Network Engineer Palo Alto
Resume:
Abdullah
********.*******@*****.***
SUMMARY
Certified Network Engineer with 6+ years of experience configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting enterprise networks across on-premises and cloud (Azure) environments. Skilled in dynamic routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP), advanced firewall platforms (Palo Alto, Cisco ASA, FortiGate), and SD-WAN (Cisco Viptela). Experienced in leveraging monitoring tools and automation to ensure secure, scalable, and reliable infrastructure.
●Routing & Switching: Configured and optimized BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, and static routes on Cisco ISR/ASR routers and Juniper MX platforms. Proficient in VLANs, trunking, EtherChannel, and HSRP configurations on Cisco Catalyst (9300, 9500) and Nexus (9000, 7000) switches to ensure resilient LAN and WAN operations.
●Firewall & Security: Configured and maintained Palo Alto, Cisco ASA, and FortiGate firewalls, implementing VPNs, advanced security policies, and threat prevention measures. Integrated F5 ASM and custom iRules to enhance application security and mitigate web-based threats.
●Load Balancing & Traffic Optimization: Deployed and managed F5 BIG-IP LTM/GTM for advanced traffic optimization and high availability. Configured health monitors, persistence profiles, and DNS records to ensure seamless application delivery across global environments.
●Cloud Networking & Security: Managed Azure cloud environments, configuring DNS, Route Tables, and Application Gateways to secure and optimize traffic flow. Assisted in integrating WAF solutions within Azure, enhancing security and compliance for cloud-hosted applications.
●Network Monitoring & Tools: Leveraged SolarWinds, Splunk, Zabbix, and LogicMonitor to monitor network performance and proactively address bottlenecks. Automated configuration management tasks using Ansible, improving operational efficiency.
●Incident Management & Support: Utilized ServiceNow for incident tracking and resolution across multi-vendor environments. Troubleshoot LAN/WAN connectivity, firewall rules, and routing issues to meet SLA targets and ensure operational continuity.
Technical Skills:
Routers:
Cisco ISR (1000, 4000 Series), Catalyst 8300 Series, ASR (1000, 9000 Series), Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms; Juniper MX Series (MX480, MX960).
Switches:
Cisco Catalyst (9300, 9400, 9500, 9200 Series), Cisco Nexus (9000, 7000, 5000 Series); Juniper EX Series Switches.
Juniper Platforms
Juniper MX Series (MX480, MX960), SRX Series (SRX300, SRX1500).
LAN Technologies:
Ethernet (1/10/40/100 Gigabit), SD-WAN (Cisco Viptela, Fortinet), VLANs, VTP, STP, RSTP, MSTP, 802.1Q, EtherChannel (Port Channels).
WAN Technologies:
MPLS, DMVPN, IPsec VPNs, Metro Ethernet, BGP over MPLS, Broadband VPN, Hybrid Cloud Connectivity (AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute).
Firewalls:
Palo Alto (PA-220, PA-850, PA-5200 Series), Cisco ASA (5506-X, 5516-X), Checkpoint (NGX, R81.10), Fortinet FortiGate (100F, 500E, 2000E Series).
OS/Services:
Linux (Ubuntu, CentOS, Red Hat), VMware ESXi, DNS, DHCP, Windows Server (2016, 2019, 2022).
Protocols/
Services
Routing Protocols (RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, BGP), QoS, HSRP, VRRP, TCP/IP, IPSec, MPLS, PPP, SIP, H.323, VoIP, Proxy Servers
Network Management Tools:
SolarWinds NPM, Cisco Prime Infrastructure, LogicMonitor, Splunk, Panorama (Palo Alto), Nagios, Microsoft Network Monitor, Ansible, and ServiceNow.
Monitoring Tools:
SolarWinds, Splunk, Zabbix, LogicMonitor, Wireshark, Nagios.
Professional Experience:
Sanofi, Dec 2023 - Till Date Sr. Network Engineer
Served as a Senior Network Consultant on a five-member implementation support team, specializing in deploying SD-WAN configurations, maintaining infrastructure, and troubleshooting complex network issues during site expansions and upgrades for a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.
Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams and vendors to ensure seamless network operations.
Implemented SD-WAN solutions using Cisco Viptela, deploying pre-configured templates, optimizing application routing, and ensuring scalability and security during site migrations from MPLS.
Configured and troubleshot OSPF and BGP routing protocols across Cisco and Juniper platforms, resolving adjacency failures, route flaps, and redistribution issues using diagnostic tools like Wireshark and SPAN.
Supported Cisco ISR migrations from 1000 to 1100 series routers, ensuring operational consistency through proactive coordination, post-migration validation, and troubleshooting.
Conducted OS-level upgrades for Cisco Catalyst 9300, Nexus 7K, and ISR platforms using both CLI and GUI interfaces, validating software compatibility and performing post-upgrade testing to maintain stability.
