Enterprise Technology’s designated Systems Administrator Senior level for the DSHS Server & Storage hosting service reporting directly to the Office of Infrastructure Services (OIS) Senior IT manager, within DSHS Enterprise Technology supporting DSHS and its Administrations. The ET hosting service is responsible for agency mission critical systems , VMware, Aria automation, Aria orchestrator, Network insight, Log insight, VMware AVI (advanced load balancer), NSX-T, Powerstore storage, VXrail environments, Windows/Linux support and deployments. This position is distinguished from other Infrastructure positions by its responsibility for Infrastructure architecture, standards, and integration with other disciplines including migration plans to address deficiencies or gaps in the Server and Storage hosting service.

Primary Engineer in the management & design of the VMware private cloud solution In preparation for migration to VMware. Responsible for the overall reliability of these infrastructure services supporting critical business applications. Design & implement tools that automate building & operating reliable systems for the new VMware environment. Support a high-volume 24x7 production environment as well as development & test environments. Maintain a great number of Linux KVM hypervisors / CloudStack clusters and Hyper-V clusters with hundreds of nodes supporting thousands of VMs. Troubleshoot application & infrastructure issues. Proactively identify stability, capacity, & performance concerns then engineer solutions coinciding with the migration to VMware. Implement provisioning & ESXi deployment automation using Dell OpenManage & OMEVV integration together with VMware & Ansible. Implement VMware Cloud Foundation PoC & Lab installations, which include NSX-T configuration & BGP pairings. Also included working with ansible and terraform to complete automated esxi installs and configuration. Microsoft windows and Linux deployment and support. As well as Microsoft clustering for hyper-v installs and cloud stack support.

Design hypervisor virtualization solutions based on best practices for scale up and out. Work with vendors to understand the applications,strategies and roadmaps for current, updated, and emerging technologies. Drive automation initiatives for VM creation, configuration, andprovisioning. Develop a VMware cloud foundation solution including BGP pairings for nsx edges and created a solution for running prod and non prod servers on the same esxi host. Passed a 3rd party penetration test on the first try. Develop business cases to justify strategic investment in systems architecture, including analysis of future growth and cost reduction opportunities. Provide technical engineering and design review for new server systems, applications, infrastructure, and hardware. Identify and report Key Performance Indicators, focusing on capacity planning and performance analyses. Administer VMware hosts and guests with multipleoperating systems, including provisioning, monitoring, and P2V or V2V migrations. Provide proactive maintenance and support of virtualization server hardware and hypervisor, including patching and driver / firmware updates. Provide third-level support for incident resolution related to virtual server infrastructure. Test and implement new tools to better manage virtual server infrastructure. Coordinate and participate in key processimprovements and develop long-term strategic goals for operating system and hypervisor platforms in conjunction with system/data owners and department managers. Engage in cross-functional collaboration to ensure availability, reliability, and scalability of corporate servers to meet business demands. Implement policies, procedures, and technologies to ensure server security. Manage and maintain Intel-based systems and systems software. Worked with azure and vmware for azure solution and implementation as well as VMware hcx solutions for migrations.

Responsible for assessing, designing, and implementing virtual platforms architectures leveraging VMware technologies. Key areas within the infrastructure are datacenter, retail, VDI, and VOIP VMWare environments. Collaborate and be engaged with an evolving VMware-based hybrid cloud solution. Assist/lead the definition and design of virtualized platform solutions, following through to installation, configuration, testing and support. Develop and manage deployment, reporting, and project solutions with scripting, automation and orchestration tools. Assist/lead the development of design specifications, migration plans and operational best practice guidelines based on business or technical requirements. Participate in architectural and engineering discussions to understand business and technical objectives and product requirements, to develop effective solutions. Provide hands-on technical leadership to include business and information technology project teams. Maintain current knowledge of multiple areas of VMware solutions and relevant virtualization, networking and security aspects. Lead/deliver technical enablement discussions across a multi-disciplined information technology organization. Presentation of solutions for project, program, business and leadership awareness sessions. Active and regular participation in knowledge management/capture activities.

