Senior Linux Systems Administrator

Benny Helms

Florida: Palm Bay

******.**@*****.***

Experienced Linux Systems Administrator

Self-starting, highly motivated Linux expert offering many years experience as an open source

aficionado and creator of healthy and robust Linux server environments. I bring more than a decade of

Senior Unix/Linux Systems Administration experience when I join your team. My work ethic is

unquestioned, and I can comfortably work with and interface with both technical and non-technical

personnel. I have trained several Junior Systems Administrators who have gone on to great careers in

their own departments and companies.

I'm currently seeking a company where I can work with a team of Systems Administrators, mentoring

the Junior Systems Administrators, and working hand in hand with other Senior Systems

Administrators, bouncing ideas off one another to troubleshoot issues and resolve them as rapidly and

as safely as possible. The company I seek will provide a work environment where employees feel that

they and their work are appreciated, and where they feel good about coming to work each and every

day.

Recent Key Accomplishments:

• Oversaw security project that brought company into PCI, Sarbanes/Oxley, and CyberTrust

compliance

• Major contributor to SAP conversion and upgrade project

• Automated administrative tasks through bash scripting

• Oversaw backup, restoration and disaster recovery by means of CommVault and rsync

• Created a custom LiveCD for employees to safely VPN into the LAN from home

• Currently overseeing initiative to replace in-house DNS with a hosted DNS service

• Recent recipient of “Extra Mile Award” for my contribution to the success of a GIS mapping

application

Technology Summary (more detailed at bottom of document):

• Ubuntu (Server and Workstation)

• Red Hat / Fedora

• Debian

• SuSE Linux

• CentOS

• CommVault

• VMWare

• XenCenter

• VirtualBox

• Vagrant

• Bash shell scripting

• Oracle system administration

Professional Experience:

Brevard County BOCC 04/2012 to present

Senior Linux Systems Administrator for all of Brevard County, Florida

Position Overview:

Responsible for planning, provisioning, installing, maintaining and protecting Linux servers in

physical, virtual and cloud modes. These servers include web servers, mail servers and database

servers. Also responsible for optimizing system performance and protecting the County from risk and

data loss, performing software installations and upgrades to Linux systems and maintaining them in

accordance with established policies, procedures and service level agreements. My preferred OS is

Debian/Ubuntu, but I also currently support Fedora 20, SuSE SLES 11 and CentOS. I share security

responsibilities with the County's head of security.

Key Contributions:

• Responsible for creating SuSE Linux SLES 11 servers running Oracle 11g as replacements for

our previous AIX SAP servers

• Reduce downtime and costs while increasing security by replacing Windows servers with more

resilient and secure Linux servers

• Ensure data recoverability by implementing system and application level backups

• Author and modify bash shell scripts for system monitoring and system upgrades

• Automate administration tasks through use of bash shell scripting

• Document all Systems Administration tasks

Sabbatical 06/2010 to 03/2012 – Study, reconnect with my son, handle a divorce, and basically

recharge my mental batteries

Montana Interactive 04/2001 to 05/2010

Senior Unix/Linux Systems Administrator

Position Overview:

Administered AIX and Linux servers responsible for hosting State web offerings

Key Contributions:

Oversaw initiative to bring company into PCI, Sarbanes Oxley and CyberTrust compliance

Created several Linux servers to replace Windows servers, reducing costs while increasing up time

Supported AIX & Linux servers

Responsible for uploading all new Perl code to production servers after assisting developers with

rigorous testing on development servers

Responsible for user support

Responsible for training of personnel in security practices

Education and Training:

American Institute of Computer Sciences

Professional - December 2002

Self Training

Vocational - February 1998 to present

Self taught on all aspects of Linux and Unix Systems Administration, and continuing to learn each and

every day. Recently began studying Spanish to increase my communication skills.

