Alex Pierce

Background

About Alex Pierce

As a certified Solutions Consultant with over a decade of experience, I specialize in translating complex business needs into robust technical designs, with a core focus on security, cloud, and data center technologies. My expertise spans across: Security Solutions: In-depth knowledge and practical application of cybersecurity products such as Managed Detection & Response (MDR), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR), Extended Detection and Response (XDR), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), Incident Response, and Vulnerability Management. Public Cloud Platforms: Experience with Amazon Web Services (AWS) covering VPC, EC2, and S3, and Microsoft Azure including Compute, Networking, and Storage. This includes performing high-level designs, cloud rationalization assessments, TCO / ROI studies, migrations, and greenfield build-outs. Virtualization Technologies: Expert in virtualizing a wide array of applications, from critical enterprise database platforms like SQL and Oracle to high-density Windows VDI environments. Adept with industry-leading hypervisors: Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware ESXi, and Nutanix AHV. Compute Hardware: Familiar with and able to design solutions leveraging various x86 server hardware, specifically Cisco Unified Compute Systems (UCS), HPE DX (ProLiant), Dell EMC XC, Supermicro NX, and Lenovo ThinkAgile Appliances. Networking Fundamentals: A solid understanding of both LAN/WAN networking fundamentals (Routing, Switching, Firewalls, SD-WAN) and SAN networking fundamentals (HBAs, Multi-pathing, Zoning). Storage Architecture: Comprehensive knowledge of storage architecture and design, encompassing both traditional storage technologies (e.g, NetApp ONTAP, HPE Nimble, IBM and cutting-edge software-defined storage technologies (e.g, VMware vSAN, Nutanix AOS, Azure Blob, Amazon S3). Backup & Recovery Strategies: Skilled in architecting resilient disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BC) plans, capable of leveraging private, public, and hybrid cloud environments. Experienced with enterprise recovery solutions such as Azure Site Recovery, Veeam, and Zerto. Operating System Administration: Proficient in Windows Server and LINUX administration functions, including Active Directory, Clustering, Distributed File System (DFS), DHCP, Disk partitions, DNS, Domain structures, File Permissions, General Security practices, Group Policies, and User & Group Management.