Cloud Computing & Virtualization Lab Server
September 2024 - Present
Academic Project - Atlantic Technical College
Spearheaded the design and ongoing implementation of a dedicated bare-metal server utilizing Proxmox VE to create a dynamic, hands-on cloud and virtualization lab environment. This project empowers users with practical experience beyond pre-configured labs, allowing creation and management of personal VMs (KVM) and containers (LXC) on real hardware infrastructure.
Key architectural features include implementing VLAN segmentation for robust network isolation, configuring pfSense as a gateway firewall, and integrating with Active Directory for centralized user authentication. The setup incorporates pre-configured VM templates leveraging cloud-init for rapid, automated provisioning. Explored distributed storage solutions (Ceph/GlusterFS concepts) and integrated monitoring (Zabbix/Prometheus concepts) alongside automated backup strategies using Proxmox Backup Server. This initiative provides a scalable, secure, and realistic platform for mastering core cloud infrastructure technologies and sysadmin practices.
Technologies: Proxmox VE, KVM, LXC, pfSense, Active Directory, VLANs, TCP/IP Networking, cloud-init, Linux Server Admin (Basic), Ceph/GlusterFS (Conceptual), Zabbix/Prometheus (Conceptual), Proxmox Backup Server.
Custom High-Performance PC Build
Independently researched, sourced components for, and successfully assembled a custom desktop PC optimized for demanding computing tasks, gaming, and experimentation with virtualization and cloud-based applications.
- Gained practical, hands-on experience in hardware component compatibility assessment, physical assembly, BIOS/UEFI configuration, and clean OS installations (Windows/Linux distributions).
- Developed systematic troubleshooting methodologies by diagnosing and resolving complex hardware conflicts, driver incompatibilities, and system performance bottlenecks.
- Optimized system settings, including fan curves, memory timings (XMP), and power profiles, to achieve stable high performance under various workloads.