|
RESUME OF BRIAN AKEY |
Updated August 2011 |
|
PHONE: 901.218.8375 E-MAIL: brian.akey@gmail.com |
|
System Administrator - Harland Financial Solutions - Memphis, TN - Aug 10 2011 - Present
Linux and Windows administration for the banking industry
IT Contractor - CRI Advantage - Boise, ID - Jan 3 2011 - June 17 2011
Work government contracts - Windows based IT work
Systems Administrator II - The University of Memphis - ITD - ISST - Memphis, TN - November 13 2006 - December 19 2010
Worked in the Windows and UNIX infrastructure team. Was responsible for the Windows 2003R2 AD, Exchange 2003/2007 system, BES servers, MS-SQL servers, Sharepoint servers, VMware ESX servers and Linux SMTP gateway servers. Architected and Built out the new email system for student, staff and faculty. It was one of the first Universities to have Exchange 2007 with over 40,000 mailboxes. Maintained a BES 5 server with backup server. Lead the email team and mentored support staff. Upgraded and redesigned the Windows 2000 AD to Windows 2003 R2 AD. Tested Windows 2008 and 2008 R2 for use in Exchange 2007 SP3 and Exchange 2010. Maintained a data center of HP, Dell, Sun and IBM servers. Implemented a new anti-spam system that performs five times better than the industry standard solutions. Designed a 20 watt low power desktop solution. Worked with the network department on better ACE load balancing configurations. Worked with the SSST team to build luns on the HP EVA SAN for the exchange backend servers. Built Windows 2003 R2 Servers for infrastructure services. Worked with Avaya on the Unified voicemail system that brought voice to text features to the email system.
Sr. Network Administrator - Renew Data Corp Austin, TX - July 27 2005 - November 10 2006
Worked in the IT group. Was responsible for Corporate and Datacenter Network, Windows 2003 AD and Exchange 2003 system. Managed and supported the production datacenter network. Monitored and troubleshoot networks. Managed a Windows 2003 AD and Exchange 2003 system. Worked with the SAN team that maintained an EMC SAN. Maintained a BES server. Worked with T-Mobile on a building micro cell installation. Built out a high speed network for a 150+ computer cluster. Using Cisco 6500 series switches, Cisco routers, Cisco ASA firewalls, F5 BigIp load balancing and HP procurve switches. Upgraded desktops to GigE connections. Worked in a high security shielded data center. Dealt with both network and physical security.
System Administrator - MessageOne Austin, TX - August, 2004 - July 25 2005
Maintain the internal servers and desktops. Maintain the co-location servers and applications in three regional and one international location. Working with Xen and Vmware for QA and development. Designed a PXE network booting installation system. Built a Linux based iscsi san with Microsoft SQL 2000 clustered on two servers. Working with Dell, HP and Sun servers, blade servers, desktops and laptops. Administering the Exchange 2003 and Windows servers, Perforce server, Redhat and Centos servers.
Network/Security Administrator - Traq Wireless Austin, TX - April 2, 2001 - Aug 2004
Maintain the company servers, network and the Exodus Co-location Cage. Cisco and 3Com gear consisting of 4000 Series Cisco Switches, 7000 series routers, 520 Cisco PIX firewalls, and Local Directors. Maintain the Linux, NT, Windows 2000 Servers and Sun servers(4500,420,250,220). Maintain Apache (1.3 & 2.0), IIS, MS-SQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Postfix, Exchange and other services. Programmed a custom monitoring system that provides information about the network and servers via the web, email and sms. Built and maintained IDS systems on multiple networks. Built a custom server proxy to hide our IIS servers from the Internet and to off-load SSL connections. I have one server that has over 500 days of uptime with many others with over 200 days of uptime. Worked with Marketing on new product development. Designed and wrote the code for the VMA product that competes with Sprint and other carriers. Saved the company money many times by using Linux and open source software and writing scripts in python instead of purchasing expensive software and hardware. Reused many old desktops for use as dns servers and mail gateways to save the company money. Built my own custom distribution of Linux to handle special services around the company.
