This role was a move into a more product and service focus, using my technical expertise around Azure to support the Product Managers, Solutions Architects, Azure Consultants and Support to ensure that we provide a good overall service to customers from design, through to implementation and ongoingsupport.Aspects of the role include:- Working with the Product Managers to develop managed services around Azure.- Developing and maintaining reference architectures, build processes and related documentation.- Implementing monitoring for supported resources, producing process documentation and training forsupport teams.- Building and maintaining Infrastructure as Code artefacts and automation scripts for use by DeliveryConsultants to deliver standard infrastructure in a repeatable manner.- Acting as a Technical Design Authority, providing assistance to Azure Consultants with complex customer designs and deployments.Example internal work undertaken to improve on services and efficiency:- Redesigned deployment automation to support multi-subscription deployments, in-line withMicrosoft “Enterprise Scale Landing Zones” in Cloud Adoption Framework. Rewrote automation so that it is more flexible and can be deployed in a modular fashion.- Wrote detailed build documentation and checklists for the Azure Consultants to use in deploying Azureinfrastructure, validating built infrastructure and service transition.- Wrote detailed architecture documentation and quoting guide around “Enterprise Scale Landing Zones” with for Pre-Sales Solutions Architects and Azure Consultants to use when designing customer solutions.- Worked with Security Product Manager to define requirements for Azure Sentinel deployments. WrotePowerShell scripts and Bicep templates for initial deployment. Devised process for ongoing updates ofSentinel rules and built POC using PowerShell and the Sentinel API, with a view to implementing in AzureDevOps pipelines in the future.

The core aspects of the role:- Running customer workshops and audits to determine requirements. Design and costing of target Azure infrastructure, producing detailed low-level designs, migration plans and project planning.- Deployment of Azure IaaS/PaaS infrastructure, undertaking customer migrations, documentation, onboarding solutions into support systems, handover into support, providing an escalation point for support.- Providing technical consultancy for existing customers for improvements to their Azure infrastructure.Example work undertaken to improve services and efficiency:- Designed a Six Degrees standard “Azure Landing Zone” as a basis for smaller scale IaaS migrations.- Authored Infrastructure as Code artefacts for deployment using ARM templates, Terraform, Azure Blueprints, PowerShell, and Desired State Configuration (DSC).- Key part of the team that worked to prepare and successfully represent Six Degrees in the external audit to attain Microsoft’s Azure Expert MSP accreditation.Example customer projects:- Various: IaaS and PaaS migrations to newly deployed Azure "Landing Zones".- ISV: Designed and implemented repeatable IaaS-based solution for hosting banking software product. Authored ARM templates/PowerShell scripts to deploy Azure infra and VMs with PowerShell DSC to apply base OS config, deploy Active Directory, configure DFS and Web servers.- Oil and Gas Supplier: Designed and built a Citrix Cloud based apps/desktop delivery solution using Citrix Cloud, Azure VMs, FSLogix on Azure Files, with Netscaler, Storefront and Cloud Connector VMs across two Azure Regions for resiliency. Azure AD SAML based auth for Netscaler/AAD integration, custom AD synchronisation scripts to enable access for Azure AD guest users from trusted domains.- Global Training Provider: Created custom Azure Policies and RBAC roles to tightly control what types of resources and settings were available to students on their Microsoft Azure courses.

Part of a small team working dedicated to working on Cloud Transformation projects:- Working with Solution Architects on assessments, designs and migration plans for customer solutions- Working with customers on Proof of Concept deployments on Azure- Deployment of new IaaS based solutions (Linux and Windows Server based, Citrix Cloud / Virtual Apps and Desktops, etc), migration of customer workloads into Azure from legacy platforms, backup and disaster recovery- Design and deployment of networking solutions in Azure including ExpressRoute, IPSEC VPNs, Network Virtual Appliances (e.g. Fortinet firewalls)

Plan and undertake the migration of cloud customers away from legacy datacentres and decommission clouds services provided from those datacentres. - Working with network engineers and customers to undertake detailed current state audits of existing Infrastructure as a Service solutions, design new customer solutions, devise migration strategies and produce Technical Solution Design documentation for customer sign-off. - Building and testing of new cloud based solutions and working with customers to migrate their services (VMs, virtual firewalls, networks, backups, monitoring) from their existing platforms in legacy datacentres - Decommissioning of redundant services and equipment in legacy datacentres. - Migration and decommissioning of legal Redcentric internal IT systems. - Deployment of System Centre Configuration Manager for company wide Windows 10 rollout and endpoint management.