Diagnosed Layer 2 issues, including VLAN misconfigurations, spanning-tree anomalies (PVST+, MSTP), and EtherChannel inconsistencies, improving network performance and ensuring loop-free environments.
Managed and supported Palo Alto and Checkpoint firewalls, performing OS upgrades, modifying rules, and remediating policy inconsistencies to enhance throughput and maintain compliance with security standards.
Managed and optimized IPAM, DNS, DDNS, and DHCP within BlueCat and Infoblox environments, ensuring efficient IP address management and name resolution across global infrastructures.
Addressed backend infrastructure issues related to VMware servers, ensuring optimal resource
allocation and availability for hosted applications and assisted with periodic maintenance and upgrades.
Managed DNS and DHCP troubleshooting within Infoblox environments, resolving IP conflicts and ensuring consistent name resolution services for new and existing sites.
Leveraged Excel to track network configurations, maintain detailed inventory records, and create pivot tables for efficient IP address management during site implementations.
Enhanced security by managing IPS, IDS, and Internet Proxy solutions, mitigating security risks and improving network visibility.
Optimized IP routing using RIP, BGP, OSPF, MPLS, and IP Multicast, ensuring high availability, fault tolerance, and efficient traffic engineering within enterprise networks.
Managed global WAN infrastructure, implementing Quality of Service (QoS) policies and optimizing wireless networking (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) for seamless connectivity and bandwidth optimization.
Utilized ServiceNow for daily incident management, resolving over 70% of tickets involving routing, switching, and firewall operations while collaborating with cross-functional teams for escalations.
Unisys, PA Apr 2022 - Nov 2023 Network Engineer
In the Network Operations team that handled multiple end-client environments, specializing in cloud-based network infrastructure
Maintained and optimized Cisco ISR 1000, ISR 4000, Catalyst 8300 routers, and Juniper MX480/960 platforms, configuring BGP and MPLS routing protocols to ensure stable WAN connectivity.
Provided detailed IPsec VPN configurations for secure site-to-site communication, resolving tunnel instabilities and encryption mismatches across multi-vendor environments.
Configured and maintained Cisco ASA (5506-X, 5516-X) and Palo Alto PA-850/5200 series firewalls, performing rule updates, OS upgrades, and policy optimizations to enhance network security and ensure compliance with enterprise standards.
Configured role-based access control (RBAC) and policy enforcement in Aruba ClearPass, ensuring secure network access for employees, contractors, and IoT devices.
Deployed Aruba ClearPass Network Access Control (NAC) for 802.1X authentication, enabling secure wired and wireless access based on user roles, device types, and compliance policies.
Configured and troubleshot LAN technologies, including VLANs, port channels, and spanning-tree protocols (STP, RSTP, MSTP) on Cisco Catalyst 9300/9500 and Juniper EX Series switches, ensuring efficient data flow and fault-free LAN operations.
Worked with FortiGate firewalls (100F, 500E) to secure remote site operations, configuring IPS and advanced threat protection features for critical data center and remote networks.
CITI GROUP, TX Feb 2021 - Mar 2022
Network Engineer (T3)
Served as a key contributor to the enterprise networking team, focusing on F5 BIG-IP LTM/GTM configurations, DNS management, and cloud-based application delivery in Azure environments, ensuring secure, high-performing, and scalable infrastructure across global data centers.
Deployed and managed F5 BIG-IP LTM/GTM solutions, ensuring high availability, traffic optimization, and redundancy for critical applications spanning multiple enterprise environments.
Configured and maintained DNS records, including CNAME and A records, integrating with Azure DNS to streamline traffic routing and enhance application reliability.
Configured DNS servers and implemented DNS security policies, enhancing uptime, reliability, and threat protection for enterprise infrastructure.
Implemented AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting) frameworks, integrating TACACS+ and RADIUS for centralized user access control policies.
Configured and maintained IPSec VPNs, SSL VPNs, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to ensure secure remote access and compliance with organizational security policies.
HDFC, INDIA Jul 2018 - Jan 2021
Network Administrator
Worked as a Network Administrator, providing foundational IT support and building hands-on experience in configuring and troubleshooting network and system infrastructure.
Assisted in configuring and troubleshooting dynamic routing protocols like BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP on Cisco routers while gaining expertise in NAT, PAT, and Layer 2 networking basics.
Configured and maintained static routes and route redistribution, ensuring seamless connectivity between internal networks and external gateways.
Supported fundamental switching operations, including configuring access and trunk ports, VLAN assignments, and verifying STP topology to maintain reliable LAN performance.
Configured VLANs, STP, HSRP, and Port Security on Cisco Catalyst switches, ensuring secure and segmented LAN environments.
Supported the troubleshooting of LAN/WAN issues, resolving connectivity problems and collaborating with senior engineers to improve network reliability.
Education
Master of Science in Business Analytics - Texas A&M University (TAMUC), TX
Certifications:
-Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
Contact this candidate