Windows Server Active Directory

Sreenivasarao Garikapati

Mob: 469-***-****

Email: ********@*****.***

Professional Summary

Experienced Windows Administrator with over 12 years of expertise in managing and optimizing Windows servers and Active Directory.

Proficient in VMware virtualization, Hyper-v, Active Directory (AD) architecture, administration, with a strong background in DNS, DHCP, and enterprise-level support.

Skilled in server optimization, patch management, and ensuring high availability of systems.

Strong background in virtualization technologies.

Experienced in data center operations, server migrations, and infrastructure upgrades, supporting large-scale environments with 5,000+ servers.

Committed to delivering high-quality IT solutions with excellent communication and presentation skills.

Technical Skills

Operating Systems: Windows Server 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012,2008

Cloud Platforms: Microsoft Azure

Virtualization: VMware, Hyper-V

Networking: DNS, DHCP, VPN, VLAN

Collaboration Tools: Microsoft Teams, SharePoint

Ticketing Tools: ServiceNow

Certifications

Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)

Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

Professional Experience

Senior Associate – Systems Administration

Kyndryl Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

September 2021 – November 2024

Windows Server Administration: Managed and maintained Windows Server environments (2012/2016/2019), overseeing server setup, configuration, performance monitoring, and troubleshooting to ensure optimal system functionality.

Performed in-place upgrades to Windows Server 2019/2022, ensuring minimal downtime and seamless transition while maintaining system stability and performance.

Active Directory Management: Configured, administered, and maintained Active Directory environments, including user account management, group policies, organizational units, and replication for seamless user and system management.

Group Policy Administration: Developed, deployed, and troubleshooted Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to enforce security policies, manage user settings, and automate administrative tasks across enterprise networks.

DNS/DHCP Management: Configured and maintained DNS and DHCP services, ensuring efficient IP address management, name resolution, and network connectivity across large-scale and small-scale environments.

PowerShell Scripting: Automated critical administrative tasks such as bulk user creation, permissions management, system configuration, and monitoring using PowerShell, significantly improving operational efficiency.

Virtualization (Hyper-V, VMware): Deployed, managed, and maintained virtual environments using Hyper-V and VMware, including virtual machine creation, resource allocation, snapshot management, and disk configuration.

Network Configuration: Configured network settings, including IP addressing, VLANs, subnetting, firewall rules, and remote access solutions, ensuring secure and efficient communication between servers and clients.

Backup and Recovery Solutions: Implemented and managed backup and disaster recovery solutions (e.g., Veeam, Windows Backup) to protect data integrity, perform regular backups, and facilitate swift recovery when necessary.

Security Hardening: Strengthened server security by applying critical security patches, configuring firewalls, managing access controls, and implementing encryption methods to protect against vulnerabilities and security threats.

Patch Management: Managed and deployed regular patches and updates to servers and software using WSUS and SCCM, ensuring systems were secure and up-to-date with the latest fixes.

Server Deployment and Configuration: Deployed and configured both physical and virtual servers, ensuring systems were optimized and configured according to organizational requirements and operational needs.

Server Installation and Maintenance: Specialized in installing, configuring, and maintaining Windows Servers, ensuring optimal performance and reliability. This includes hardware installation, operating system setup, and post-installation tasks like network configuration, security hardening, and deploying critical services.

Disaster Recovery Planning: Practical experience in developing and executing disaster recovery strategies, including routine testing of backup systems and recovery processes.

Automation of Routine Tasks: Expertise in automating repetitive administrative tasks using tools such as PowerShell and batch scripts. Tasks automated include user account management, patch deployment, system backups, and configuration updates, enhancing efficiency and reducing manual intervention.

Application and Service Support: Strong background in providing end-to-end support for business-critical applications and services. This includes ensuring proper installation, configuration, and maintenance, troubleshooting application-related issues, managing dependencies, and collaborating with vendors when necessary.

Managed user accounts on Windows platform, including creation, deletion, permissions.

Led the global WPP Project, providing comprehensive support for 6,000 servers across 70 countries, including Windows and VMware operations for both Production and Non-Production environments.

Managed IBM, HP, and Dell servers via RSA, ILO, and iDRAC, troubleshooting operating system issues to ensure system stability.

Handled Sev1 and Sev2 incidents, resolving them within SLA, and addressed Sev3 and Sev4 incidents reported by users and automated alerts.

Managed Problem tickets and conducted Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for Sev1 and Sev2 incidents, contributing to ongoing service improvement.

Collaborated in technical bridges with onshore teams and Microsoft, facilitating effective problem resolution.

Troubleshot file server access issues, maintaining data accessibility and security.

Created and executed change management procedures, performing thorough pre- and post-change checks.

Raised hardware tickets with vendors and coordinated timely issue resolution.

Deployed applications on newly built servers according to customer specifications.

Troubleshot server and hardware issues, ensuring minimal downtime and maximum performance.

