Breena Kermott

Objective:

I love a challenge - research, development: being on the cutting edge. My ideal job involves physics or earth science as well as my specialty, Linux Systems Administration.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Systems Administrator at Marchex, Inc 2006-Present:
- Lead efforts to increase monitoring via Nagios and Cacti: implemented custom perl and shell scrip ts for both, created custom cacti templates, maintained and upgraded production monitoring systems.
- Managed datacenter installations: from bare metal racking to networking setup, OS install, applic ation install and configuration. Enforced power failover configuration. Diagnosed and corrected server hardware issues.
- Built and maintained custom server software and linux kernels. Built company-specific releases o f typical linux server software such as Apache, Nagios, tomcat, jboss, perl, mysql, etc.
- Built VMWare and Xen servers from the kernel up, including creating the virtual machines/domUs.
- Trained junior systems administrators.
- Debugged software issues for both company-specific software and freeware (Nagios, Cacti).
- Played an active role on team of ~10 keeping ~500 production servers going, including being on ca ll for off hours issues. Tackled learning company-specific applications on the fly when responding to al arms (as required).
- Worked with SANs such as the 3Par SAN and the EMC AX4. Allocated storage, initialized clients, d ebugged issues.
- Studied networking: in implementing custom monitoring and in general use. Created various typs o f VIPs on Citrix Netscalers and F5 BigIps.
- Set up, recovered, and converted running systems to RAID0-5 (software and hardware RAID).
- Set up pdus and console servers, kept them up to date with firmware updates, integrated them with tacacs+ authentication system where possible.

Project Manager/Programmer at CompanyV.com 2003-2005:
- Managed a team of four and served as a programmer for a web-based corporate management tool allowing clients to post changes to their website’s homepage, add blog entries, and send managed bulk emails (integrated with all contact forms on their website) after approval by mangement. System allows managment to review and edit all aspects of all postings.
- Designed and built in Template Toolkit, Perl, and HTML a tool to assign zipcodes to Franchise office websites by state or county and to review current zipcode assignments and all unassigned zipcodes. Integrated zipcode assignments into a search and all contact forms.
- Designed and programmed the user interface with HTML, Perl, Template Toolkit, and Javascript. Debugged the UAL Apache mod_perl handler. Added Captcha functionality from Authen::Captcha to the Apache mod_perl handler.
- Presented status, functionality overview, and recommendations to upper management for project approval.

System Administrator/Network Specialist at Entertainment Technology 1999-2006 (part-time):
Local and remote installation, implementation, integration, security, and administration. Successful design and implementation of LAN networks, including security and VPN connectivity. Implementation and maintenence: security, upgrades, customization of Internet- and client/server/database-related applications.
- Responsible for technical support, security in a 24x7 environment supporting around 20 servers (varies with maintenance) hosting websites, mail, FTP drops, mail archiving, and DNS for 45+ clients.
- Assembled, configured, and maintained Redhat Linux servers with DNS (Bind), Sendmail, Apache, MYSQL, PostgreSQL with slony-I, OpenSSH, Iptables, Samba, NTPd, Majordomo, Mharc & MHonarc, ProFTPd.
- Assembled, configured, and maintained OpenBSD servers with DNS (Bind), Sendmail (MTA), OpenSSH, pf, OpenNTPd, OpenVPN. OpenBSD servers function as routers for multiple LANs, Firewalls between LANs and the internet, and VPN routers.
- Installed and configured 3com network switches. Programmed and scripted in Perl, BASH, and CSH to automate administrative tasks (scripts also used with CRONd on Redhat Linux, logsentry on OpenBSD).
- Brought up, maintained, and upgraded TWiki wikis to enable online, collaborative documentation of systems status, development progress, and implementation policies for internal use and for client use.
- Maintained historical log data for all hosted and some non-hosted websites. Assembled cron script to automate log acquisition and analysis nightly: designed to minimize duplicate log processing.
- Managed users for email, FTP access, Apache restricted sites, and ssh logon for all servers.
- Managed DNS for 124+ zones. Maintained secondary and tertiary slave DNS servers for all zones. Locked down DNS services to disallow recursive lookups to close potential security hole. Built DNS system to block ad servers allowing clients who sign up for the service to surf the internet advertisement and pop-up free.
- Wrote perl module DeSpaminator to provide a secure web-based user interface frontend to all spam and virus filtering options provided by SpamAssassin, MimeDefang, and Anomy Sanitizer.
- Performed network maintenence tasks for Windows Domain network of 7 Windows 2000/NT/NT Server machines. Repaired spyware and virus-infested machines on site and for clients. Performed on-site installation of DSL, LAN (routers, hubs, switches), DHCP Servers, Firewalls, WAPs, Windows 2000/XP systems, printers/scanners/faxes.
- Designed (in MS Visio), architected, and implemented network setups.
- Created and maintained SSL Certificate Authority. Signed, revoked certificates.

Network Administrator at Brentwood School 2004:
Documented, secured, organized, and maintained the network of over 150 PCs and 12 Mac iBooks for the Lower School. Maintained the Lower School local Novell file server. Renumbered and reworked network architecture to allow VPN connection between Lower and Upper Schools. Installed and configured Cisco PIX Firewall. Inventoried and tested all equipment and computers.

Hardware Engineer at Avica Technology 2003 (temp, 4 weeks):
Worked with senior engineer to design in CAD, assemble prototype, and perform extensive testing to fix circuit board clock jitter problem on PCI card.

Hardware Engineer at Pelago Networks 2000-2002 (1 1/4 years):
Designed, wrote, synthesized, debugged, and verified VHDL for a 200K gate Altera part running at 50 and 125MHz (two clock domains). Debugged FPGA in the system using the IBM RiscWatch, Oscilloscopes, Logic Analyzer, and Altera's MasterBlaster. Wrote documentation for the FPGA design implementation. Wrote diagnostic software in C for the PPC. Developed a MS Access 2000 database using Visual Basic to make dynamically updated forms and a versatile search engine.

Assistant System Administrator at Union College, CS Department 1999:
Maintained Unix servers (Solaris, Digital Unix) for Union College's Computer Science and Engineering departments. Brought up and maintained computer systems for the Freshman Engineering Lab and Physics Lab. Ran a Help Center for Electrical Engineering and Computer Science covering all classes I had taken.

Systems Technician at PNC Engineering 1996-1997:
Repaired, sold, and installed professional audio and video post-production equipment.

Lab Assistant at Union College 1998:
Calibrated and maintained equipment for laboratory use.

COMPUTER EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, GPA 3.61
Master of Science, Computer Science, GPA 3.59
Graduated June 2000, Union College, Schenectady NY.
Honors: Dean's List, Eta Kappa Nu, Tau Beta Pi
Transcript: http://geocities.datacellar.net/airewaives/transc.html
 

References available on request