I am Dallas Holmstead, a Technical Operations Specialist and Maker with a proven track record managing the full lifecycle of IT assets for Microsoft-owned game studios. I design tailored hardware/software solutions, automate workflows for efficiency, and maintain advanced systems that empower teams. As a System Administrator, I ensure uptime across diverse platforms while delivering exceptional user support. My homelab is a continuous learning playground where I experiment with cutting-edge tools and apply them creatively in both work and personal projects.
I'm a Technical Operations Specialist and maker with 10+ years of experience designing, automating, and managing large-scale Windows environments for Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios. My passion is enabling teammates to succeed—whether that means building a custom test workstation, creating a Power Automate-driven imaging pipeline, or provisioning peripherals for new hires. At the Shield Lab I improved uptime for 400+ systems and cut fresh install time dramatically with a bespoke imaging solution, while introducing ~3,000 assets to track via Snipe-IT, replacing an unreliable inventory process. During the pandemic I kept remote teams productive across multiple states, earning recognition from Xbox colleagues for expert hardware support. Outside of work I continuously expand my skill set through personal projects such as AI server builds and TrueNAS deployments, reinforcing my belief that hands-on experimentation is the fastest path to mastery.
- Operating Systems: Windows 10/11, Server 2016/2019, Linux (Ubuntu)
- Scripting: PowerShell, Bash, Python
- Automation: Power Automate, Azure DevOps Pipelines, N8N
- Asset Management: Snipe-IT
- Virtualization: Hyper-V, Proxmox
- Storage: TrueNAS, RAID, ZFS
- Networking: VLAN, DHCP, TCP/IP troubleshooting
- Tools: Git, Docker, Azure DevOps
System Administration
Scripting
Technical Operations
Game Tester for Xbox
IT Operations Engineer for Xbox
Senior Technical Operations Specialist for Xbox
Xbox Game Studios - Studios Quality Team
Contractor: Insight Global
July 2020 - January 2026
- End-to-end hardware lifecycle management: Procured, deployed, maintained, upgraded, and retired assets for 200+ QA testers and developers, ensuring optimal performance and minimal downtime.
- Inventory system overhaul: Replaced legacy tracking with Snipe-IT, audited ~3000 assets, and instituted ongoing visibility, reuse planning, and automated reporting.
- Automation & workflow optimization: Built Power-Automate flows that auto-generated Azure DevOps tickets from incoming emails, cutting manual effort and preventing requests from getting lost.
- Remote-work enablement: Designed and shipped home-workstation kits during the pandemic, coordinating cross-state logistics for dozens of new hires.
- Large-scale office relocation: Managed hardware and personal-item moves for 200+ staff, collaborating with senior leadership on layout, inventory, and continuous remote-access support.
- Ticket & service-request ownership: Oversaw end-to-end ticket lifecycle in Azure DevOps, ensuring timely resolution and clear stakeholder communication.
- Advisory planning: Provided feasibility assessments, upgrade path recommendations, and cost-effective solutions for upcoming test-hardware projects.
Xbox Game Studios - Shield Lab
Contractor: Experis
July 2016 - July 2020
- Lab operations & uptime stewardship: Managed the Shield Test Lab's hardware-compatibility and networking environment, keeping over 400 desktops, laptops, tablets, and servers online 99.5% of the time for pre-production game testing.
- Custom PowerShell imaging pipeline: Designed an unattended OS-imaging solution that automated Windows deployments across the lab, cutting fresh-install setup time from hours to minutes and enabling remote, on-demand re-imaging.
- Server-infrastructure build-out: Architected and deployed a 100TB storage array, DHCP services, and VM-based tool hosts, providing simultaneous build-deployment capacity for multiple titles and reducing bottlenecks in test cycles.
- Spare-parts inventory & rapid repair: Established a stocked parts library covering all major components; average mean-time-to-repair dropped from days to hours, minimizing test-lab downtime.
- Network-lab troubleshooting partnership: Diagnosed hardware failures (NICs, capture rigs, performance servers) and collaborated with Hybrid Lab Network Services to resolve VLAN/switch issues, preserving test-environment stability.
- Mobile-workstation provisioning: Configured, deployed, and supported laptops for all lab personnel, allowing uninterrupted productivity while transitioning between test machines and services.
B.Sc. Game and Simulation Programming
I have a lifetime of working with desktop PC parts and software. I started with a box of random parts that my father had gifted me while I was in elementary school. At the same time I also had a PC-obsessed teacher in 5th grade that taught me how to navigate DOS and Windows. With these powers combined I turned that box of parts into a powerhouse of a PC that I could use as a media, homework, gaming machine. Using the power of anime and gaming I learned file systems and software troubleshooting. I have developed these skills from DOS 3.0 all the way through Windows 11. These skills have been invaluable to me in my professional life at Game Studios. I have used this expertise to keep the workstations and test equipment in perfect working order so that testers, developers, and administrators alike can do their jobs effectively every single day. In fact, I like doing this so much that I pursue similar hands-on projects in my personal time.
I learn best by doing. Trial and error encompasses my whole life. I do this when designing some part for 3D printing or when creating a new tool for automation at the workplace. It even seeps into my video game time. One of my all-time most played games is Kerbal Space Program, where you build a rocket and launch. The rocket fails in some spectacular explosion and you go back to the drawing board to refine your design. Enough iterations of this and eventually you will reach the Moon, no matter your starting point. This means that I can learn anything when given enough time and space to research and experiment.
Time for a Fun Fact!
Practically my entire career at Xbox Game Studios can be conveniently tracked over on the Moby Games Video Game Credits Database. I grew up with fond memories of many of these games, several of which got remakes like Rise of Nations, Age of Empires, and Halo. Now my name will be attached to these games forever because I helped the people who make them succeed!