Targeting IT Support, Junior Systems Administration, and Cloud Operations roles.

Hands-On IT Support.
Verified Systems Troubleshooting.

I operate a Windows Server Active Directory domain, maintain monitored Linux infrastructure, and build AWS applications. My project write-ups document troubleshooting steps, fixes, and verification—not just installations.

Currently completing a B.S. in Software Engineering at Western Governors University while building practical infrastructure and support experience through a dedicated homelab, AWS projects, and ongoing study of systems administration and cloud operations.

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Google IT Support Professional B.S. Software Engineering — In Progress Kalamazoo, Michigan

Featured Projects

Hands-on infrastructure, support, and cloud work
ByteGeist AD homelab topology diagram — DC01, FILE01, OPNsense, WIN11-01

ByteGeist Windows Server Lab

Windows Server 2022 Active Directory lab in VMware: domain controller with AD DS and DNS, member file server with role-based SMB share access, a Windows 11 domain client, and an OPNsense firewall/router used for segmentation practice. The current client and servers remain on VMnet8 while the VMnet2 segmented client layout is the next networking exercise.

View Lab Details
ByteGeist Support Lab — live app screenshot

ByteGeist Support Lab

An interactive IT troubleshooting application on AWS (Amplify, Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB) with React. Realistic support incidents, command-line workflows, diagnosis, resolution, and scoring.

View Live Site
ByteGeist Infrastructure Lab live control plane showing host telemetry, container health, and service status

ByteGeist Infrastructure Lab

A self-hosted Hetzner Ubuntu environment running Docker-based services with Prometheus, node_exporter, cAdvisor, Grafana, Loki, Authentik, Gitea, Woodpecker CI, TLS routing, and a sanitized live status API. Built to practice deployment, monitoring, identity, security, recovery, and day-to-day infrastructure operations.

View Live Control Plane
AWS Cloud Study Tracker — live app screenshot

AWS Cloud Study Tracker

A multi-user serverless AWS study tracker using Cognito, API Gateway, Lambda, DynamoDB, and Amplify. Public demo topics remain readable without an account, while signed-in users get private CRUD access protected by JWT authorization and per-record ownership checks.

View Live Site

Troubleshooting Case Studies

Observed issues, diagnostic work, and verified outcomes
Verified Fix: Domain trust failure

Test-ComputerSecureChannel failed while WIN11-01 was on the wrong VMware network.

Fix: Returned the client to VMnet8, restored DC01 as DNS, repaired the secure channel, then verified with Test-ComputerSecureChannel and nltest.

Verified Fix: PDC time source

w32tm /query /source reported Local CMOS Clock on the PDC Emulator.

Fix: Configured external NTP peers, resynchronized Windows Time, then verified time.windows.com as the active source.

Windows Server 2022 · Time Services ✓ Verified Fix

PDC Emulator using its local CMOS clock

Problem: An AD domain controller reported Local CMOS Clock as its time source. Unreliable domain time can lead to Kerberos clock-skew failures.

Action: Checked the source with w32tm, configured external NTP peers, restarted Windows Time, and resynchronized.

Result: Verified time.windows.com as the source, stratum 5.

See commands and verification
Windows 11 · Active Directory ✓ Verified Fix

Restoring a broken domain secure channel

Problem: WIN11-01 was bridged onto the physical LAN and could not reach DC01 on the VMware NAT subnet. Trust repair initially failed.

Action: Changed the VM network to NAT, pointed client DNS at DC01, and repaired the machine-account trust.

Result: Test-ComputerSecureChannel returned True; nltest located DC01 successfully.

See audit evidence

Technical Skills

Tools demonstrated in the linked projects

Windows & Identity

Windows Server 2022, Active Directory, DNS, domain joins, SMB/NTFS permissions

See Windows Server lab

Linux & Infrastructure

Ubuntu, Docker Compose, TLS routing, Prometheus, Grafana, Loki

See infrastructure lab

Cloud & Automation

AWS IAM, Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, Amplify; PowerShell, Bash, Git

See AWS project

Support & Diagnostics

TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS troubleshooting, secure-channel repair, access control, incident isolation

See case studies

Certifications & Credentials

Verified professional and academic credentials
WGU Certificate: Front-End Developer badge

WGU Certificate: Front-End Developer

Western Governors University

Verify Credential

About

Background and focus
Keith Casko

Keith Casko — Kalamazoo, Michigan

I'm transitioning into IT, cloud, and systems administration while completing a B.S. in Software Engineering at Western Governors University. My focus is practical, hands-on infrastructure work: Windows Server and Active Directory, Linux, AWS, Docker, networking, and technical troubleshooting.

My professional background is at Costco Wholesale as a Baker. The job is production-paced and team-based, and it's where I developed the habits I bring to IT work — customer service, teamwork, training coworkers, process discipline, prioritization, and real-world problem-solving under pressure.

Education & Experience

Current study and professional background

Western Governors University

Bachelor of Science, Software Engineering · In Progress

Building a software engineering foundation alongside hands-on work in systems administration, cloud infrastructure, networking, Java, and web development.

Hands-On Technical Experience

Homelab, cloud projects, and deployed applications
  • Windows Server 2022, Active Directory, DNS, SMB shares, permissions, and domain troubleshooting
  • Linux, Docker, reverse proxy, TLS, monitoring, and service administration
  • AWS Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, Amplify, IAM, S3, EC2, and Systems Manager
  • Documented troubleshooting with verification steps rather than installation-only demos

Costco Wholesale — Baker

June 2015 – Present
  • High-volume production work requiring accuracy, prioritization, and process discipline
  • Day-to-day troubleshooting of equipment and workflow problems
  • Training coworkers, customer service, and clear communication under time pressure

Earlier Grocery & Bakery Experience

Prior to Costco

Additional long-term experience in bakery and grocery environments, contributing to roughly three decades of customer service, production, teamwork, training, and operational problem-solving.

Open to IT Support, Help Desk, and Junior SysAdmin roles

Based in Kalamazoo, Michigan — available on-site, hybrid, or remote.

keith.casko@gmail.com