Systems Engineer - AgileIS Austin, TX - September 25, 2000 - April 9, 2001
Developing the prototype for our automated server installation engine. The engine installs Windows 2000, Linux and applications without any media and without any user intervention. Building python scripts and unattended setup files for server installation automation. Installed the Cisco Router and Cisco Switch at the Exodus co-location facility.
Production Support Administrator - Kurion Austin, TX - June 28, 2000 - September 20, 2000
Maintained the co-location web servers for Kurion. Interfaced with the developers to move applications to the co-location facility at Exodus.
LAN/WAN Analyst III - Dell Austin, TX - September 1999 - June 27, 2000
Part of the Americas messaging team supporting the Exchange email system for Dell. I helped handle 100+ exchange servers and fax servers. Supporting Outlook 98 and 2000 clients. Internet mail and CCmail and X.400 connectors are supported. The network is a very large LAN and WAN with over 20,000 users.
Network Engineer - Storage USA, Inc. Memphis, TN - December 1998 - August 1999
As Network Engineer I maintained many NT servers, four Server Exchange servers, three SQL server, one Terminal server, one Winframe server, three IIS servers, two MS-proxy servers and other NT file servers.
PC Support - TekSystems contracted to CSI Memphis, TN - May 1998 - Dec 1998
I was brought into CSI as an NT expert and the corporate office changed their strategies and went with Novell instead. I upgraded the network from token ring to Ethernet. I handled the upgrade from Windows to Windows 95.
Network Support Specialist - Wang's International, Inc. Memphis, TN - Feb. 1996 - May 1998
Handled everything from desktop support to building a new network with NT servers. Worked with a Mac network and installed an ATM 3Com Corebuilder switched network. Handled the email and Internet services.
Novell and Microsoft NT Network Manager - Enrollment Services, The U of M Memphis, TN - 1993-1996
Managed two Novell 3.X Servers with 50 users, a Microsoft NT server with 85 users, three web servers, one Linux server, a Microsoft NT RAS server and Appleshare servers. Handled all cable network needs, new PC hardware and software installs.
Computer Technician - Computer Systems Engineering, Memphis State University, 1986-1987,1988-1992
Handled installation and repair of mainframe terminals (Sperry, VAX) and microcomputers (Zenith, Macintosh, Apple, PCs compatibles). I did software and hardware consultation with departments campus-wide. Worked with Novell 68k servers, Novell 2.x servers and Appleshare servers.
B.A. Memphis State
University 1992 Major: Theatre and Communication Arts
Cisco Router training at Athena in June 1999
Windows 2000 server Training November 1999
Certifications
MCSE certification started in May 18, 1998 achieved July 3,
1998
NT Server 4.0, NT Workstation 4.0, NT Server 4.0 in the Enterprise,
Networking Essentials, TCP/IP on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Proxy
Server 2.0
Career summary
Brian started with computers by reading about electronics as a kid. When he got his first computer a Timex Sinclair 1000 his career was started.
He worked with Apple computers and Tandy computers in school. He started mentoring early and helped other students learn programming and how to
use their home computer. Later the president of the Amiga computer club in Memphis he was always involved in computers at home and at work.
Starting as a lab assistant at the University of Memphis he quickly started working for the campus computer department fixing computers and terminals.
Early on he was doing everything from running coax network cable to working on CRT monitors. After graduating from the U of M he got a job working
for the admissions department and student relations. He ran a recruiting database and ended up handling over 250 user desktops and a hand full of
servers without any help but from some power users in the departments. He built one of the first email servers on campus, one of the first
NT 3.51 server domains. He did some early development of web based email years before hotmail and others. He developed a web based searchable
class schedule that ran for over 10 years on the same server even after he left his job in the mid 90.s. He developed a database generated printable
class schedule that three people took two weeks to produce and reduced that to one person in two hours. Later I went to Wang.s International where
I ran the email, file servers and even a phone switch. He helped with the HP MPE , HP Unix with EMC San and SCO Unix servers. He worked on a fiber
connected wan to other locations in Memphis. He ran Internet facing web and email services. He developed an NT based imaging system that used a custom
disk subsystem. He mentored other desktop support personal. The computer team was well liked at the company because they could support their needs.