Upgraded firmware on ILO and physical hosts, maintaining system integrity and reliability.

Technical Services Specialist

IBM India Pvt. Ltd.

March 2016 - August 2021

Project: DCM (Datacenter migration)

Led data center migration projects, ensuring smooth transitions with minimal disruption to services.

Configured and managed Windows Servers across multiple environments.

Acted as a technical lead, coordinating with various teams to troubleshoot and resolve issues efficiently.

Developed and maintained technical documentation, enhancing knowledge sharing and process improvement.

Optimized resource allocation for migrated workloads, ensuring smooth transitions and adherence to SLAs.

Documented all migration processes, configurations, and troubleshooting steps for operational reference and audit compliance.

Collaborated with network, storage, and application teams to manage dependencies and ensure synchronized migrations.

Performed post-migration validation and testing, confirming all systems and applications operated as intended.

Provided support during cutovers, including on-site and remote troubleshooting of server and application issues.

Monitored post-migration server health and performance, implementing corrective actions for identified anomalies.

Active Directory Administration & Management:

Managed and maintained Active Directory (AD) infrastructure, including user accounts, groups, and organizational units (OUs) across multiple domains.

Created and enforced Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to standardize security policies, software deployment, and workstation configurations.

Implemented Kerberos and NTLM authentication, ensuring secure user authentication and resource access.

Managed AD replication between domain controllers (DCs) to ensure directory consistency and high availability.

Monitored and resolved Active Directory replication issues using tools like repadmin, dcdiag, and event logs.

User & Access Management:

Provisioned, modified, and deprovisioned user accounts in Active Directory, Exchange, and Office 365.

Configured and managed Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for secure delegation of administrative tasks.

Active Directory Security & Compliance:

Implemented and enforced password policies, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and account lockout policies to enhance security.

Conducted Active Directory security audits to identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with industry standards.

Monitored event logs and audit trails for suspicious activities and unauthorized access attempts.

Applied security hardening techniques to domain controllers, including NTLM blocking, SMB signing, and LDAP channel binding.

Active Directory Migrations & Upgrades:

Upgraded Active Directory infrastructure from Windows Server 2012 R2 to 2016/2019/2022.

Performed domain and forest functional level upgrades to enable new features and security enhancements.

Migrated user accounts, groups, and policies using ADMT (Active Directory Migration Tool).

Consolidated multiple domains into a single Active Directory forest to streamline administration.

Analyst

NetEnrich Technologies Pvt. Ltd.,

March 2012 - February 2016

Provided remote support for approximately 1,500 servers, ensuring seamless operation and minimal downtime.

Delivered Level 2/3 technical support for Windows Server environments, including Windows 2012, 2008, and 2003, within an enterprise setting.

Managed and maintained Active Directory (AD) infrastructure, including user accounts, groups, and organizational units (OUs) across multiple domains.

Created and enforced Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to standardize security policies, software deployment, and workstation configurations.

Performed Active Directory backup and recovery using Windows Server Backup, Veeam, and AD snapshots.

Created disaster recovery plans for domain controllers, FSMO roles, and AD-integrated DNS zones.

Restored deleted AD objects using the Active Directory Recycle Bin and authoritative restores.

Deployed and installed Microsoft patches on servers, ensuring systems remained up-to-date and secure.

Troubleshot and resolved cluster server issues, including disk expansion and migration, to maintain server integrity and availability.

Resolved user permission issues efficiently, enhancing security and access control.

Provided on-call support during weekends, addressing critical issues to maintain server performance and reliability.

Monitored and responded to alerts for Blade servers, ensuring they remained in a healthy state and proactively addressing potential issues.

Diagnosed and resolved hardware issues on Dell/IBM servers, coordinating with hardware vendors to replace faulty components promptly.

Administered and resolved issues with virtual machines through vCenter, maintaining a stable and efficient virtual infrastructure.

Built and configured standalone and Blade servers, ensuring proper setup and integration into the network.

Handled hardware-related tasks, including driver and firmware upgrades, to keep systems up-to-date and fully functional.

VMWare:

Regularly upgraded VMware tools to ensure optimal performance and compatibility.

Expanded disk drives, CPUs, memory, and NIC cards in response to change requests, optimizing server resources.

Updated server physical and virtual information in centralized data stores following configuration changes to maintain accurate records.

Created snapshots prior to changes, ensuring rollback options were available when necessary.

Cloned servers during new builds, streamlining the deployment process.

Created virtual machines from templates to ensure consistency and efficiency in server provisioning.

Performed tasks such as snapshots, cloning, cold migrations, hot migrations, and template management to maintain and optimize virtual environments.

Managed and resolved disk space issues in virtual machines, ensuring continuous availability and performance.

Education :

Master of Computer Applications (MCA) - Sikkim Manipal University – 2007

BA from Nagarjuna University - 1993

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