tapabrata Pal, Caleb Queern, John Rzeszotarski, Andres Vega, and John Willis. (2023). Germany: O’Reilly. https://dpunkt.de/produkt/projekt-eureka-bei-investments-unlimited

Journal Publications

Speaking Engagements

  • SREcon / USENIX
    • Disney Global SRE – Creating Digital Magic [San Francisco, 2022]
  • DevOps Enterprise Summit
    • Disney DevOps: To Infinity and Beyond [San Francisco, 2014]
    • Disney DevOps: The Enterprise Awakens [San Francisco, 2015, San Francisco & London, 2016]
    • Creating Digital Magic at Disney [Las Vegas & London, 2017]
    • Disney DevOps: A Tale of Technology, Leadership and Community [Las Vegas, 2018, London 2019]
    • Disney Global SRE – Creating Digital Magic [Las Vegas 2022] – Video Link
    • Disney Global SRE – Delivering Shared Service Magic [Las Vegas 2023] with Amy McCain – Video Link
  • NewOps Conference
    • Creating Digital Magic at Disney [San Jose, 2018]
  • ChefConf
    • Disney DevOps: Automating the Enterprise with Supermarket, Containers and BI [San Francisco, 2015]
  • Velocity
    • Panel: Business at Web Speed [San Francisco, 2015]
  • The Devops Exchange

Articles

Open Source Projects

  • TinyTuya – Python API for Tuya WiFi smart devices using a direct local area network (LAN) connection or the cloud (TuyaCloud API) – tinytuya.com  – https://github.com/jasonacox/tinytuya
  • PyPowerwall – Python API for Tesla Powerwall and Solar Power Data – pypowerwall.com – https://github.com/jasonacox/pypowerwall
  • Powerwall Dashboard – Monitoring Dashboard for the Tesla Powerwall using Grafana, InfluxDB, Telegraf and PyPowerwall – https://github.com/jasonacox/Powerwall-Dashboard
  • Build-OpenSSL-cURL – Scripts to build OpenSSL, HTTP/2 (nghttp2) and cURL (libcurl) for MacOS, iOS and tvOS devices (x86_64, armv7, armv7s, arm64, arm64e). Supporting Apple Silicon, OpenSSL 1.1.1 with TLS 1.3 and Mac Catalyst builds – https://github.com/jasonacox/Build-OpenSSL-cURL
  • TM1637TinyDisplay – Arduino library to display numbers and text on 4 and 6 digit 7-segment TM1637 display modules – https://github.com/jasonacox/TM1637TinyDisplay
  • TinyStepper – Arduino library to drive stepper motors. Simple, small and easy to use – https://github.com/jasonacox/TinyStepper
  • Ender3-Filament-Digital-Scale – Digital filament scale for Creality Ender-3 3D Printer – https://github.com/jasonacox/Ender3-Filament-Digital-Scale
  • ATtiny85-Weather-Station – ATtiny85 based digital weather station for temp, humidity and pressure – https://github.com/jasonacox/ATtiny85-Weather-Station
  • OpenGL-LIDAR-Display – Display realtime LIDAR point cloud data from Slamtec RPLIDAR via OpenGL – https://github.com/jasonacox/OpenGL-LIDAR-Display
  • GridBug – Simple visualization to show network connectivity between multiple nodes – https://github.com/jasonacox/gridbug
  • TinyLLM – This project helps you build a small locally hosted LLM with a ChatGPT-like web interface using consumer grade hardware.

Patent

  • Automated Updates to Code Deployment Pipelines – US 11,775,291, Oct 3, 2023 –Faced with the challenge of updating dozens of similar but diverging code repositories, the inventors describe a novel process of automatically creating new branches with updated build instructions based on a set of rules and a common template across all matching code repositories at once. An embodiment of this tool is used by SRE at Imagineering, where it is known more colloquially as, “thing that generates merge requests on old projects that make the old broken pipelines turn green.” – Inventors: Steven Wagner, Jason Alexander Cox, Adam Arredondo, James H. Tatum, Patrick O’Connor, Ian C. Ward, Maya K. Senen, Brian Lawrence Scott

Purpose

I believe we are all created with various and unique talents to fulfill a specific purpose in life.  Our responsibility is to discover and develop our skills to the fullest potential and use those to serve each other. By doing this, I believe we fulfill our purpose and please the Creator in whose image and likeness we are made.

I believe my purpose is to use my gifts and knowledge I have gathered in science, technology, leadership and writing to help others, to elevate our human experience across the world.  I will use my time to make a positive difference.  I will encourage others and help them enjoy the amazing gift of life we have been given.

Mission Statement

Be Proactive – I will not passively let life go by. I will engage in creative discovery, problem solving, innovation and action to define my path and fulfill my purpose. I will enjoy life to the fullest and help others along the way.

Be Intelligent – I will actively pursue self-improvement by adding to my knowledge through continuous education, reading and experimentation. I will humbly acknowledge my weakness and seek wisdom to make able decisions and provide helpful counsel to others.

Be Generous – I will give to others in genuine need and look for opportunities in which to invest my resources for the good of my family, friends and fellow human beings.

Be Helpful – I will look for occasions to serve others. I will acknowledge that my work produces resources for my family and extends beyond our home to the community and society in general. I will extend assistance to those in need and will look for ways to help others grow in their life to meet the purpose for which they were created.

Be Compassionate – I will acknowledge my own weaknesses and be considerate of others, especially those who are struggling or suffering. I recognize and embrace the rich diversity of our human family and will do my best to extend love, kindness, mercy and grace to all people.

Be Redemptive – I will look for opportunities to improve my environment and circle of influence. I will acknowledge my responsibility to myself and others and provide a positive impact on my environment, my surroundings, my fellow creatures, my home and my world. I will strive to elevate and to improve our human experience and condition.

Jason Cox Disney Cafe Luxo

Social Media Links

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncox3/

Twitter: @jasonacox 

Threads / Instagram: @jasonacox

Mastodon: https://graphics.social/@jasonacox

Photo Gallery

Ancestry

The majority of my ancestors trace back to the UK (England, Scotland and Ireland). In the 1600’s many migrated and landed in New Jersey and Massachusetts USA (including John Alden). My father’s side (Cox, Graham, Nail, Whitehead, Kendrick, Staley, Titus) migrated to Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. My mother’s side (Tallent, Applegate, Wood, Jackson, Horton) migrated south to Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, and Arkansas.

Ancestry research here.

Interests

Software development, large-scale high-performance computing (CPU/GPU), cloud computing, automation, IoT, microcontroller development, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, robotics, mobile app development, design, VFX pipeline, 3D modeling, animation, rendering, GenAI, LLMs, AI/ML, vision systems, 3D printing, blockchain, quantum mechanics, QED, theoretical and physical science, neuroscience, biochemistry, philosophy, ancient literature, religion, science fiction, and all things Star Wars & TRON.

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Jason Cox