Design, document & implement migration processes for large datacenter transformation initiative. Serve as lead technical resource & provide level three support & training for all personnel having contact with the virtual infrastructure. Develop & deliver technical manuals & training in migration processes. Execute Veeam replication endeavors. Orchestrate automation within the Virtual Infrastructure via various scripting tools. Develop PowerShell & PowerCLI scripting for migration execution. Conceive, design & streamline a specialized PowerShell script for remote location shutdown of EMC data domains and vSphere ESX hosts in event of a power outage. Plan, execute, test ESX upgrades and builds. Provide Windows and Linux troubleshooting. Provide general process improvement support. Provide expert technical support for business unit reps & IS organizations as required. Additional varied responsibilities as needed by client, including reporting, benchmarking, troubleshooting & support not directly-related to migrations. *Developed & implemented scripted solution which allows for retirement of certain licensing expenses at remote sites, allowing a savings to the client company of $2M+ per year.

vCenter, vCenter Orchestrator, vCenter Operations Manager, VMware Server Manager, VCAC, Vcloud director, VMware update manager, VMware NSX, SQL, PowerCLI, powershell,VBscript. Networking, all versions of Windows and Linux, Platespin, VEEAM, VMware converter, Vblock systems Provide expert technical support & consultation for virtualization operating systems, VMware P2V migrations, & VI automation. Conduct & coordinate the analysis, planning, & implementation of systems software and/or hardware. Coordinate with System Owners & other team members to create schedules for & to execute Physical to Virtual conversions in the thousands. Responsible for developing & enforcing proper change control processes for all conversion activities. Implement procedures for Physical to Virtual conversions of Windows (all platforms) and/or Linux Systems. Install and configure ESX servers. Use available tools & skills to perform conversions, including troubleshooting of hardware & software & process improvement. Provide expert technical support for business unit reps & IS organizations as required. Additional varied responsibilities as needed by client, including reporting, benchmarking, troubleshooting & support not directly-related to conversions. Supervise & educate the conversion team.Serve as lead technical resource, operating as the Change Management Coordinator & provide level two support & training for all migration engineers. Orchestrate automation within the Virtual Infrastructure via various scripting tools and vCenter Orchestrator & related products.*Continuing outstanding performance leading these projects resulted in VMware publishing a case study detailing my P2V approach as a gold standard for the industry.

Senior team member responsible for mentoring junior team members as well as reporting directly to Lead Architect for Windows and Vmware for all DHL Operations within the western hemisphere. Implemented ESX 3.x, and ESX 3.5 servers with HA/DRS, configured virtual switches, SAN and iSCSI LUNS, developing and executing maintenance scripts, creating and implementing baselines in VMware Update Manager, and managing capacity for ESX serevrs. Performed physical to virtual systems conversions using the Vmware native tools, assisted VMware architect with development of fully redundant, highly available ESX architecture, providing 99.999% uptime, contributed to standards documentation, participated in global standards discussions, liaised with other groups including Network, SAN, SLA team , Facilities management, change management and help desk to help in both understanding their requirements and championing VMware. Third level support for all VMware and Windows issues. Responsible for creating Virtual Machine templates according to industry best practices and DHL polices. Negotiated & communicated with other departments & project owners to ensure best possible time to delivery. Performed special projects & assignments as assigned. *Received special recognition for playing a key role in a major initiative to migrate critical services from DHL Americas data center to Prague and Kuala Lumpur data centers.

First level of support for all DHL business customers on technical issues, supporting hardware and proprietary applications in 8 distinct queues (Sole technician to be in all.). Troubleshooting and resolving issues via phone and remote desktop, escalation as needed, problem and resolution follow-up, customer service. Solely manage the help desk’s test & UAT labs. Develop VB & SQL scripts to facilitate maintenance & recovery of customer systems.*Received special recognition for exceptional performance.

In addition to the responsibilities of the Property Support Coordinator I: Perform as lead, fill in during supervisor absence, serve as point of escalation & troubleshooter of the more advanced or complicated issues encountered in the department, take on special projects as needed. Provide support call-coaching and training to less-experienced Coordinators. Occasionally consult with supervisory staff regarding improvements to our method and the performance of those under me.*Received ACE award for call stats.

Utilize excellent communication skills, deductive reasoning, decision-making capabilities, and strong customer service skills in a high-volume inbound call center providing technical assistance to lay users. Use terminal emulation software and/or verbal walk-through for remote software/hardware configuration of systems & networks. Support users in use of proprietary software, hotel procedures, policies, reports, & franchise information. Placate & educate frustrated or irate customers. Support MS Office, SQL, HyperTerm, IE, PBX/Call Accounting, and keycutter & credit card interfaces. Install & service software on systems with severe data loss. Work with outside vendors to provide hardware service to approximately 4000 properties linked to headquarters by both dialup & satellite connections.