Lead engineer in the Cloud Team responsible for the support and development of public cloud and dedicated private cloud infrastructures running on VMware vSphere, VMware vCloud Director and IBM Hardware.Designed and implemented a new IaaS platform using IBM compute and storage hardware, Cisco and Mellanox switching and VMware vSphere 6 and vCloud Director 8. Also implemented Zerto Virtual Replication with vCloud Director integration to provide Disaster Recovery as a Service to customers.

Redcentric acquired Intechnology Plc and planned to undertake a range of integration and consolidation activities. I joined the integration project to work on the Cloud and Datacentre rationalisation aspects of the project, the main points being:- Lead engineer on design, build, test and transition into support of two vCloud Director 5.6 based IaaS platforms in newly acquired Intechnology datacentres. Working closely with existing Infrastructure Support and Core Networking teams to integrate with existing infrastructure and systems.- Introduced Zerto Replication to provide a single replication tool for migration of customer VMs between disparate versions of vSphere and vCloud Director based clouds and as a basis for future self-service “In Cloud DR” and “DR as a Service” products to be offered to customers.- Support of existing cloud platforms and knowledge transfer to teams taking over support of these platforms.

Member of the 3rd line Server Management team providing support to customers on a variety of systems such as; Windows Server, Active Directory, Exchange Server, SQL Server, Citrix XenApp, VMware vSphere, Dell/HP/IBM server hardware and storage.Managing a dual-site cloud on VMware vSphere 5.1, IBM System X servers, IBM SVC and DS storage arrays. Support of a multi-tenant cloud on vCloud Director 5.1, IBM Flex blade systems and EMC Symmetrix storage. Design/implementation of various vSphere and vCloud Director based cloud environments.Variety of project/consultancy work for customers including: - Implementation of VMware vSphere 5 for server virtualisation/consolidation - Disaster recovery using VMware Site Recovery Manager and vSphere Replication - Migration of customer Virtual Machines to managed cloud hosting - Migration of customer users to managed services (AD, Exchange, File/Print Services)

Managing the team of 3rd line engineers, providing support for all aspects of the infrastructure and continued on program of infrastructure improvements. Replaced network infrastructure with new Nortel ERS-5600 and ERS-4800 switches and Cisco Wireless Access Points. Built virtualisation platform on Dell servers, NetApp fibre channel storage and VMware vSphere 4.1, virtualising 80% of servers. Used NetApp SnapMirror replication and VMware Site Recovery Manger for disaster recovery to a second site. Replaced underused Metaframe farm with new Citrix XenApp 6 farm with Citrix Access Gateway for external access to applications.

Supporting both shore and fleet based users worldwide. Maintaining and developing the infrastructure and systems throughout the company. Designed and implemented Office Sharepoint 2007 to replace classic-ASP based Intranet. Implemented Project Server 2007 (integrated into Sharepoint) for management of IT and cable laying projects and associated documentation. Integrated SQL Server Reporting Services into Sharepoint, authored reports from several data sources (SQL, Oracle and Sybase database) and designed/built KPI system using T-SQL, Stored Procedures and SSRS. Implemented Office Communications Server 2007 for communications and video conferencing between users throughout the organisation. Introduced virtualisation, consolidating several old servers onto machines running free VMware ESXi 3.5.

Started as a contractor, taken on full time and worked my way up to IT Manager. In charge of the support and development of the IT infrastructure at HQ in Colchester and several UK based remote sites. Implemented a number of improvements to services while lowering costs and complexity. Planned and implemented replacement of ISDN based WAN with IPSEC VPN based solution over leased lines and ADSL. Consolidated multiple NT4 domains into a single multi-site Windows 2000 Active Directory domains. Standardised desktop and laptop builds using RIS for OS deployment and MSI repackaging, Group Policy and VBScript to deploy and configure applications. Upgraded from Exchange 5.5. to Exchange 2003.

Installation and support of desktops, servers and networks for clients in the South East of England.