Brian Brookman

Summary

Experienced IT professional with a strong background in infrastructure, networking, and cloud native platforms. Skilled in designing, deploying, and supporting scalable systems with a focus on automation, system reliability, security, and operational efficiency. An analytical thinker and knowledgeable technical resource with a proven track record of leading by example, improving internal processes, and fostering collaboration.

Skills

• Ansible
• CI/CD
• Terraform
• Load Balancing/Proxies
• Troubleshooting
• TCP/IP Protocols
• Amazon Web Services
• Microsoft Azure
• Bash
• GitHub
• Go/Golang
• Python
• Kubernetes
• Routing/Switching
• Linux Administration

Projects

• HomeOps: My home infrastructure and Kubernetes cluster, deployed as code using Terraform, Ansible, and Flux CD.
• AWS Kubeadm Terraform Module: A Terraform module for creating Kubeadm-based Kubernetes clusters on AWS EC2.
• Cloud Resume: My Azure hosted resume website based on The Cloud Resume Challenge.
• Duplicati Ansible Role: An Ansible role to install the Duplicati backup client on Linux systems.
• Pbing: An enhanced ping utility written in Go using the pro-bing library.
• Docker Buoy: A containerized Python web app used for load balancer testing and demos.

Experience

Sr. Infrastructure Engineer

• Provided enterprise application delivery services through a large deployment of over 100 F5 BIG-IP LTM, GTM/DNS, and BlueCat DDI appliances.
• Was recognized for "deep technical knowledge and remarkable patience" during a 2 year migration project to Apigee Hybrid on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and RedHat OpenShift.
• Supported application teams on over 928 F5 Load Balancing requests for troubleshooting, consultation, and change implementations.
• Frequently led troubleshooting on major incident bridges, created documentation, and developed Python and Bash tools/scripts
• Completed over 140 24x7 on-call shifts as Tier 3 support which included responding to infrastructure alerts, joining major incident bridges, and performing after-hours change implementations.

IT Engineer, Network Operations

• Drove network incident resolution in tandem with managed service providers and internal support teams.
• Troubleshot Palo Alto firewall traffic flows and rules to maintain stable and secure connectivity.
• Was one of 9 hackathon winners in 2022 for proposing a GitOps approach to Aruba ClearPass Static Host List changes which leveraged GitHub, Jenkins, and the ClearPass API.
• Provided in-depth analysis of packet captures and logs utilizing Wireshark and Splunk Enterprise.
• Was one of 6 hackathon winners in 2018 for a Python Django web app which enabled search and bulk provisioning of Aruba Remote Access Points (RAPs) leveraging the Aruba Activate API.
• Later deployed the app using Docker Swarm where it received over 400 daily requests and helped the Service Desk resolve Aruba RAP incidents at first level.

Associate IT Support Technician

• Provided end user support for a wide range of desktop, web, and infrastructure applications on the enterprise service desk.
• Was awarded the End User Services Subject Matter Expert Award in 2017 for exemplary performance.
• Handled over 60 calls per day, while maintaining a first-contact resolution rate of over 70%.
• Developed Windows Batch and PowerShell scripts to automate fixes for commonly reported problems, and gather workstation details for inventory and upgrades.

Photographer & Production Assistant

• Worked in the company’s eCommerce web department, creating/editing graphics and performing various web design/development tasks supporting the company’s website and email campaigns.
• Proposed critical changes to file permissions and management of the department’s shared drive.

Certifications

Amazon Web Services

• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Expires Jul 2027
• AWS Certified AI Practitioner Expires Jul 2028

Cloud Native Computing Foundation

• Kubernetes and Cloud Native Security Associate (KCSA) Expires Jun 2027
• Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) Expires Jul 2027
• Certified Kubernetes Adminstrator (CKA) Expires Mar 2027
• Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) Expires Apr 2027
• Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) Expires Feb 2027

Linux Professional Institute

• Linux Essentials Certification No Expiration

Microsoft Corporation

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals No Expiration

Education

A.S. Degree in Computer Networking, Administration, & Security Management

• Completed degree coursework which included Cisco Networking, Windows Server Security, Network Vulnerabilities, Firewall, and IDS/IPS administration.
• Vice-President of the Computer Information Systems (CIS) Club and a member of the college's Cyber-defense team which competed in the NCL Competition, received 1st place in a WRCCDC invitational, and took 1st place in a CSSIA CyberWars competition.

A.S. Degree in Computer Programming

• Coursework included systems analysis and design principles, software development lifecycle and methodologies, programming in C++, and object-oriented design principles.

A.S. Degree in Database Management

• In addition to programming and software development principles, coursework included database design, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL database administration.

Cisco Network Academy

• Member of the college’s cyber security competition team which scored 1st place in service uptime in a WRCCDC qualifier event.
• Completed Cisco Network Academy coursework in preparation for CCNA and CCNP Routing and Switching certifications.
• Participated in the Cisco NetRiders CCNA competition and progressed to the North American finals round.