System Administrator Configuration Management

Sarmad Ghulam Qadir

************@*****.***

Contact: +1-703-***-****

Summary:

10+ years of experience in IT Professional with specialization in System Administrator/Engineer, Build/Release Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment, Configuration Management on each packaging Quality Control and which also includes troubleshooting and performance issues on Linux and Windows platforms.

Remote system administration using tools like SSH, Telnet, and Rlogin, RDP.

Automated server provisioning, configuration management, and application deployment using Ansible playbooks.

Developed and maintained Oracle databases, including installation, configuration, and performance tuning for optimal database operations.

Planning and implementing system upgrades including hardware, operating system, and patch upgrades.

Implemented ITIL best practices to improve service management processes

Administered the Unanet system for project management, time tracking, and expense reporting

Designed and developed API proxies on the Apigee platform to enable secure and scalable API management for internal and external stakeholders.

Extensive experience in Installing, Configuring, Administering, Maintaining, and troubleshooting various types of red hat, sues, Linux, SUN Solaris Systems and AIX Servers.

Developed complex PL/SQL stored procedures, functions, and packages to enhance the performance and functionality of database-driven applications

Experienced in scripting languages Bash, PowerShell, Python and Ruby.

Developed comprehensive enterprise architecture frameworks, strategies, and roadmaps aligned with business goals.

Developed custom JavaScript policies and transformations on Apigee Edge to manipulate request and response payloads, headers, and parameters.

Implemented and configured Unanet CRM/ERP to streamline project management, financial planning, and customer relationship management processes

Well versed in Agile/Scrum Methodologies and Product Lifecycle Management.

Optimized SQL queries and PL/SQL code, improving execution time and reducing resource consumption

Worked on different ticketing tools like ServiceNow, Remedy, Jira, Service desk etc.

Perform Korn Shell, Python, Bash scripting as needed to support integration and automation.

Experience in process automation from system administration tasks to Continuous integration and

Professional Certifications:

Microsoft AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

Microsoft 74-409: Server Virtualization with Windows Server Hyper-V and System Center

Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP): 70-331 - Core Solutions of Microsoft SharePoint Server

Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP): 70-332 - Advanced Solutions of Microsoft SharePoint Server

VMware VTSP Server Virtualization (VTSP-SV)

NSE Network Security Associate 2021 "Fortinet" (Certification Validation N# F8Jza4MKJm)

cPanel Professional Certification (CPP) - Transcript ID: 0ac1-0e46-65e4-d206

Technical Skills:

Cloud Platform

AWS / Azure / GCP, Open Stack

Configuration Management

Ansible, Chef, Puppet

Version Control Tools

Git, GitHub, Bit Bucket, SVN

CI/CD Tools

Jenkins, Bamboo, Gitlab and Gitlab Runners

Build Tools

ANT, Maven, Gradle

Automation & Scripting

Python, Bash, Ansible, Puppet, Chef, Automation and Scripting in Linux environments

Web Hosting, Server & Security Management

DNS Management, Firewalls, DDoS Mitigation, Cloudflare CDN & Sucuri WAF, NGINX, Apache, PHP Configuration (php.ini), cPanel/WHM, Plesk, System Hardening (SSH, FTP, DNS security), SSL & Web Security (TLS, SSL, HTTP), SSH Hardening, OWASP Compliance, Zone Lockdown & Threat Mitigation

Web/App Servers

Apache Tomcat, Nginx, JBoss, IBM WebSphere

Containers

Docker, OpenShift, Kubernetes – (AKS, EKS, GKE Environment)

Ticketing Tool

Service Now, Jira, Ubersmith, WHMCS

Databases

Oracle, MySQL, MSSQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL

Monitoring Tools

Splunk, Nagios, Grafana and Prometheus, Nixstat, Pingdom, Datadog

Operating System

Linux Red hat 5/6/7/8/9, Ubuntu 12.04 to 22.04, Solaris, Free BSD, Centos, Alma Linux, Windows Server 2008, 2008R2 to 2019

VMware Virtualisation

VMware ESX 5.0/5.5/6.0/6.5/7.0, VMware vCenter, vSphere Client, VMware VDI, VMware Thin App

Networking

DNS, Telnet, LDAP, TCP/IP, FTP, HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, SSL, DHCP

Storage

Dell EMC, HP, NetApp

SDLC

Agile, Scrum, Waterfall.

Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft Entra (Azure Active Directory), Office 365 (Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Single Sign-On (SSO), Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Education & Trainings:

Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) – Computer Systems Engineering - 2012

Trainings:

DevOps Foundations: Continuous Delivery / Continuous Integration – LinkedIn, 2024

CompTIA A+ 220-1002 – Cybrary, 2024

System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services – Google, 2024

DevOps on AWS: Release and Deploy – AWS, 2024

Learn Python Basics for Data Analysis – Open Class Room, 2023

AWS Architect, Operation & Developer Training – Sherdil IT Academy, 2020

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) – Integrity Training (Online), 2021

Configuring Advanced Windows Server 2012 Services – CTTC, 2014

CCSP - Cloud Security Professional – Udemy (Online), 2021

Hitek LLC, Ashburn - VA

Duration: January 2020 – Present

Role: Sr System Administrator/Engineer

Responsibilities:

Designed and implemented PL/SQL triggers to enforce business rules and maintain data integrity within Oracle databases

Managed incident lifecycles following ITIL principles to ensure quick resolution and business impact

Configured and customized Unanet workflows, including timesheets, expense reports, and project setups

Implemented API security policies (e.g., OAuth 2.0, API key validation, JWT validation) on Apigee Edge to ensure data confidentiality.

Managed and configured the Ivanti ITSM platform to automate incident, problem, and change management workflows

Managed and administered Oracle databases across versions 8.x, 9.x, 10.x

Developed dynamic, interactive web applications using JavaScript

Configured and customized ServiceNow modules (Incident, Problem, Change, Request)

Managed and maintained Unanet ERP system, ensuring accurate tracking of project costs, budgets, and financial performance

Developed and documented standard operating procedures (SOPs) aligned with ITIL guidelines for consistent service delivery

Customized Ivanti service desk to streamline ticket handling, improving resolution times.

Implemented AWS solutions using EC2, S3, RDS, Route 53, SNS, Cloud front, EBS, Elastic Load Balancer, SQS, Autoscaling groups, Optimized volumes and EC2instances using API's.

Developed automated shell scripts for database maintenance tasks, including backups, restoration

Implemented Oracle PL/SQL stored procedures, functions, triggers, and packages.

Developed and maintained Bash scripts to automate system administration tasks and streamline workflows.

Developed Python scripts and utilities for web scraping, data extraction, and data manipulation tasks.

Designed, deployed, and managed virtualized environments using Hyper-V for server consolidation.

Conducted enterprise architecture assessments, gap analyses.

Created and maintained PL/SQL scripts for data migration, ETL processes

Configured Elastic Load Balancers with EC2 Auto scaling groups.

Automated service management processes in ServiceNow, including ticketing, change approvals

Integrated Ivanti with third-party tools and platforms to enhance IT asset management (ITAM) and software asset management (SAM) capabilities

Applied ITIL-based change management processes to assess, authorize, and document changes, reducing service disruption risks

Managed user accounts, roles, and permissions in AD, ensuring access control and data security

Defined AWS Security Groups which acted as virtual firewalls that controlled the traffic allowed to reach one or more AWS EC2 instances.

Performed database tuning and query optimization using PL/SQL, addressing performance bottlenecks

Utilized Bash scripting for log parsing, data extraction, and reporting to enhance system monitoring.

Developed and generated custom reports in Unanet, providing stakeholders with insights into project performance

Managed IIS for deploying and hosting web applications, Monitored server health and optimized IIS configurations

Developed automated workflows in Ivanti for tracking incidents, service requests, and change approvals, reducing manual intervention

Automated routine database operations using shell scripting, such as table exports/imports, data loading

Performed system installations, upgrades, and patch management on Solaris environments.

Configured AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) Groups and Users for improved login authentication.

Integrated Unanet CRM/ERP with existing business systems, improving data consistency and automating workflows across departments

Managed Apache Tomcat servers for web applications

Designed and implemented API analytics and monitoring using Apigee Used Python libraries such as pandas, and matplotlib for data analysis, visualization, and reporting.

Designed and deployed Active Directory (AD) forests, domains.

Managed the ServiceNow Configuration Management Database (CMDB), ensuring accurate tracking of IT assets and relationships

Integrated Unanet with other enterprise systems, such as ERP and payroll, streamlining data flow and reducing manual data entry

Worked on GKE Topology Diagram including masters, slave, RBAC, helm, Kubel’ll, ingress controllers GKE Diagram including masters, slave, RBAC, helm, Kubel’ll, ingress controllers.

pushing the image into GCR, Deploying to QA3, Deploying to QA9, Acceptance testing and finally Deploying to Prod

Implemented asynchronous JavaScript and AJAX to improve the efficiency and performance of web applications

Implemented Ivanti's patch management solutions to maintain up-to-date software across enterprise systems and mitigate security risks

Assisted with maintaining 5/9’s availability of Kubernetes environment.

Developed Shell/Perl Scripts for automation purposes.

Automated software testing processes using Python scripting and testing frameworks like pyres and unit test.

