Ralf Löding Email and Phone Number

With 14 years of experience in the IT sector, I am a certified network professional with a strong focus on automation and network management. I hold certifications such as CCNA and CCNP Routing and Switching, and have undergone extensive training in Wireshark, Azure Fundamentals, Azure Designing and Implementing Microsoft Azure Network Solutions, Palo Alto, and PowerShell. My extensive experience with Palo Alto and my proficiency in PowerShell make me a valuable asset to any IT team striving for optimal network performance and security.Projects and AchievementsAutomation of Monitoring Tools: Successfully migrated from Nagios to PRTG for approximately 540 network devices, resulting in improved monitoring and management.Network Deployment Automation: Developed an import script for Panorama to accelerate project rollout by automatically integrating new networks into management systems.Firewall Rules Automation: Automated the activation of IP addresses in firewall rules for new sites, based on import sheets.Network Segmentation and Automation: Collaborated with an architect to create and implement a detailed design for more nuanced network segmentation, including specific policies for legacy systems, production systems, infected systems, and onsite systems.Scripting for Configuration Generation: Utilized scripting to generate configurations per site, based on a standardized framework.PowerShell Automation: Developed and implemented a PowerShell module on over 6000 laptops to automatically generate technical reports, significantly speeding up troubleshooting and performance issue resolution.Custom Monitoring Tool: Built to consolidate exclusive monitoring data on a single webpage, displaying specific information that standard monitoring tools cannot handle.Automation of Whitelist/Blacklist Processes: Developed scripts to automate blacklist and whitelist changes for Palo Alto Firewalls, with data sourced from multiple origins such as Excel, RestAPI, O365, Cisco Meraki, and Palo Alto Firewalls.Azure DevOps and Automation: Dedicated one day per week to automation using Azure DevOps, Azure Automation, PowerShell Scripts, YAML, and Agile Scrum. Responsible for implementing and maintaining the entire automation process, including scripts, repositories, and runbooks. Worked closely with the service desk and IT infrastructure teams to automate tasks and work instructions, such as creating users and servers, managing shares and guest accounts, and generating reports from Active Directory and Azure.