Overview

Nicholas Orlando is versed and worked with over twenty (20) years of experience in the Information Technology industry, as well as a knowledge base derived from formal and informal education. He has held several titles for roles as a professional and as contractor such as Microsoft Windows Exchange Engineers; Network and System Administrator, System and Network Engineer. He has been involved with server infrastructure for over fifteen years serving as an administrator, engineer and as an architect. He has twenty plus years in repairing computers, servers, wiring networks, wiring server racks and also has done graphics and web design.

He has developed skills in the field of networking and server builds for startup companies to massive infrastructures already in existence. In addition, He have upgraded substantial servers and networks that were already in place. Nicholas has advised on what network, computers and system components to purchase and negotiated pricing for them; built work stations and servers to run on network on infrastructures already in place. He works with teams to assure that the job is done correctly and has been promoted to team lead in several situations. The skills he brings to the table, in a timely manner, can provide complete support at any given time. He works with vendors and staff to make sure the problem is solved and corrected the first time. He has acted on an advisory council for hardware and software based applications upgrades to user’s computers systems.

Software

Windows Servers (NT4, 2000, 2003, 2008, and 2012) standard, enterprise, datacenter, and R2; VMWare (3, 4, 5, 5.5, 6); Microsoft Exchange (5.5, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, O365); Microsoft Windows (XP, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10); Windows Office Products, (up to and Including 2016 and MAC); Backup Software (Symantec NetBackup, VEEAM Backup and Recovery, HP Data Protector, HP Fast Recovery Systems, Windows backup), All the ADOBE creative Cloud Products, Music and Video editing; Plus, many other software products; Kemp Load balancers

Hardware

HP and Compaq ProLiant servers, Dell PowerEdge Servers, IBM servers, Cisco USC blade servers, HP blade servers, KACE appliance, and F5 Load balancers, plus more…

Certifications and Education

Currently need to finish my Bachelor Degree in Information Technology
Online study with Kaplan university

  • Computer Technology Industry Association A + Certified Service Technician
    Working on certifications

Technical Overview

Nicholas has designed, configured and administrated many types of server infrastructures and networks from 1 server to over 4000 servers, from 5 users to 500,000 users in his years of experience. He has been working with Windows Servers since the mid 1990’s. The years of experience he has developed through has gone from one version to other, also working with Novel as well. He has gone through many experiences with Microsoft Exchange servers from Version 4 to Exchange 2013 and Office 365. In the Past, he has also worked with GroupWise and Lotus Notes in some organization.

When Active directory was released in 1999 as a beta product, the organization he was with tested it. We learned how it began and the functionality of it from converting from NT 4 to Windows 2000 Active Directory. Today, this is a key service and product in windows servers that he must continue to learn as it changes. The knowledge behind this is key to all security of user login requests to the security of their data on their network. All windows products require the connection to Active directory in order to function. He continues to learn the function as he project could use something different that basic login methods.

Nicholas has built and fully designed backup and recovery solution systems from a tape system to Disk to Disk (D2D), worked with Snap shots for LUNS, and automatic system processes. He has tested recovery of user data, full operating systems, and performed full system recovery from bare metal servers. Products he has worked with over the years have been HP Data Protector, HP Fast Recover Systems, VEEAM Backup Solution, Symantec Backup Exec, Symantec NetBackup, and Windows NT Backup.  Backups to him are the most critical item next to user being able to log in to their computer with their active directory account for daily work functions.