They were always one step ahead. Even before products such as ghost existed he developed a desktop imaging system that used a cd based solution that
could reload a computer in under an hour. Computers were imaged every six months to keep the computers in top shape and reduce the issues of
viruses and worms. Brian designed a new network that took the network from hub technology to ATM switched port technology. Desktop network speed
increased and provided room for future growth. He then got his MCSE and consulted at CSI. He was able to transition the token ring network to Ethernet
with a custom Linux router. The Memphis location was the only corporate location able to move desktops from token ring to Ethernet without user outages.
He got Avaya training on then lucent PBX phone system. He installed an all new Ethernet switched network. He also upgraded desktops from
Windows 3.1 to Windows 95. After that contract ended he went on to Storage USA where he developed and installed a new Bay networks network. He ran the
Exchange 5.5 and NT domain. He also developed a new multicast file deployment system that ran over Hughes satellite links to over 200 storage facilities.
He ran proxy services in a high security environment. He helped in the corporate headquarters move from out east to Memphis. Email accounts had to be
migrated from the old location to Memphis as the employees moved to Memphis. He worked with Lucent to install a beta system that sent voicemails to the
Exchange email system. He also ran the Citrix Metaframe accounting system. He moved to Austin, TX and started working for Dell in the
Exchange operations team. With over 100 servers and dealing with many international locations he had a lot of work. Early on he developed scripts
to automate that work that had been done with pc anywhere. He also went through Exchange, AD and Windows 2000 training in Dallas. He worked with the
Engineering team to get ready for the Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2000 upgrade. While at Dell he was able to work with Microsoft and recover the Public folder
system when Dell broke the 64k public folder limit. He took the Internet email queue issue and took the queue from over 5 hours to under 10 minutes.
Even after being told that Microsoft could not fix the email queuing problem he was able to solve the issue. He worked with the network department to
help alleviate the issues with the exchange site connectors to Asia. He helped the network team understand the latency issues of Exchange so that they
could better serve the Exchange team overseas. After tuning the Internet connector server, one server was able to handle more email than three servers
had in the past. With rumors of layoffs and a new startup to work for he went to Kurion where he worked the Internet servers and networks in the
Exodus data center. He also ran the Exchange system and Windows file services. He tuned the Cisco local director to handle the 150,000+ daily web
customers for the myhovers website. When Kurion got another round of funding he was let go because he was the last to be hired but his manager found
him a job the next day at AgileIS. At Agile he created a new automated server install system. Using PXE boot enable servers you could rack a server and
it would be inventoried and added to the inventory automatically. For demos he would show a cell phone enabled Palm VX provisioning Redhat or
Windows 2000 servers. The system also had an automatic system that would provision a new server if a server failed. He also built out the corporate
and collocation Cisco network and servers. He built a new Windows 2000 AD, Windows 2000 file server and Exchange 2000 server. After the company could
not get another round of funding the company was shut down and Brian moved on to Traq Wireless. At Traq he was the brought in as the Network engineer
for the corporate and collocation center networks. He took over the Exchange 2000, Windows 2000 and AD servers when other team members left the company.
He developed a wired and wireless network for the new corporate location and developed a smooth transition to move to a new location. When a water leak
took out the power to the old locations data center he was able to move quickly to the new location ahead of schedule. He worked with wireless repeaters
to get wireless access to all the offices in the building. He maintained a MS-SQL server that was migrated to Oracle on Sun Server. He also worked with
the Oracle DB to move from Sun Servers to Redhat IBM servers and triple the database speed while cutting the cost of the server by 10. He also developed
a Voice mail alert system that allowed customers to receive rich information about voice mail messages on their cell phones through text messages.