Designed and implemented API analytics and monitoring using Apigee's analytics dashboard and custom reports to track API usage.

Integrated shell scripts with PL/SQL scripts, creating end-to-end automation workflows for data processing and system administration tasks

Designed and documented enterprise-level architecture blueprints.

Created custom dashboards and reports in Ivanti to monitor service levels, KPIs, and system health metrics for proactive management

Customized Unanet CRM/ERP modules to meet the specific needs of the organization, enhancing user experience and functionality

Worked with active-my server, to setup m-collective server and agents for parallel job execution systems Infrastructure setup. Managed/Administered Puppet nodes using m collective.

Integrated ServiceNow with third-party systems to consolidate IT operations, enabling centralized monitoring and management

Designed and optimized complex SQL queries, joins, subqueries, and aggregations for efficient data retrieval.

Creating and document enterprise architecture blueprints using Visio

Automated security patching and updates across Linux and Windows servers using Ansible.

Integrated JavaScript with RESTful APIs, enabling real-time data communication between client-side applications and backend services

Configured API lifecycle management processes on Apigee to automate API versioning, deployment, and retirement.

Client: Server4Sale LLC, Sterling - VA

Duration: January 2018 – December 2019

Role: Team Lead System Engineer/Administrator

Responsibilities:

As a System Engineer supported multiple teams for multiple applications .Net and Java/J2EE.

Developed custom JavaScript policies and transformations on Apigee Edge to manipulate request.

Monitored and resolved system issues in Unanet, working closely with the vendor to troubleshoot and apply patches or updates

Conducted (RCA) for recurring issues following ITIL problem management to minimize service interruptions

Aligned Ivanti configurations with ITIL best practices, ensuring efficient handling of incidents, problems, and changes

Integrated Ansible with CI/CD pipelines to automate the deployment and configuration of applications.

Worked closely with developers and other stakeholders to streamline CI/CD/CM process and daily issues.

Build automation and pipeline development using Jenkins and Maven build automation for J2EE apps.

Developed workflows in ServiceNow to support service delivery, incident management, and user self-service capabilities

Utilized PL/SQL for data analysis and reporting, generating complex reports and data summaries

Managed SVN/Git repositories for branching, merging, and tagging, resolved merging issues during rebasing and re-integrating branches by conducting meetings with development team leads.

Implemented ITIL service request management workflows to streamline the fulfillment of user requests and reduce lead times

Utilized ZFS (Zettabyte File System) for efficient file system management and data integrity on Solaris.

Implemented best practices for timekeeping and project management within Unanet

Provided training and support to users on Unanet CRM/ERP, ensuring efficient utilization of the system for project tracking and financial management

Collaborated with UI/UX designers to translate design wireframes into high-quality code using JavaScript

Developed and maintained MQ scripts and automation tools using MQSC (MQ Script Command)

Migrating J2EE applications to Unix and windows environments by configuring applications via IDE Eclipse, Subversion, and Jenkins.

Integrated Apigee with backend systems (e.g., databases, microservices, legacy systems) using RESTful APIs, SOAP APIs, and message queues for data exchange.

Collaborated with finance and accounting teams to ensure accurate billing and invoicing through Unanet

Integrated PL/SQL code with front-end applications, providing seamless data access and manipulation through APIs and web services

Provided end-user training and support on the Ivanti platform, enhancing usage and increasing adoption rates within the organization

Used Docker container for application dependencies in the infrastructure and created a template image using Linux Kernel.

Created Bash scripts for file manipulation, including copying, moving, renaming, and deleting files.

Customized Unanet dashboards to provide real-time visibility into key project metrics for project managers and executives

Managed ServiceNow ITSM implementations, aligning with ITIL guidelines to streamline incident

Implemented API caching and content delivery networks (CDNs) on CF to improve API response times.

Developed custom JavaScript libraries and plugins to extend functionality and streamline development processes across multiple projects

Developed complex Bash scripts for process automation, including software installations and configurations.

iTechrex Solutions, Leesburg, VA

Duration: January 2017 - December 2017

Linux Administrator

Responsibilities:

Primary responsibility includes building and supporting Rocky Linux, Sues Linux 11, 12 and red hat Linux, 6, 7 and 8 for Enterprise Preference Management System project.

Responsible to work closely with application teams to deploy their applications.

Hands on experience with middleware such WebSphere and joss

Designed and implemented API documentation using Apigee's developer portal to provide self-service access to API documentation.

Used Automation tools Puppet, for automating the deployment, configuration, and rapid provisioning of servers. Write scripts to re- mediate server issues and Server monitoring.

