Systems Engineering & Technical Consulting
I make complex systems make sense — whether that's storage infrastructure, firmware nobody else wants to touch, or figuring out why a vendor's component is lying about its capabilities.
About
Most of my career has been at iXsystems/TrueNAS, where I worked my way from IT intern to Hardware Engineer II. I was the HW-SW liaison — translating hardware specs into something software engineers could actually use, debugging firmware, managing ODM relationships from east coast to Taiwan, and shipping platforms from concept to manufacturing.
My technical foundation is Linux (Debian, FreeBSD), ZFS storage, VMware, Proxmox, Python, Bash, and Jenkins automation. I've got enough API experience to pull JSON, debug payloads, and build workflows around them.
Based in Knoxville, TN. Open to consulting engagements, storage infrastructure projects, and full-time roles in Systems Administration, Solutions Architecture, or Field Engineering.
Services
001
TrueNAS/ZFS design, deployment, and ongoing administration. Backup strategies, replication, snapshots, and disaster recovery. Built for production workloads that can't afford downtime.
002
Connecting hardware and software teams across complex technical environments. API integration, workflow automation with Jenkins and Python, and documentation that actually gets used.
003
Root-cause analysis, vendor management, and hardware qualification. If something is broken and nobody knows why, that's the kind of problem I was hired to solve for three years.
004
Hardware qualification, validation testing, and acceptance procedures — plus the documentation that makes it all repeatable. If it needs to be built, broken, and written up properly, that's this.
005
Storage infrastructure and technical systems for content creators and production teams. Video asset management, distributed team workflows, and hands-on support that keeps creative work moving without technology getting in the way.
Experience
Independent Systems Administrator
Erimus Interactive • Remote
TrueNAS/ZFS infrastructure management, Linux and Windows workstation support, and technical consulting for distributed production teams.
Hardware Engineer II
iXsystems Inc. (TrueNAS) • Knoxville, TN
Platform engineering, HW-SW integration, firmware debugging, ODM management, and full hardware lifecycle delivery. Eligible for re-hire.
Platform Engineering Technician
iXsystems Inc. (TrueNAS) • Knoxville, TN
System validation, integration testing, vendor collaboration, and hardware qualification across enterprise storage platforms.
IT Intern
iXsystems Inc. • Knoxville, TN
Data center operations, enterprise hardware support, helpdesk, and infrastructure documentation.
Contact
Have a storage problem, a system that needs untangling, or a role that sounds like a fit? My inbox is open.
awalker@erimusinteractive.com