NEIL BRANDON PALAN (NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR / SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR)
Email Id: ***********@*****.***
Contact No.: +965-********
SUMMARY
A Microsoft MCSE and HP ASE certified System admin with 15+ years of experience in IT enterprise environments. Managed large scale Servers and Networking, extremely proficient with Fort iGATE, VMware 5.5 & 6.0, Windows Server 2008R2, 2012 & 2016 & Exchange 2007 & 2013 and have a deep passion for enterprise-wide security management. Goal-oriented system-administrator, seeking to increase performance and lowering cost for the organization. Having set- up system infrastructure for many small local firms
KEY SKILLS
Project Monitoring & Management
Systems & Computer Lab Designing
Server, LAN and WAN Optimization
Technical Assistance & User Support
Network Administration and Management
Productivity Improvement & Technical Support
Systems Installation, Configuration & Upgradation
Training & Mentoring and Security Solutions
Hardware & Software Troubleshooting
Managerial and Interpersonal Skills
Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Organization
Hasibat Information Technologies Co. (ISO 9001 Accredited Company) Kuwait
Designation
Technical Support / Systems Administrator
Duration
April 7th 2017 - till Date
Organization
Isis Gate Technologies Company Mumbai
Designation
IT Network Administrator / System Administrator
Duration
July 2007 to Feb 2017
Organization
Hasibat Information Technologies Co. (ISO 9001 Accredited Company) Kuwait
Designation
Senior Support Engineer
Duration
November 2001 to June 2007
Organization
M/s. British School of Kuwait
Designation
Assistant Systems Manager
Duration
May 2000 to September 2001 (1 Year Contract)
Organization
M/s. Diyar United Company, Kuwait
Designation
System Support Engineer
Duration
September 1997 to April 2000
Organization
M/s. Network Services, Bombay (a service vendor for M/s. Wipro InfoTech Ltd.)
Designation
Computer Support Engineer
Duration
February 1995 to March 1996
Organization
M/s. Compsol, Mumbai (a service vendor for M/s. Wipro InfoTech Ltd.)
Designation
Computer Service Engineer
Duration
May 1993 to June 1994
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibilities at Hasibat Information Technology, Kuwait
Deployment of IT Systems (PC’s, Servers, Printers, Scanners, Laptops etc.) across 3 refineries (KNPC Head Office, Mina –Ahmadi Refinery, Mina-Abdullah Refinery, Mina – Abdullah Green Fields and KIPIC).
Handled a team of 25 persons. Coordinating with various groups for deployment of IT systems across various sites for KNPC.
Installation of Servers at KNPC Head Office using VMware.
Successfully deployed 14000, equipment (PC’s, Servers, Printers, Scanners, and Laptops etc.) Inclusive of tagging to various sites in KNPC.
Presently Senior Systems Administrator for Hasibat Information Technologies and the administration of Windows Server 2012 & 2016 and Exchange Servers 2013.
Managing the company firewall FortiGate and ensuring all the critical and high priority incidents are addressed.
Setup a new domain utilizing VMware ESXI version 6 configured on two HP Proliant D380 G7 servers consisting of 5 guest OS systems configured with Windows 2008 R2 & Windows 2012 R2 x64 bit.
Performed full-scope server administration, upgrades and service pack application, performance tuning, and infrastructure enhancement. Hardening of Windows security.
Managing and administering user access control in active directory, providing access to users on shared drive.
Enhancing infrastructure and ensuring continuous availability of licenses, file systems, support along with maintaining, and analysing, troubleshooting of Servers.
Ensuring regular maintenance of servers, backup software, and storage tools through the installation of software upgrades, patches, and hardware upgrades.
Provide guidance and support on information security practices to end user and support staff; updating and maintaining security testing procedures documents over hardening Servers desktops and laptops
Implemented on-going staff security trainings to ensure consistent compliance with company policy and procedures.
