Summary

• Deeply-experienced Microsoft Windows platform SME providing top-level, customer/user-centric service with minimal supervision. Experienced in operating systems, messaging, virtualization, and web services.
• Skilled in: Active Directory with ancillary services such as DNS and DHCP , Exchange, VMWare, Citrix, HyperV, Cisco infrastructure, and life-cycle management.

Work Experience

Confidential

Escalation Engineer

• Resolved escalated customer issues and maintained ownership until resolution is reached. Self-prioritized work items based on work volume. Provided liaison service between the customer and development teams. Provided documentation for the product knowledge databases public and private . Server platforms Server 2008 R2, Server 2012 R2. Technologies in use also include Citrix Storefront, PVS, and MCS.
• Documented cases clearly, ensuring all facets of the problem are fully understood.
• Worked to identify configuration or updating requirements for the customer, acquiring code fixes when necessary.

Confidential

Contract Consultant

• Worked as assigned for Thyssen-Krupp AG. Also providing support for the transition of remote sites to virtual servers. Provided assistance to Exchange support team. Server platforms Server 2008 R2, Server 2012.
• Worked primarily with remote sites to verifying and documenting Vertias BackupExec functionality, troubleshooting failures, addressing any chronic issues.
• Tuning the system monitoring tools, reducing false alerts, and responding to trouble tickets within the scope of duty.

Confidential

Work as assigned with IBM. Worked on third-party project for IBM client involving a migration of multiple Active Directory / Exchange and Novell / Groupwise network and messaging platforms into a single Windows 2008 / Exchange 2007 environment. Project encompassed a total of 40K users distributed state-wide, as senior member of a 4-member team on the Exchange migration. Focus was on the Exchange migration, including the build of the Microsoft Windows clusters with Exchange 2007 running as Active / Passing on the cluster, Hub Transports, and Client Access servers, as well as the actual cross-forest migrations of the user / accounts themselves, with Quest Migration Manager as the primary migration tool. Also worked with Quest Spotlight on Exchange, Quest MessageStats, Mirapoint Razorgates, and Microsoft Threat Management Gateway.

Confidential

Support

Provided Tier II client-level support for all enterprise-wide messaging, encompassing 40,000 mailboxes nationwide, including Exchange 2003 and 2007, Microsoft Communicator, email archiving, and email content/security filtering systems. Duties included interaction with employees of the client at both the user level and support levels ranging from helpdesk personnel to company directors in the corporate offices and small branch offices all throughout the US region.

Confidential

Windows Administrator

Provided all Windows-based services for a multinational corporation, consisting of 15 servers in 2 physical locations, and 2 Active Directory forests, along with WAN link between the sites. Tasks included administration of all services, network printing, e-mail, co-ordination with UNIX-side administrator, and deskside support for personnel in the local offices. Projects initiated included implementation of a plan to virtualize a portion of the server population using VMWare and HyperV, planning and obtaining quotes for a Veritas data-backup solution, including implementing a stopgap solution, and a disaster recovery procedure, as well as deployment of Windows SUS as preparation to progress to SMS and MOM. Projects planned but not initiated prior to office closure included merging the 2 Active Directory forests into a single new forest, upgrading all server platforms to Windows Server 2008, and upgrading the email systems to Exchange 2007.

Confidential

Provided project support and advice for Windows server 2003 and 2008

Provided project support and advice for Exchange 2003

Confidential

Network Specialist

• Work as assigned by Veredus Group for Rollins, Inc. 250 server Windows 2003 environment, with approximately 8100 users, 2900 of which had Exchange 2003 email accounts, in retail locations nationwide and service centers in selected locations to assist the retail presences.
• Routine duties included monitoring junk-mail filters Postini , and server event logs on a regular basis, as well as handling user tickets involving any issues with Exchange, Active Directory, or network rights access changes, data backup and restore Backupexec , as well as assistance to the Data Center staff as needed.
• Primary technologies worked with included Windows 2003 Server, Exchange 2003, VMWare Server, Microsoft Virtual Server, and WSUS in both production and lab environments. Lab deployments also included a test installation of Exchange 2007 linked to a testbed Exchange 2003 server, as part of a larger project to convert the production email system to Exchange 2007. The Exchange 2007 project also included capacity planning to provide adequate storage for expected growth of the mailbox stores, and failover capacity for the Exchange environment, as well as the use of ADAM, and server clustering for fault tolerance on the mailbox servers.
• All production servers featured mirrored drives for the OS installation, and either internal RAID-5 or SAN linkage for data storage.
• Worked closely with the dedicated routing/switching engineers and network security officer on planning the Exchange 2007 deployment process, to minimize introduced risks and ensure company practices were adhered to.
• Other projects included repeated upgrading Server 2003 to Server 2008 on all servers in the lab to test the migration plan for the identical production system, and to test subsequent generations of plan changes based around allowable/not allowable down time. Added several additional servers into the lab to allow experimentation with HyperV and VMWare virtualization as a Proof of Concept pilot prior to consideration of the system for production use. Assisted in establishing a clean process for the decommissioning of server hardware that was replaced, including removal from Active Directory, DNS, and physical removal from the Data Center, as well as bringing replacement hardware into production and into the lab as needed.

Confidential

Network Support

Work as assigned by CDI Group for IBM. Initial tasks included being a member of a small team providing network services for a remote client, including all administrative tasks for an enterprise-scale Windows 2003 Active Directory structure, with linked Exchange 2003 environment. Routine tasks included monitoring select file server clusters SANs located in several larger geographic locations, along with planning and implementing projects, performing upkeep and creation of static and dynamic security groups and distribution lists, and support of client-company Field IT and Tier I/II Helpdesk personnel when necessary. The client network included over 7,500 users in many locations world-wide. Later tasks concentrated on smaller environments, as the key point of contact focal between IBM and multiple clients, handling the clients' needs regarding OS Patching, desktop management, and remote application deployment. Assisted with the operation of the internal network dedicated to the group, including installation and deployment of new Windows 2003 servers, VMWare virtualization of a limited number of production servers, and administration of the PIX firewall to prepare it to become part of the corporate firewall chain, rather than being a standalone installation. Responsible for monitoring and optimizing the individual and collective servers in a 3-server Windows failover cluster running SQL Server 2003 to provide maximum accessibility for Internet-facing systems to external customers as well as internal users. Performed routine backup processes on all servers under the group's control Backupexec , establishing and maintaining rotations as well as provisioning off-site storage for media, and documentation of disaster recovery procedures.

Confidential

Networking Consultant

• Provided a variety of Local/Wide Area Network design, implementation, and project-based work for various company clients, including full documentation of all applicable systems and processes used in the completion of each project. Projects spanned a wide range from advisory to implementation, and covered everything from installing new networks to upgrading existent ones to advising on specifics of network and group policies and patching. Hardware supported on projects included server platforms as well as infrastructure devices routers, switches, firewalls, SAN, tape library . Software supported covered most of the Microsoft range, along with applications from a range of third-party vendors.
• Completed projects included providing input during the planning of a migration from a user-centric security model to a role-centric security model, as well as assisting in the implementation of the same on a 2000-plus user network . Client networks included Windows 2003 AD, and Novell Netware/Windows NT domain hybrid environments.
• Smaller-scope projects completed included an Active Directory health check for a client to assist in determining the presence and cause of chronic problems on a 1200-user network, with a shift to an advisory capacity to suggest methods to resolve problems found to client's IT staff, and the more effective and efficient use of Group Policy.