👋 Hello, I’m Nathan Grocott

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✉️ Contact Me 🔗 LinkedIn

I’m a seasoned IT professional with a strong background in Linux systems, web hosting, DevOps practices, and cloud infrastructure. Over the years, I’ve supported a wide range of platforms including virtual private servers, bare metal deployments, Kubernetes clusters, and VMWare environments.

With hands-on experience in security hardening, monitoring, and system migrations, I help businesses run stable and secure systems—whether it’s a small business site or a mission-critical infrastructure.

🛠️ Core Skills

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• Cloud Platforms & AI: IBM Cloud, IBM Watsonx
• DevOps: CI/CD, Infrastructure-as-Code, Git, Monitoring, Visual Studio (CMake)
• Languages: C/C++, Bash, Java, JavaScript, Perl, PHP, PowerShell, Python
• Frameworks: PyTorch, InstructLab
• Web Stack: Linux WHM/cPanel, Windows Plesk, EasyApache, LAMP/LEMP Stacks, Apache, Nginx
• Email: Exim, Dovecot
• Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL
• Linux Systems: (Red Hat, Ubuntu, OpenSUSE)
• Windows Systems: (Windows Server 2008 - 2019)
• Virtualization & Containers: VMware vSphere, NSX, Docker, Kubernetes
• Networking & Security: Bind(DNS), LACP, SSL VPN, IPSec, Vyatta Gateways, RAID (Adaptec/LSI)
• Storage: iSCSI, NFS, object storage
• Root Cause Analysis: Log analysis for system/email/web

💼 Who I Work With

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I offer services for:

• 🏢 Businesses needing infrastructure support or platform troubleshooting
• 💻 Developers looking to offload server setup, DNS, backups, or CI/CD pipelines
• 🛠️ Organizations migrating to cloud or containerized platforms
• 🧩 Teams requiring custom monitoring, security audits, or performance optimization

💼 Professional Experience

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IBM

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Computer Support Engineer | Sep 2018 – Present

• Supported VMware and Virtual Private Cloud platforms
• Automated KVM access via RDP scripts (saved 600+ hours)
• Created documentation templates and internal knowledgebases
• Improved communication following long-term corrective speech therapy

SoftLayer (IBM)

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Customer Support Technician | Jun 2014 – Sep 2018

• Provided ticket/chat/call-based server and storage support
• Wrote customer-facing documentation (e.g. SSL VPN guides)
• Guided users on RAID configs, IPMI, and web hosting environments
• Temporarily led team in absence of supervisors

HostGator LLC

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Junior Administrator | Jan 2012 – Oct 2013

• Supported Linux/Windows WHM/cPanel and Plesk hosting
• Automated customer chat workflows to improve response times
• Performed DNS/email troubleshooting and server log analysis
• Helped clients with Apache, EasyApache, and SEO tools

🎓 Education & Training

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Towson University – Studied Computer Science (with 101 credits completed toward B.S.) Harford Community College - Studied primarily foundational courses in Computer Science (with 83 credits completed toward an A.S.)

Certifications & Training

• IBM Watsonx (Essentials, Level 1)
• VMware NSX & vSphere, Lenovo Server Servicing
• Cybersecurity Engineering, Windows Server Admin
• Certified Kubernetes Admin (CKA) (ongoing)
• CI/CD with FreeCodeCamp (ongoing)

🧠 Key Project

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IBM Watsonx Challenge – InstructLab Track (Jul 2024)

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Team Lead Led a custom AI training solution using IBM Watsonx and InstructLab.

• Configured environments with Python, PyTorch, and CMake
• Delivered milestone tracking and documentation
• Gained real-world experience in open-source AI workflows

🎯 My Goal

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My mission is to make infrastructure resilient, secure, and scalable—without overcomplicating it. I bring a pragmatic approach to problem-solving, and I always look for the simplest solution that gets the job done right.

📬 Let’s Connect

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If you’re looking for someone to support your servers, streamline your infrastructure, or consult on cloud transitions, feel free to reach out .