Directs day to day operations for group of Support team through assignment of specific tasks and duties to individuals in the Support team
Acted as escalation point for troubleshooting advanced network/systems issues; consistently earned 100% issue-resolution scores by providing excellent service to internal and external customers.
Creating and fully configuring windows’ virtual machines using VMware and Hyper-V
Discussed potential problems with network and computer usage with other staff members and explained how to get the best performance from individual workstations.
Responsibilities at Isis Gate Technologies Company, Mumbai
Collaborating with technical services team members to assess near and long-term network capacity needs and designing & implementing strategic plans to make certain network capacity meets existing and future requirements
Creating and maintaining documentation as it relates to network configuration, network mapping, processes, and service records
Developing, implementing and maintaining policies, procedures, and associated training plans for network administration, usage and disaster recovery
Strategy &
Developing and deploying methodologies for testing network performance and providing network performance statistics and reports
Planning
Practicing network asset management, including maintenance of network component inventory and related documentation
Conducting test and ensuring development of disaster recovery plans to detect faults, minimize malfunctions and backup systems as it relates to network functionality
Designing and supporting VoIP infrastructure and its associated software, including IP-PBXs, call management systems, voicemail, and interactive voice response
Selecting, deploying and utilizing appropriate tools for reporting and routing of IP telephony traffic on the network
Documenting the WLAN's architecture, design, and layout, including protocols and standards used, as well as configuration
Acquisition
Designing and deploying company LANs, WANs, and WLANs, including servers, routers, hubs, switches, UPSs and other hardware
Conducting research on network products, services, protocols, and standards to remain abreast of developments in the networking industry in support of network procurement and development efforts
&
Overseeing new and existing equipment, hardware, and software upgrades relating to network or telephony equipment
Deployment
Planning and implementing any improvement, modification, or replacement of network infrastructure components
Where necessary, liaising with equipment vendors during installations and hardware performance issues
Designing and deploying enterprise-class wireless networks, including access points, servers, routers, hubs, switches, and other hardware
Receiving, prioritizing, and responding to incoming calls, and/or emails regarding equipment and/or connectivity problems
Accurately documenting instances of software or hardware failure, repair, installation, and removal or other work requests
Managing and ensuring optimal operation of all network hardware and equipment, including routers, switches, hubs, UPSs, and so on
Perking up the effectiveness of security solutions, including firewalls, anti-virus solutions, Virtual Private Networks, and intrusion detection systems
Establishing and maintaining regular written and in-person communications with departmental administration regarding pertinent network activities
Operational
Configuring all networks to ensure their smooth and reliable operation for fulfilling organizational objectives and processes
Management
Defining and implementing strategies for integrating disparate operating system environments
Monitoring network performance and troubleshooting problem areas as needed to identify and remedy network performance bottlenecks
Ensuring network connectivity of all servers, workstations, telephony equipment, fax machines, and other network appliances
Performing on-site analysis, diagnosis, and resolution of complex network problems for a variety of end users, and recommending & implementing corrective solutions
Installing Windows Server 2008R2 – 2012 & 2016 and setup up as Domain Controller
Installing of Windows Exchange Servers 2007 & 2013
Performing server and security audits, and system backups and recovery
Performing related duties consistent with the scope and intent of the position
Evaluating and recommending network hardware and software for purchase
Performing other duties as assigned
Responsibilities as System
Maintaining performance, security and uptime of high availability servers
Designing and deploying a virtual domain network for use as a development environment that includes a domain controller, Active Directory 2008 2012 & 2016, DHCP, DNS, and a Microsoft Exchange server
Administrator
Installing, configuring and supporting Microsoft Technology Solutions on Windows 2003/2008 platform hosting web and database applications, while maintaining security patches, antivirus updates, backups, monitoring and performing routine server maintenance
