Stewart Alexander

Network Engineer for Covariant.ai

Accomplishments

• Provided a way for solutions engineers to securely connect to cloud resources at remote customer locations in the absence of dedicated network infrastructure via the use of cellular hotspot technology
• Convinced the company to discuss networking requirements as part of the pre-sales communication with potential customers due to its fundamental role to the success of our robotic solutions
• Discussed with customers networking requirements, negotiated performance driven solutions that interfaced our product with existing infrastructure
• Created resilient, fault tolerant, secure network topologies that interfaced Covariant’s robotic solutions with customer infrastructures

Accomplishments:

• Senior Unix / Linux Systems Engineer, responsible for management of ACC’s 50 Linux servers (Ubuntu / CentOS / FreeBSD) running as KVMs on ProxMox and applications such as Jenkins, LibreNMS, NGINX, Apache, and others
• Hardened ACC’s Linux systems against attack by incorporating a CI/CD model of continually testing and upgrading their security; used tools such as Webmin and python, also security audited systems routinely via Lynis
• Developed Python and bash scripts to automate the maintenance and upgrades of ACC’s Linux systems, and front facing Alamancecc.edu website
• Migrated with the help of a vendor several Windows Server based applications to an AWS VPC
• Implemented and managed ACC’s Glyptodon / NGINX and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) solution, allowing access to internal systems
• Created a Software Defined Network (SDN) that updates and configures ACC’s 2000 endpoint PCs automatically using SaltStack, Nexus Proxy Server, Chocolatey, Jenkins, and OSQuery
• Responsible for the maintenance, upkeep and configuration of ACC’s 2 PFSense Firewalls and their ArcticWolf Security Appliance
• Replaced ACC’s 38 computer networks, which included 200 end of life Cisco Catalysts and their 168 AiroNet WiFi devices with Cisco Meraki APs
• Created boilerplates of ACC’s switch interface configurations based on services; significantly increased the efficiency of network and reduced infrastructure installation time
• Created over 650 pages of wiki documentation concerning ACC’s network behavior, processes, and procedures
• Assisted in the creation of security, disaster recovery, data retention, WiFi, and physical network access policies and procedures to harden ACC’s internet presence

Contractor with Red Hat performing tests / bug identification / solutions to drivers & firmware with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) pre-GA operating system. Also worked on software release candidates as virtual machines on an AIX zOS stack on IBM Power and Z s/390 mainframe systems.

Accomplishments:

• Successfully uncovered, isolated and resolved bugs with the assistance of development teams via testing and root cause analysis

Linux Systems Engineer assisting and resolving issues with NAA Life’s Red Hat Linux KVM cluster

Accomplishments:

• Successfully built internal web hosting sites using NGINX and Apache
• Uncovered and resolved issues with their backup storage systems
• Assisted with replacement of Bacula with Veeam backup; ensuring the security and stability of their Red Hat KVM guest virtual machines
• Upgraded outdated RedHat, CentOS & Ubuntu systems, added software to routinely update the systems for both stability and security purposes

Senior Systems Test Engineer assisting developing, initiating, and analyzing of R&D test projects associated with their cash accounting and dispensing solutions. Human Factors, Quality Assurance and Security development, testing and analysis of said systems and solutions.

Accomplishments:

• With the help of Trustwave security uncovered and resolved a MiTM attack vector to ARCA Worldwide ATMs via pentesting the systems
• Successfully QA tested pre-GA ATM machines
• Isolated and resolved mechanical, and software related issues
• Helped build with IBM and Loomis a successful blockchain model for the cash industry

Multiple job duties and responsibilities including:

• Principal IT Engineer
• DevOps Engineer
• Atlassian Administrator
• Network Engineer
• Linux/Unix Engineer

Accomplishments:

• Architected the Radwin AP point-to-vehicle network for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) test track
• Installed Mikrotik wireless routers within a robotic test-driver solution for the IIHS, configured these to speak to both the Radwin Access Points (APs) and a Locata ground based GPS solution that relayed positional data
• Built a hack-resistant internal vehicle LAN that compressed data on the fly using proprietary ciphers / compression algorithms that communicated with Radwin WiFi APs, and vehicle-to-vehicle using a Zigbee mesh network
• Successfully built a network that was removable and mobile that could be placed in any car, truck or van to make it drive autonomously

Member of IBM’s Product Engineering department , resolved IBM High Value Hardware Server defects and interfaced with enterprise customers and vendors

Accomplishments:

• Promoted to being the primary PCIe Product Engineer for all High-Value systems, owned all server PCIe defect-resolutions, isolated issues with the help of JDSU and Agilent tools, worked with firmware and driver development teams
• Built replications using primarily IBM xSeries hardware out to IBM BNT / Cisco Catalyst Ethernet and or Brocade / Nexus SAN switches connecting to Storwize v5/7000 systems and or Dell/EMC Clariion/VNX arrays in order to troubleshoot and resolve defects
• Awarded for going “above and beyond” in attempting to troubleshoot and resolve customer situations

Accomplishments:

• Awarded as Extreme Network’s “Technical Superstar” for superlative networking knowledge and problem resolution excellence
• Repeatedly received the highest customer satisfaction rating of the team while successfully resolving more than 6000 customer network issues during a year

Installed the Duke School Network, integrated hardware & software, recommended IT purchases

• Responsible for approximately 400 Mac laptops, 200 or so PCs, more than 2 dozen APs, and Duke School’s Fortinet firewall

Self-created interdisciplinary degree incorporating, Computer Science, Physics, International Policy, and Meteorology

Transferred to NCSU (North Carolina State University) after completing 4 years of undergraduate and 1 semester of post-graduate Computer Science

Certified BISDN Network Architect