Brenden Duane Gilbert
Ada, Oklahoma 74820

 

 

Summary

 

Computer Guru with extensive multi-platform experience in system administration, disaster recovery, and security. Skilled in evaluation, recommendation, managing and building solutions and teams.  Recent projects included migration of HP OpenView to new servers; evaluation of IDS products; and an on-demand computer services business.  Best assets include adapting quickly to new situations as well as managing and working well with teams.

 

Technical Skills

 

Computer Systems:              Intel (Compaq, Dell, Generic PC);  Motorola (Macintosh); Alpha (Digital); and SPARC/ UltraSPARC (SparcStation, Ultra, Ultra Enterprise, Enterprise up to E4500, Fire), i5/OS, AS400

 

Operating systems:              UNIX (Sun Solaris, SunOS, HP-UX, Linux, FreeBSD, BSDi, AIX); Windows (CE,NT,95, 98,2000,2003,XP,Vista, 7); OS/2 (2.1, Warp 3.0); MacOS (6, 7, 8, 9, X); MS-DOS (3.0-6.22)

Languages:                           Korn/Bourne shells, Basic, C, Visual Basic, Delphi, HTML, JavaScript, SQL

 

Networking:                         Routers (Cisco, Compatible); Hubs (3Com, Bay, Adtran, Generic); Switches (Cisco, NuSwitch, 3Com, Generic); NICs; Category 5 wiring; Patch Panels. (LAN/WAN)

 

Network Services:               Unix (NFS, DNS, NIS, NIS+, SAMBA, Sendmail, Qmail, Postfix, X-windows, Apache,

SSH/Secure Shell, Syslog); Windows (Exchange, SMS, Microsoft DNS, IIS)

 

Applications:                       Unix Security (CyberCop, Nessus, PortSentry, LogChecker, Bastille, Nmap,  Ethereal, NetRanger / Cisco Secure Intrusion Detection System (CSIDS),  Checkpoint Firewall-1, ISS RealSecure 6.0, ISS Scanner, Cisco Secure Scanner, Entercept, NetForensics, VPN 3000, PIX, TCP Wrappers); Network/Server Monitoring (HP OpenView, Big Brother, eEMU, Ntop, MRTG); Disaster Recovery (AMANDA, Time Navigator, Legato Networker, Tar, Gzip); GNU utilities, WebSphere Portal, etc.

 

 

Professional Experience

 

 

 

Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.          Legal Services                                      Ada, OK                                                2009-Present

Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. (PPL) hired me on as a contractor providing a broad array of system administration services.  Currently I work with administering Solaris 9/10 boxes; IBM WebSphere Portal 6.x;  iSeries (i5/OS); CentOS/RHEL 4 Linux;  Split-Horizon DNS; Proprietary Appliances (McAfee Secure Mail Gateway/IronMail, Symmetricon NTP Server, etc); Solaris Patch Management; Remedy Tickets (various issues with custom web applications and PPL associates); Upgrades/ replacements/fixes, and many more functions as needed.

 

Systems Administrator

  • Manage Patches for servers improving security and application performance.
  • Resolved service desk and change management tickets for servers, network, DNS, and appliances under my care as well as for custom Web Applications from PPL.
  • Perform standard Unix System Administration duties such as user ID modification, password changes, space re-allocation, recovery, DNS management, documentation, etc.
  • Remedy security issues as they are discovered by Security personnel within PPL.
  • Submit appropriate change tickets and technical planning when needed and submit for approval. 
  • Recover systems that crash or go offline as needed.
  • Be on-call during the 3rd week of the month.
  • Any other responsibilities as assigned or needed for devices, servers, appliances I am responsible for.

 

 

 

Crazy Technologies LLC                Computer Services                              DFW Metroplex                                   2005-2009

Technology Guru
Provided computer services to primarily McKinney/Plano/Frisco/Allen area business and residential customers after leaving Capgemini/TXU.  I performed a wide range of services such as: Unix/Windows 2003 Server installations, Networking installations, PC / Mac software and hardware troubleshooting, Viruses/spyware immunization and removal, and Disaster Recovery setup and planning.  Crazy Technologies also did DVR/CCTV systems including internet access to those systems, house pre-wiring (CAT5e and video), entertainment systems setups, conversions of databases, and other miscellaneous technical/computer work.  This is an extension to my other work outlined below under the same business name.

 

Capgemini Energy/TXU                  Outsourcing Provider/Utility              Dallas & Mesquite, TX                       2001-2005

Initially hired as a Security Systems Engineer, I accepted additional responsibilities as an HP OpenView Administrator and an Solaris Administrator within a few months of hire.  Supported the IT Security Team in monitoring the network, training personnel, creating documentation, and researching/ recommending security products.  Maintained 20 Sun Sparc servers in upkeep and installation of open-source programs such as Jabber or OWL (an intranet application) for the Unix “Lights-On” administration team.


HP OpenView Administrator

  • Supported and maintained the midrange Sun Ultra Enterprise 450 servers operating OV.  Migrated OV to new servers within 3 days as part of a consolidation.  Ensured all vital OV databases and files are backed-up daily.
  • Partnered with vendor (HP or Sun) assisting in resolving irreconcilable issues with OV. 
  • Implemented configurations increasing the overall performance of OV by 30%.

·         Trained Network Operations staff in maintenance of OV increasing their capability in resolving minor issues during non-business hours.