(Servers)
Providing server support both locally and at other company locations in the India
Performing server security compliance scanning utilizing Third Party Scanning tools
Responsibilities at Hasibat Information Technologies Co
General
Installation and configuration of Compaq/IBM/ HP and assembled Pc’s and Servers
Installation and configuration of Compaq/HP Pc’s and Compaq/HP Servers
Installation and configuration of Operating System
Configuration of network protocols like TCP/IP
Configuration of disk subsystem for RAID configuration like Mirroring, Striping and striping with parity [RAID-5] to enable data redundancy for Compaq servers
Installation and configuration of backup software like Arc serve Backup for automated backup using tape libraries
Configuration of Domain Name Service [DNS] for Internet
Configuration of PDC and BDC with NT 4.0
Installation and configuration of windows NT/W2k servers
Planning and implementation of suitable backup policy to provide reliable backups for disaster recovery
Responsibilities
Monitoring system performance on Compaq servers and tune the system accordingly for optimum system performance
Installation and configuration of Printers and Network Print Servers
Maintenance of HP printers
Administration of Local Area Network
Helpdesk Administration using Remedy Action Request System as well as Magic Helpdesk
Field service jobs include customer support, debugging of users related problems as well as preventive maintenance, and training of users on site and field repairs
Support of bilingual windows application under single and Network environment
Giving support for company’s outsourcing engineers for Burgan Bank, Joint Operation and Equate Petrochemicals projects
Supervisor for Kuwait University engineering students who has come for the training projects
Also served as a Site Engineer to KUFPEC (Kuwait Foreign Petroleum & Exploration Company) in the capacity of a Network Security Administrator for a period of 2 Years (as per company contract)
Special
Anti Virus EPO (E-Policy Orchestrator) 2.0
Helpdesk Support (Version 6.0)
Network Intrusion Software (Cyber Cop)
Project
Fire wall Security (Gauntlet) 5.5
Remote Access Server (Ras) Intel Net Structure Access Server
Essential Duties
Provide overall information security related expertise throughout environment
Modify, and maintain IT security related policies
Identify security related issues and ensure remediation
Perform security related audits on a regular basis
Recommend security improvements based global trends and evolving best practices
Deploy network security related auditing and scanning tools
Monitor network wide security, systems, and tools
&
Manage user awareness campaigns to educate users on methods of attack, ex phishing, malware, social engineering, etc.
Responsibilities
Perform hands-on fixes at desktop level, including installing, upgrading software, installing hardware, implementing file backups and configuring systems and applications
Manage service requests from end-users
Identify and learn appropriate software and hardware used and supported by company.
Apply diagnostic utilities to aid in troubleshooting
Perform preventative systems maintenance, for servers, workstations, printers and network peripherals
Evaluate documented resolutions and analyze trends for ways to prevent future problems
Perform server administration duties such as account and resource administration, data backup, and other essential
Administrative Functions
Answer to and perform moves, additions and changes as they are submitted; Assist in preparing, maintaining and upholding procedures for logging, reporting and statistically monitoring operations
Test fixes to ensure problem has been adequately resolved. Perform post-resolution follow-up
Projects Handled:
National Mobile Telephone Company (NMTC) Project
Responsibilities included:
Installation and configuration Compaq ProLiant Server ML380 Database Server
Debug, isolate and solve any kind of problems pertaining to Compaq Servers
Leading a team of Engineers looking after the maintenance of whole project on a 24 hours basis
Checking and cleaning the error logs periodically
Ministry of Electric & Water (MEW) Project
Responsibilities included:
Installation and configuration of HP Printers, connectivity with existing Mainframe system
Debug, isolate and solve any kind of problems pertaining to HP Printers
Burgan Bank Kiosk Machine Project
Responsibilities included:
Installation and configuration of KIOSK Machine in various branches of Burgan Bank. And responsible for the maintenance of it
Responsibilities at M/s. British School of Kuwait
Maintaining and Administrating Windows NT / Windows 2000 Servers. (Exchange 5.5, Proxy 2.0, Internet Information Server 4.0, SMS Server
Supporting and troubleshooting all kinds of network, software and hardware related problems.
Installing different kinds of software for Staff & Students in various packages.