  • Worked in and designed small to large scale networks with multi devices and LANS.
  • Installed, configured, upgraded, and designed VMWare infrastructures
  • Built many Active Directory environments and setup many GPO’s in prebuilt and custom built Active Directory Networks. Managed and updated existing GPO’s as well
  • Working with Microsoft Clustering since 2004 in network designs and setups
  • Designed, built and managed Microsoft Hyper-V servers on Windows 2008 (R2) and Windows 2012 (R2) servers. Using the management shell, being able to setup templates and configurations of each individual server to function
  • Built an active-passive clustered Hyper-V server for a customer using Dell servers, network devices and I-SCSI raid setup
  • Versed in IIS and have to set it up in a number of AD and server arenas for use of web technology applications
  • He has worked with DNS and DHCP setup, configurations for new domains and current domain infrastructures

Career Facts

  • Over twenty years plus years of experience in Microsoft Windows, Exchange, Network, System Administrator and Engineer, computer repair expert, graphics and web designer with leadership attributes.
  • Professionally started working with Microsoft Windows Servers 1996, and was learning and working with it well before 1996 with Windows 3.1, and Windows Server 3.51 Server. I have experience with NT 4.0, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2012 Standard, Enterprises and R2, x86 and x64 platforms.
    • Handling administration, managing, and installing of Active Directory Services
    • Disaster recovery / backup
    • E-Mail
    • Storage / disk arrays
    • Networking servers and infrastructure
    • Monitoring and analyzing
    • Tier 3 and Tier 4 support and engineering
    • Architect design and implementation
  • Built many Active Directory environments and setup many GPO’s in prebuilt and custom built Active Directory Networks.
  • Managed and updated existing GPO’s as well.
  • Worked with Microsoft Exchange since Version 4.0 and have worked and maintained Exchange Server 2003, 2007, 2010, office 365 from sites with 5 users to 500,000 users. I understand mail flow and how it works.
  • Completed and implemented an Exchange 2007 and 2010 E-mail server and mail flow.
  • Worked on teams that were going to upgrade their company environments in 2009 with Exchange 2007.
  • Worked with Citrix products prior, but not exclusively. I understand Terminal services and client/server functions for system. I understand VM and thin client architecture, which is very similar to Citrix type operations.
  • Working knowledge on how spam/antivirus systems work, including but not limited to Ironport Appliances, MacAfee Appliances and EPO, Symantec/Norton Corporate, TrendMicro to name a few.
  • Worked in and designed small to large scale networks with multi devices and LANS.
  • Working with Microsoft Clustering since 2004 in many network designs and setups.
  • Built and managed Microsoft Hyper-V servers on Windows 2008 R2 and Windows 8.1 computers. Using the management shell, being able to setup templates and configurations of each individual Hyper-V server. Built an active-passive clustered Hyper-V server for Apostolic Church of God when I worked for them.
  • Built and fully designed back and recovery systems from a tape system to D2D. Worked with Snap shots of LUNS and automatic system processes. Tested recovery and actually recovered full systems. Backups to me are the most critical item next to user being able to log in to their computer function as with its active directory accounts.
  • I am not an avid Script writer for PowerShell but I understand the scripting to troubleshoot and resolve problems. I know enough to build them to work with many options that are in AD, Exchange and so forth.
  • Versed in IIS and have to set it up in a number of AD and server arenas for use of web technology applications. Also part of this is understand how the DNS is setup and working with in the Domain. I am also well versed on how the websites work within IIS and DNS as well.
  • I am also in the process of learning more on the ADFS standards and setup because of the single sign in capability that many applications have now, and with the incorporation of AD and Office 365 this is a huge area that is needed in the current job market.
  • Currently, I am working with my 7411 and Exchange 2013
  • I do my best to continue to learn new products as they change and are released. There is nothing that can stop me learning in this industry as it changes for our future.

Recent Experience


Education

Recently upgraded two colleges VMWare environments, one to Version 5.5 and another to 6.0. Went through discovery stages to figure out the best upgrade paths for both infrastructures, which where both very different.  One had we had to upgrade and make sure each host was at the most current bios and ram. This was to make sure there would be no issues of migrating virtual machines to the new host environment. This was also upgrade from version 4.0/4.1 to 5.5 (u3b). We also worked with HP to upgrade their storage to the most current software versions so the VMware would run at best performance.