CCS SCO Unix

Vocational - July 1998

Lynnwood, Washington

5 courses offered by SCO UNIX covering all aspects of System Administration

• Introduction to SCO UNIX Systems

• SCO OpenServer Release 5 Administration 1: User Services

• SCO OpenServer Release 5 Administration 2: Installation and maintenance

• SCO OpenServer Release 5 Networking

• SCO OpenServer Release 5 Shell programming

Technical background:

Server administration:

• Provided capacity planning

• Evaluated and recommended all systems, software and hardware

• Designed and built many servers and workstations from components

• Optimized UNIX and Linux systems

• Managed Data Center

• Administered UNIX/Linux servers of the following types:

UNIX (SCO, AIX)

Linux servers (Debian, RedHat, Ubuntu, SuSE, CentOS, and others)

• Created, configured and maintained:

Web servers on Linux using Apache 1.3* and 2.*

Oracle 8.1.7.4 on AIX 4.3.3

Oracle 11g on SuSE Enterprise Server 11

DNS using using BIND

NFS servers on Linux

Samba servers on Linux to integrate Linux and Windows for file and printer sharing

CVS server on Linux

MySQL servers on various platforms

Mail servers on Debian/Ubuntu using Postfix, clamav, amavis, pop3 secure, smtp secure

• Created, configured and maintained servers of the following types:

AIX 4.3.3 (32 and 64 bit)

SuSE (various versions)

Debian/Ubuntu Servers (various versions)

CentOS (various versions)

FreeBSD

Ubuntu workstation

• Installed upgrades and patches (both for bugs and security)

• Provided routine maintenance and shutdown/restart of all servers

• Responsible for CVS and Mantis change control systems

Networking:

• Designed networks for 2 companies

• Planned and oversaw vendor installation of network cabling

Scripting:

• Highly skilled in bash shell scripting on UNIX and Linux

• Created custom bash shell scripts for daily systems administration to maximize time available

for dealing with other server and security issues

• Currently beginning study of Python as a second language

Security – Server and network:

• Secured UNIX and Linux systems

• Created and maintained firewalls using iptables for both perimeter and host protection

• Have held primary responsibility for network, server, and workstation security

Security - Data:

• Enterprise network backups of all servers using the following applications:

Cheyenne ArcServe

Storix

Harbor

CommVault

Upstream

rsync

backintime

• Created, maintained, and tested enterprise disaster recovery plan

• Created virtualized Ubuntu Linux backup server, using custom bash shell scripts to enable cron

scheduled rsync backups of Linux servers not covered by licensing as a cost saving measure

• Wrote and maintained custom backup solution for Oracle 8.1.7.4

• Currently studying RMAN for Oracle to update the current Oracle backup system

Management, mentoring and training:

• Trained junior SysAdmins

• Personnel training and management

• Trained end users on software and supported their hardware

• Have been primary point of contact for all hardware and software vendors

Specialized software:

• Legacy Business software on UNIX server – Amtech Infocor

• Industry Specific Production Software – CTI CorrTech

• Responsible for final check, tracking, and upload of all developer web application changes to

production web server

• Installed all Perl modules as required by developer needs

• Acted as backup for primary SAP Basis administrator

• Assist end users with safely and properly uploading new transports through the SAP system

Virtualization:

• Implemented virtualization initiative in organization, and oversaw it to completion using the

following applications:

VMWare (servers and guests)

Xen

VirtualBox

Vagrant

• Implemented VirtualBox on an Ubuntu 13.10 workstation for testing various distributions

• Responsible for testing Vagrant virtualization in coordination with VirtualBox

Special projects:

• Oversaw security compliance initiatives to successful completion:

Sarbanes/Oxley

PCI

CyberTrust

• Oversaw Systems Administration aspect of upgrading SAP several versions, and converting

from AIX servers to SuSE SLES 11 servers including installation of Oracle 11g

• Created a custom LiveCD based on an older Ubuntu Workstation LiveCD to enable users to

VPN into LAN from home without risk of viruses or malware affecting our network

Budget reduction projects:

• Assigned to convert servers from Windows based to Linux based to reduce overall budget and

to increase uptime and performance on servers

• Assigned to research open source solutions to replace current proprietary software to reduce

overall budget

• Assigned to convert existing standalone Linux servers to updated Ubuntu virtual servers using

VMWare, Xen and CloudStack Management

Other skills:

• Project management

Contact this candidate