Managed Kafka clusters, Elastic Search/Kibana/Logstash, etcd, and Tomcat services on Red Hat Linux VMs and Kubernetes services for payment processing using Ansible. Proselytized for Infrastructure as code, cloud computing and documented existing infrastructure.

Transformed organizational capabilities through the strategic migration and establishment of an immutable Linux infrastructure in AWS. Orchestrated Jenkins, Packer & Ansible Automation to build custom OS images published to a local repo daily. Used Github Enterprise and Jenkins pipelines for CI/CD to manage IaC and automation of application installation and configuration. Created self-service Ansible Automation jobs for Developers and Engineers using Tower as an infrastructure-as-code delivery system, drastically improving operations and expediting deployment processes. These strategic enhancements led to a reduction in virtual machine deployment time, from a three-day SLA to a swift one-hour timeline for a fully configured application. Leveraged Ansible, Terraform, Jenkins, Github, Packer, Ansible Automation Engine/Tower, Cloud Init, and Hashi Corp Vault to orchestrate an environment that enhanced stability, promoted scalability, and enforced security. Wrote Terraform for deployment and maintenance of AWS resources including EC2, IAM, VPC, Route 53, Lambda, RDS and S3. Wrote custom integrations for NewRelic to monitor applications, security violations, and remediation of configuration drift. Used Nexposé for vulnerability scanning and reporting.

Drove transformative operational changes as a Linux / DevOps Engineer, implementing sophisticated automation strategies to oversee the transition of a monolithic Java application into a streamlined, AWS-hosted microservice architecture. Utilized tools such as Cloud Formation, Elastic Container Services, Packer, and Puppet for effective deployment and configuration management. Ensured seamless operations across Development, QA, Staging, and Production environments, managing over 1000 instances spread across four AWS regions.Exhibited expert coding skills by creating bespoke Puppet modules for in-house applications, and repurposing existing modules from Puppet Forge to meet specific environmental requirements. Embraced a data-driven approach to system management with the integration of Datadog and Newrelic for comprehensive AWS, system, and application metric monitoring.Recognized as the in-house authority on Kafka, Datadog, Newrelic, and ElasticSearch, providing vital expertise and guidance. Utilized a robust toolkit including Git, Jenkins, Puppet, Hieradata, Jira, Confluence, Slack integrations, Confluent Kafka Suite, AWS CLI, and shell scripting, to ensure optimal system performance and workflow efficiency.

Conceived and implemented a geographically distributed monitoring system to oversee the corporate IT infrastructure, spanning headquarters and remote offices throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Utilized Nagios and check_mk to create a comprehensive monitoring strategy that spanned from power distribution and network switches to Dell & HP hardware, OS, VMware, and end-user experiences.Successfully minimized false alerts, emphasizing the delivery of valuable information in genuine alert conditions. This pivotal role facilitated real-time response, prevention of downtime, and maintenance of business continuity.Administered Linux servers and key applications including Oracle, Jira, Github, Perforce, and MySQL, ensuring optimal performance, security, and availability of all standard Linux servers/services. This effective management contributed to enhanced system performance and seamless operations.

Collaborated on the effective implementation of Hyperic HQ monitoring and reporting tools across various server environments (Redhat, Solaris, AIX, OSX, and Windows) for a large retail client. Concentrated on thorough monitoring of numerous applications including Apache, Tomcat, JBoss, Weblogic, Websphere, JMX, MySQL, Oracle, and DB2, along with overall OS and system health. This approach significantly improved response times, met and exceeded Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and introduced proactive measures to minimize downtime.Beyond the technical aspects, I successfully generated intuitive, user-friendly documentation for the Macy's staff. Further, I conducted informative training sessions to guide them on best practices and optimal usage of these tools. This holistic approach bridged the gap between technology and its end-users, ensuring the smooth running of systems and boosting overall operational efficiency.

Served as the key operational pillar in managing over 15,000 production systems (AIX, Redhat, Solaris, and HP-UX), consistently maintaining an industry-leading uptime of 99.9%. Expertise in collaborative problem-solving with peers and vendors resulted in efficient system troubleshooting and repair.Instrumental in executing OS upgrades and builds, performing operational readiness checks, and undertaking remediation tasks. Prioritized system integrity through rigorous security audits and necessary remediation.Notably deployed Opsware SAS to 1200 hosts within one week, halving the projected timeline, demonstrating exceptional project management and technical prowess. Developed comprehensive process documents and shell scripts, significantly streamlining software installations and upgrades. Additionally, I custom-built shell scripts for data collection and automation of daily repetitive tasks, enhancing operational efficiency. Designed and implemented a robust SAN switching fabric Compaq EVA, tape library, and NetBackup for Tru64/Oracle RAC clusters, thereby facilitating seamless Unix and Windows access in a heterogeneous environment.

Oversaw the end-to-end system needs for two key office locations, including the maintenance and management of Windows 2000, Exchange 5.5 servers, network infrastructure, routing, and remote access. Ensured the efficient running of printing services, comprehensive system monitoring, disaster recovery protocols, and the build of desktops and laptops.In addition to the above, I was responsible for maintaining a production website powered by four Solaris servers running Netscape Enterprise server, Dynamo ATG, and Oracle 8i, ensuring high availability and optimal performance.Played a pivotal role in the establishment of a robust colocation site, outfitted with top-tier technology including Sun Enterprise servers, Cisco routers and switches, and Alteon load balancers. This end-to-end involvement in building, deploying, and maintaining complex IT infrastructures demonstrated a wide breadth of technical expertise and project management skills.

Maintained Solaris and Redhat Apache web servers, Cisco routers, Firewalls, Radius, RadWare load balancer, LAN, MAN and WAN security, and capacity planning. Maintained production collocation site ad well as in house development NT 4.0 servers including Terminal Server Edition, Citrix Metaframe, IIS 4.0, Web Objects and Exchange 5.5 servers.

Supported over 200 Windows NT 4.0 Servers in a seven city WAN including Exchange 5.0, IIS 3.0 & 4.0, Domain Controllers, SNA, SQL, and Arcserve backup servers as well as assisting with over 200 Solaris servers and SCO servers. Key contributor to the success of the Technology Update for over 1300 Desktops and Laptops replacing Macintosh hardware with PCs and Windows NT 4.0.

Served to maintain ships Radar, Radio, Cryptography, CRT displays, Windows 3.1/HP-UX/Novell LAN, PCs and Servers aboard the USS Forrestal and the USS Curts. Received an Honorable Discharge November 1995.