Windows Server Engineer

FRANCIS RAY STROTHER

**** ****** ***** ● Raleigh, NC 27616 ● H: 919-***-**** ● C: 617-***-**** ● Email: ***********@*****.***

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL

QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY

Highly skilled technical professional with over 17 years’ broad-based, combined experience in troubleshooting, installation, testing, upgrades, configuration, support and maintenance of third-party software applications, hardware, servers and workstations. Skilled at determining company and end-user requirements and designing architecture to meet or exceed those requirements. Effective leadership, mentoring and training skills combined with extensive technical expertise. Excellent organization and time-management skills, with a history of earning trust and rapport with all levels of management, peers, internal and external customers; highly regarded as a key technical resource. Able to handle multiple projects simultaneously; able to work effectively under pressure and demonstrate flexibility to meet deadlines. Goal-oriented approach to problem solving, detail-oriented and solid communication skills; demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Strengths include:

● Project Management ● Problem Resolution ● System Installation

● Vendor Management ● End User Support ● System Troubleshooting

● Team Building ● Remote Technology Support ● Customer Relations/Support

TECHNICAL PROFICIENCIES

Operating Systems/Software:

Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Linux Administration, Windows 7, Active Directory, Citrix XenDesktop 5.6, XenApp 6.5 & 7.6, Windows IIS6 Server Administration, VMWare ESX5i, Aternity Workforce APM 7.15, DNS

Hardware:

HP Blade Class Server, HP Blade Class Workstation, HP Workstation Desktop

Applications:

Microsoft SCCM 2012, Microsoft APPv4. 5 & 4.6, AppSense Application Manger 8.4, F5 load balancing technology

CERTIFICATION & TRAINING

Certification:

ITIL v3 Foundation

Training:

Managing App and Desktop solutions with Citrix XenDesktop 7 (CXD-203-41)

Deploying App and Desktop solutions with Citrix XenDesktop 7 (CXD-300-41)

Cross Platform SQL Essentials (Themis Inc.)

Cross Platform SQL – Dealing with Complex Queries (Themis Inc.)

Red Hat Linux Essentials RH033

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

SAS 10/2015-05/2016

Information Systems Engineer - Contractor - Mid-Tier Solutions Design & Support (MSDS), Cary, NC

Engineered, administered, and configured Citrix XenApp 6.5 & 7.6 environments

Lead on the Windows Server 2008 lifecycle program for MSDS

Administered and maintained Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 financial environment

Administered and maintained Microsoft server virtual and physical environment

MetLife 07/2015-10/2015

Citrix Engineer – Contractor, Cary, NC

Engineered and administered Citrix XenApp 6.5 & 7.6 environments for International offices

Francis Ray Strother page 2

Fidelity Investments 02/2001 – 06/2015

Principal Systems Engineer- End User Platform Services, Durham, NC, 2012 – Present

Provided quality service to all clients with strong focus on ensuring customer problems and issues are resolved in a timely manner.

Supported the global publishing of virtual applications via the APPv4.5 and 4.6 infrastructure for XP, Windows 7 and Citrix environments

Effectively and proficiently communicated functionality, provided details on product features as well as demonstrate, installed and answered technical questions about system applications and products and their interaction to support the business functional areas.

Administered VMWare ESXi 5.1 for 2,000+ user hosted virtual Windows 7 desktop solution.

Administered Citrix XenDesktop 5.6 desktop brokering solution for a globally dispersed user base.

Administered Citrix XenApp 6.5 Farm supporting a globally dispersed user base with published desktops and applications supporting Production, Remote Access, and DR roles.

Responsible for maintaining, updating, planning and installing servers and application software.

Trained and oversaw other IT team members on maintenance and usage of new and existing Infrastructure and Enterprise technologies to include new hosted desktop physical and virtual solutions and procedures.

Managed and monitored OS migration from XP to Windows 7 for 3,500 centralized hosted physical and virtual desktops.

Performed application and operating systems patches, updates, maintenance and system activity monitoring for Windows Server systems, business system application, enterprise network storage systems, and service pack delivery to server and desktop systems.

Managed production change and release schedules for the Windows IIS6 web farms, which service Asset Management’s global fund trading business units

Managed the Aternity Workforce APM 7.15 desktop and application performance monitoring infrastructure and desktop agents.

Coordinated bi-annual Disaster Recovery preparedness and testing for End User Platform Services infrastructure, which supports the fund trading business units and their support staff.

Review organizational wide production changes and releases as a member of the weekly FIMT Change Advisory Board (CAB) meeting.

Principal Systems Administrator- Application Hosting & Release, Boston, MA, 2009 – 2012

Implemented the FIMT centralized hosted desktop initiative utilizing HP Blade class Workstation technology for a globally dispersed user base within Asset Management.

Supported production web application installs for IIS6 web farm environments; supported production installs for Linux applications servers.

Researched, designed, tests and recommends new Infrastructure Technology Solutions.

Built and maintained a test environment for development and testing of new and existing systems and technologies.

Established server specifications by conferring with users, analyzed workflow, access, information and security requirements.

Administered Citrix XenApp 4.5 farm supporting a globally dispersed user base with published desktops and applications supporting Production, Remote Access, and DR roles.

Administered Citrix XenApp 4.5 farm supporting Fidelity Investments Board of Trustees meetings, providing published desktops and applications.

Managed vendor relationships for hardware purchases, services, configurations and implementations.

Principal Systems Administrator – Windows Server Support, Boston, MA, 2001 – 2009

Performed ongoing hardware and software maintenance operations, including installing or upgrading hardware or software.

Administered windows server environment; developed project plans and schedules.

Managed the Windows 2000 – Windows 2003 Server OS migration project for 600+ servers.

Trained system users in system operation, maintenance, and policies and procedures.

Supported bi-annual Disaster Recovery infrastructure and application testing.

Additional Professional Experience as a Consultant Systems Administrator with Electronic Data Systems 1998 – 2001; Consultant Systems Administrator- EDS/EG&G, Consultant LAN Administrator, NE Region – AARP with Alternative Resources Corp., 1996 – 1998.

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