Configuring HP Network Printers using HP Jet Admin Software
Configuring Outlook (97, 98, 2000), Outlook Express, Internet Explorer 6.0
Handling NT Server backup
Responsibilities at M/s. Diyar United Company, Kuwait
Maintenance of PC compatible, dot-matrix and laser printers, Cal comp and HP Ink-jet plotters, Cal comp scanners
Installing networks including the installation of network-cards, hubs and switches, complete cabling and software
Installation and administration of applications, file and printer sharing and troubleshooting of network and application problem
Resolving all network related problem on support and troubleshooting on a 100 user Windows NT LAN
Handling maintenance contracts for the clients
Customers follow up and provided on line support for the customers
Setting up Network for clients in Windows NT/ Windows 2000 Environment
Responsibilities at M/s. Network Services, Bombay
Responsible for diagnosing IBM compatible, all brands of dot-matrix and laser printers and monitors and determining solutions for problems
Responsible for setting up and working with several networking environments
Supervising Diagnosis of defective spares and servicing
Maintaining proper records of inflow of defective modules from Wipro, component consumption and activity report for the month
Interacting with Wipro for coordinating of urgently required modules
Responsibilities at M/s. Network Services, Bombay
Achieving set deadlines of servicing computer peripherals e.g., Keyboards, Mono & colour Monitors + Power supplies
Component procurement from local market and dealers
Maintaining proper records of inflow of defective modules from Wipro Component Consumption billing and activity report for the month
Ensuring high standard of quality in maintaining as per WIPRO’s ISO 9000 goal
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION
Technical Forte
Diploma in Electronics’ & Computer Hardware Maintenance from the Institute of Electronics and Computers, India
TRAININGS
Administering Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
Interworking Microsoft TCP/IP on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
IBM Infinity Server Technical/windows NT Installation & Performance “Dubai’’
VMware Certification VCP6 (DCV) Training Course “Kuwait”
Windows Server 2012 R2 Training /Course
Windows Server 2016 Training /Course
Compaq System Products Architecture Course “Dubai”
Windows2000 Integration/Performance Course “Dubai”
Compaq Systems Management Course “Dubai”
CITRIX MetaFrame XP Admin features release 3 Course “Dubai”
Helpdesk Management System (TRACK-IT) ‘Abu Dhabi’
CERTIFICATIONS
Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE)
Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
IBM Professional Server Expert (PSE)
HP Certified Accredited Integration Specialist ( AIS ) ( ProLiant Servers )
HP Certified Platform Specialist ( APS ) ( Desktops, Workstations and Notebooks)
HP Certified Accredited System Engineer ( ASE )
Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA)
3Com Certified Solution Associate
McAfee Partner Certification ( Intrushield, Entercept & Server Technical Professional Certification
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
IT SKILLS
OS
MS-DOS, Window 7, 8.1 & 10, Windows NT& 2000, 2003, 2008, 2012, 2016 (Server + WorkStation )
Applications
Active Directory 2003R2,2008R2,2012 & 2016 Exchange 2003/2007/2013,
IIS – 6.0,7.0,7.5 & 8.0, SQL 2005/2008R2 2012,2016 VMware 5.5 & 6.0
Hardware Knowledge
PC compatible “diagnose and replace” experience (IBM + Compaq+ HP
ISA, Micro channel, EISA and PCI Bus experience IDE, EIDE and SCSI
Cabling experience includes UTP, Fiber, Multimode & Single Mode, Cat-5, RJ45, Token Ring and Ethernet Network Interface cards, Fiber repeaters, 3COM Net builder Hubs & Switches.
PERSONAL DETAILS
Address
9/1/2 Highland Park, Bhawani Nagar, Marol Maroshi Road Andheri (East), Mumbai 400059
Languages Known
English and Hindi
Passport No.
K9267186 (Issued at Mumbai and Valid until 2023)
Nationality
Indian
Kuwait Driving License Valid till 08/07/2020
Duties
& Responsibilities