Trained IT teams on ITIL frameworks to standardize processes across the organization and ensure compliance with industry best practices

Responsible for developing Puppet Modules to automate various configurations of red hat Linux/Windows servers.

Performed troubleshooting and issue resolution for Ivanti platform-related problems, ensuring consistent availability and performance

Provided advanced support and troubleshooting for ServiceNow, ensuring timely resolution of platform-related issues

Implemented IBM Tivoli Monitoring (ITM) for application and infrastructure performance monitoring.

Conducted troubleshooting and root cause analysis for WebSphere-related issues, ensuring minimal downtime.

Implemented SQL indexes, constraints (e.g., primary keys, foreign keys)

Converted Manual operations to Automation deployment using Puppet and VRO tool.

Knowledge of Puppet for configuration management to existing infrastructure.

Conducted API testing and validation using Apigee's API Test Console and automated testing frameworks (e.g., Postman, SoapUI)

Implemented JavaScript-based testing frameworks like Jasmine, Mocha, and Jest, to ensure the reliability and correctness of web applications

Used puppet for central management of Linux configuration files & software package mgmt.

Conducted Active Directory migrations, upgrades, and domain restructuring projects.

Utilized IBM Rational tools (Rational Team Concert, Rational ClearCase.

Provide system administration functions for mixed Microsoft / Linux environments.

Build, configured, and deployed RedHat/Windows virtual servers using VRA/VRO

Good experience in building the physical servers and VM in all distributions like red hat, Ubuntu, Centos and Rocky Linux.

Good experience with automation & scripting with Python, and configuration management tools such as Puppet, Ansible and Red Hat Satellite Server.

Implemented Oracle Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) for securing sensitive data at rest.

Provisioned Linux and Windows Virtual using Private Cloud Infrastructure.

Worked with cross-browser compatibility issues, using JavaScript to ensure consistent functionality and appearance across all major web browsers

Designed and implemented Active Directory Group Policies (GPOs) for centralized policy management.

Monitored system performance using utilities like IOSTAT, VMSTAT, SAR, TOP and PRSTAT.

Sayah Consulting, United Arab Emirates

Duration: January 2016 – December 2016

Systems Engineer / DevOps

Responsibilities:

Created fully automated CI/CD pipelines for code deployment using AWS Lambda and Jenkins, SonarQube.

Automated provisioning and repetitive tasks using Python, Docker container, Service Orchestration.

Conducted SQL performance tuning, query optimization.

Building/Maintaining Docker container clusters managed by Linux, Bash, GIT, Docker. Utilized Kubernetes and Docker for the runtime environment of the CI/CD system to build, test and deploy.

Managed API versioning, backward compatibility, and deprecation strategies on Apigee Edge to support evolving API requirements and client needs.

Automated creation of S3 buckets and policies and IAM role-based policies through Python Boto3 SDK.

Worked on PythonBoto3 Scripts to Automate AWS services, including web servers VPC, ELB, RDS, EC2, IAM, S3 bucket, Cloud Front Distribution, and application configuration. Experience with application containerization (Docker) and infrastructure as code solutions.

Provided training and support to developers, architects, and stakeholders on Apigee best practices, API design patterns.

Implemented SQL transactions, locking mechanisms, and concurrency controls for data consistency.

Maintained build related scripts developed in shell for Maven builds. Created and modified build configuration files including pom.xml.

HPE, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, United Arab Emirates

Duration: July 2013 – November 2015

Infrastructure Engineer

Worked on key projects for prestigious clients such as Dubai Airports, Majid Al-Futtaim, DU Telecom, and other confidential clients. Played a pivotal role in managing IT infrastructure, leading server migrations, and improving performance across critical systems.

Responsibilities:

Led server migrations from physical to virtual environments, calculating utilization and ensuring seamless migration with minimal downtime.

Led the creation of a plan for modern datacenter to accommodate future container-based deployments, covering 12 datacenters and 64 IT rooms at Dubai Airports. This plan was aimed at improving infrastructure scalability, efficiency, and flexibility.

Prepared documents for hardware, including servers, storage, and network devices, ensuring accurate inventory and seamless infrastructure tracking across Dubai Airports.

Designed and developed reusable frameworks, components, and tools that simplified daily operations for the team and improved overall productivity. This included a front-end framework that transformed the way the team developed SharePoint solutions.

Planned, designed, and deployed SharePoint-related projects for clients to implement and migrate services from legacy to the latest available versions.

Managed application support, backup administration, and IT operations on VMware, with a focus on proactive diagnosis, troubleshooting, and performance optimization for Microsoft Windows enterprise environments.

Designed and implemented SQL database triggers for automating data validation.

Configure and maintain FTP, DNS, NFS and DHCP servers.

Configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting of local development servers. Software Implementations.

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