 

Security Systems Engineer Mid-Level

  • Trained 10-person team in monitoring alarms generated from the CSIDS (Cisco Secure Intrusion Detection System). 
  • Handled security incidents and alarms using established procedures. 
  • Implemented and maintained training documentation for the 24/7 manned Data Center.
  • Researched and recommended viable products for security use such as ISS Proventia and Symantec Network Intrusion Prevention Device.
  • Implemented and documented various security tools auditing the network.  Used Nmap, Cisco Secure Scanner, ISS, l0pht Crack, Ntop and other open-source utilities in analyzing incidents, saving thousands of dollars in licensing fees for comparable commercial products.

 

Solaris Administrator

  • Implemented Sun Security and Update Patches improving security on all servers via security audits and modifications.
  • Resolved service desk and change management tickets for servers under my care.
  • Performed standard Unix System Administration duties such as user ID modification, password changes, space re-allocation (SAN/ Veritas) and TSM (Tivoli Storage Manager) adjustments.

 

 

DSET Corporation                            Telecom Software Developer                            Plano, TX                                            2000-2001

System Administrator – Unix (Sun Solaris)

Worked with the System Administration team to cover end-user and client needs.  The server base comprised mostly of mid-range Sun Ultra Enterprise / Enterprise servers and low-end SparcStation / Ultra-5 machines. Maintained and implemented Checkpoint Firewall rules and configurations.

  • Built new mid-range Sun Sparc servers from scratch; installed & upgraded various Sun hardware.
  • Planned and executed security tightening policies on all servers, resulting in 50% savings in administration time.
  • Installed, configured, and maintained “Big Brother” (www.bb4.com) network/system monitoring, increasing the responsiveness of the System Admin team by 75% on server or network issues.
  • Installed, maintained, and configured Legato Networker backup servers/clients. 
  • Maintained intranet website with network diagrams, system information/configurations, and Big Brother links.
  • Installed and maintained Apache servers for internal use or for custom client configurations.

 

Matchmaker.com, Inc.                      Internet Content Provider                                  Bedford, TX                                       1999-2000

Accepted Backup/Security Administrator responsibilities after being a Unix Administrator for 3 months.

Backup/Security Administrator

  • Initiated, planned, and implemented first network and system security plan.
  • Delegated tasks to 3 team members for key security breach prevention and security enhancement on servers. Increased uptime to 95% or better as a result.
  • Recommended, planned, and executed conversion from old backup platform (AMANDA) to a new, robust enterprise backup system using a new software, Time Navigator, increasing employee productivity by 45%

 

Unix Systems Administrator

Administered, built, and maintained 130+ dual platform Unix servers ranging from Intel Servers running RedHat Linux to Sun E3500s running Sun Solaris.  Main duties included administration, disaster recovery, monitoring, and building servers.  Performed standard Unix Administration duties.

  • Installed open source backup software, AMANDA, and a single DLT tape drive as an initial backup solution. This resulted in an increase of 25% in productivity. 
  • Implemented a central monitoring system called Big Brother realizing an increase in uptime to 98% or better.

 

Crazy Technologies LLC                                Computer Services & WebHosting                  Sachse, TX                                     1999-Present

Co-Owner

A parent company for three divisions serving over 300 clients.  Manage several RedHat Enterprise Linux servers providing web hosting, domains, applications, and customized servers for small to mid-sized businesses.

 

Microcosm, Inc.                                 Space Mission Engineering                                Torrance, CA                                      1997-1999

PC/Network Administrator                                                             

Administered multiple platforms - Windows NT & 95, MacOS, and Sun Solaris - in small office settings for an aerospace engineering and design firm. Managed Internet and network services such as the Internet Devices Fort Knox proxy/firewall device. Installed and configured new network ports or hardware. 

  • Provided end-user support on multiple platforms (SunOS, MacOS, Windows, Linux).
  • Recommended and implemented update plan for backups company-wide saving thousands of dollars in potential lost time and improving backup system by 60%.
  • Designed network expansion to 2 offices, saving approximately $50,000 annually in extra network costs.

 

AVC Corporation                              Thermoform and Packaging                             Torrance, CA                                      1996-1997

Systems Analyst/Network Administrator                                                      

Responsible for end-user support, custom programming in Visual Basic & Delphi (for database manipulation by customer service), custom reporting, and server administration for a new division.  Designed and maintained AVC’s website. Provided end-user support to all customer service representatives and company employees.

  • Managed Novell Netware 3.11, Windows NT 3.51/4.0, Linux/FreeBSD and Sun Solaris servers.

·         Planned and implemented Internet and Web services using Linux and FreeBSD servers.

·         Built fulfillment reports and custom packing slips/invoices using database manipulation in Crystal Reports resulting in over $10,000 savings in packaging and shipping costs.

·         Programmed client information utilities for customer service representatives saving thousands of dollars in outside consulting and programming work.

 

 

Education & Certifications

 

California State University, Northridge        Computer Science                                                                                             1992-1994

Orange Coast College                                       Computer Science                                                                                        1991-1992

Global Knowledge             

Cisco Secure IDS v2.0        Certification                                                                                                                                                  2001

Windows 2000 Server                                                                                                                                                                  2001
Windows 2000 Security                                                                                                                                                                 2001

Foundstone Ultimate Hacking                                                                                                                                                    2002

HP OpenView II                                                                                                                                                                              2002

                 

 

Community Activities

Sachse Baseball Association, Inc.                                                                                                                                                   Sponsor
A non-profit organization that organizes the baseball, softball, and blast ball organizations for all kids in the city of Sachse, TX.

Boy Scouts of America
Former Boy Scout during childhood.