The system was even written about in Computer World Magazine. It helped the company secure another round of funding. Many of the dns and apache web
servers had uptimes over 500 days. He was so successful that he was the only one of 5 that was left and he continued doing the jobs of all the others.
He left and went to work for MessageOne. At MessageOne he worked the corporate network and servers and helped the team that ran the collocation centers
all over the world. After MessageOne bought evergreen he was put in charge of the DR Exchange and MS-SQL servers for customers. He worked remotely on a
large HP Blade cluster that provided DR services for many Fortune 500 companies. He often provided AD and Exchange advice to customers. He developed a
corporate Xen virtual server that provided 70+ vm servers for the development team. He ran the Exchange 2003 and Windows 2003 servers for the
corporate office. He ran the BES server that supported the Blackberry users. He built an iSCSI based MS-SQL cluster. He worked on Asterisk and other
Voip phone systems used by the company. With funding issues he moved to RenewData. At Renew he was brought in to build out a new network and a new datacenter.
He designed a Cisco/HP network that provided a high speed fiber based network to a computer cluster using Isilon storage. He upgraded desktop computers
to GigE ports. He installed Cisco routers and redundant BigIP F5 load balancers to provide uninterrupted service to customers. He worked with Time Warner
to bring GigE Internet networking into the corporate datacenter. He worked in the Windows team and helped mentor the other members of the team in how to
manage Windows 2003 servers, Windows 2003 AD and Exchange 2003 servers. He maintained the BES server since the most everyone in the company had a blackberry.
He handled the migration from Windows 2000 and Exchange 2000 to Windows 2003 and Exchange 2003. He worked with the Operations team to install an
Isilon Storage cluster using high speed Ethernet and Infiniband. He implemented an RSA token system even installing RSA software on the blackberry phones.
Talking to friends back in Memphis Brian heard about a great opportunity to install a brand new large scale email system. He started at
The University of Memphis and started working on migrating from two email system to one. Brian was the architect of the new email system.
Running through three full project plans before the administration picked one. The main issue was cost. I had talked to other schools and companies
and a system that we needed would cost millions of dollars. I designed a system that cost around $400,000. In the mean time Brian had to keep the current
Sun SMTP servers and Netscape messaging server running. With some tuning Brian had an SMTP gateway able to handle six million emails a day with about
150,000 email messages of real email and the rest was spam. When he first started email was blocked from aol.com and many other sites because of the
compromised accounts and lack of spam control. He created a new anti-spam system that dropped the incoming emails to one million messages a day with
around 200,000 messages going to backend mail servers. He had fixed the issues with blocking and improved email transport speed to seconds. He got the
Exchange 2007 plan approved and with the help of a few other team members migrated all the staff from Exchange 2003 and all the students from
Netscape messaging server to Exchange 2007. It was one of the first Exchange 2007 systems in the educational world and one of the largest installs
of Exchange 2007 outside of Microsoft itself. A survey was run in 2010 and it showed that over 83% of the users liked the email system and the number
of people routing their email dropped by a large amount. He also developed a way to tests migrations with a VMware ESX server and a Linux proxy server to
create a copy of production without causing issues with the production network. He also developed a low power desktop configuration that ran in the
20 watt range. He designed a project to upgrade the Windows 2000 AD system to Windows 2003 R2 AD. He designed a project to save the University as much
as one million dollars with power management software from Bigfix. He worked with the Telecom team to build out a new Avaya PBX with Unified messaging
capabilities. He worked with Avaya to get the OneX service running that allowed users to call in and have their email read to them and allowed them to
make meetings over the phone just by speaking. He also worked with Mutare to email the text of voicemails from the Avaya phone system.