Legal

Working with a firm upgrading their Disaster Recovery site with rebuilding of a VMWare environment. We put in new HP servers, configured to boot of LUN and not local storage. Upgrading the file share server systems to 2012 r2 from 2003, with a special DNS configuration for older application to access these servers that have the new naming convention.


Government

Was presented with a Microsoft Exchange environment critical issue, that has been a problem for a few months prior to me arriving. The exchanges servers are running on VMWare 5.5 at two sites. Servers crashing was causing network connection to server to be slow, Microsoft Exchange kept crashing and virtual servers where not functioning correct.  Expanded and stabilized the Exchange VMWare servers; Corrected network issues on VMWare and storage for replication; Moved users into a newer database on new drive; After all this was completed the exchange servers and other server resources stabilized. There has not been any outage of any of the major resources in over 90 days since the corrections were implemented.


Retail and internet Store

Was brought in for Office 365 Migration, Server migration and upgrades. Worked on 700 user’s mailboxes. We moved a number of 2003 severs to 2012 r2. Had predefined scripts for moving users, averaged about 150 users a week. During this process, we had some issues come up with bluecoat spam filters that would allow Outlook auto discover to find Office 365. The reason was that the original IP range that was set, did not include all IP’s for Office 365 in the bluecoat devices. We also dealt the PST importing, E1 and E3 licensing, plus legal holds.  Worked with many users on how to setup outlook and help them work with office 2013. Built and configured 2012 r2 servers for migration of all their applications. Working with load balancing and certificates for multiple app servers.


Airline company

This was a server migration project, and owned 1500 servers for support in this organization. Tested and configured a standard setup for each server. Scripts where written to verify applications where properly installed. We had to track each server we migrated for the old account to the current environment. We had to also manage the patching the SCCM, which had a schedule system in place. There were also servers we had to manually update at specific times when we had schedule maintenance week each month.


Manufacturing Packaging Company

Designed a VMWare 5.5 network with Windows 2008 (r2) and 2012 (r2) standard and R2 servers to serve many roles in a company separation. This project was based on duplicating the company that was separating business units to sell off.  This configuration two separate domains for two separate untrusted forests in a mixed VMWare environment that was built. There was DMZ built for both domains. In this configuration and change we had to deal with multiple VLans and IP configurations because of the way the full infrastructure was changed over the years.  There where firewalls removed, network routes changed, and VLan’s consolidated for easier troubleshooting problems when necessary.  Designed and implemented a full VEEam Backup and Symantec NetBackup solution of the VMWare environment and their servers.


NON-Profit / Church organization

Scenario began when I walked in the door, 15 servers, a T-1 internet line, 2 ASA 5505s and 110 users. This non-profit church building was the size of city block, classrooms, banquet hall, auditorium that held about 10,000 and a second auditorium that held about 3000. All these tasks where planned and executed over a number of years. Migrated users from 2003 Active directory to 2008 Active Directory; Built DHCP and DNS into Active directory due to there was none of this previously setup on a server; Full scale Backup system implemented; Built an active / Active Hyper-V structure with two 2008 R2 servers and storage array; Consolidated 15 servers to 8 servers including the two Hyper-V servers; Rebuilt full network infrastructure, added wireless network on separate multiple VLan’s using HP ProCurve switches.


Summary
With respect to my career, I do not mind people looking through my credentials and business history. I am a firm believer in integrity, honesty, trust, and communication. This industry is always changing and challenging. I am always learning new technologies and enjoy helping others succeed at what they want to do. I always say that, “I will never stop learning because this is a career that changes and grows.” Never sell yourself short and never stop learning. I enjoy meeting and greeting people, talking about business, and how I can help companies advance themselves in this technology era. Helping young entrepreneurs by offering advice and insight from experiences in the computer, networking, graphics, and web design world.

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Cell Phone:

(224) 817-9954

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