Network Engineer Sd-Wan

Darshan Kumar Saravanan

Network Engineer

Location: Illinois, USA Mail: **********************@*****.*** Ph.: 815-***-**** LinkedIn

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY:

Around 5 years of experience as a Network Engineer with expertise in architecting and deploying Cisco Viptela SD-WAN, F5 BIG-IP LTM/GTM/ASM, Palo Alto Networks, Zscaler ZIA/ZPA, Azure Firewall, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Cisco Nexus, ASR routers, Fortinet FortiGate, Arista EOS/CloudVision, DMVPN, Cisco ISE, Aruba ClearPass and Splunk SIEM. Proficient in network automation using Ansible and Python. Experienced in BGP, OSPF, MPLS, AWS Direct Connect, ExpressRoute, VXLAN, leaf-spine architecture and network access control. Adept at ensuring network uptime, security and compliance (SOX/GLBA, PCI DSS, HIPAA, NIST, FFIEC). Skilled in supporting critical applications including financial platforms, trading systems, online banking portals, ATMs, mobile applications, EMR/EHR (Cerner, Epic) and PACS. Familiar with ServiceNow for ITSM.

TECHNICAL SKILLS:

Networking Protocols:

BGP, OSPF, VXLAN, GRE, IPsec, DMVPN, MPLS, 802.1x

Routing & Switching:

Cisco Nexus 9000 (NX-OS), Cisco ASR Routers (IOS-XE), Cisco Catalyst, Arista EOS, VXLAN Leaf-Spine Architecture

SD-WAN Technologies:

Cisco Viptela SD-WAN, Dynamic Path Selection, Application-Aware Routing, Active-Active Failover

Firewall & Security:

Palo Alto Firewalls, Cisco ASA, Fortinet FortiGate, Azure Firewall, Zscaler ZIA/ZPA, Cisco ISE, Aruba ClearPass, Network Access Control (NAC)

Load Balancing & Traffic Mgmt:

F5 BIG-IP LTM, GTM, ASM Modules

Monitoring & Logging:

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM), Splunk SIEM

Cloud Platforms:

AWS, AWS Direct Connect, ExpressRoute, Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Automation & Scripting:

Ansible, Python, REST APIs

Data Center Technologies:

VXLAN Overlays, Redundant Core Architectures, Microsegmentation

VPN & Secure Access:

VPN, Virtual Private Network, GRE over IPsec, Cisco DMVPN Phase 3, Secure Remote Access

Compliance & Standards:

SOX, GLBA, HIPAA, NIST, PCI DSS, FFIEC

Healthcare Systems:

EMR, EHR, Cerner, Epic, PACS

ITSM & Ticketing Tools:

ServiceNow

Diagramming & Planning:

Network Architecture Design, Business Continuity Planning

Storage & Data Transmission:

Inter-Branch Data Replication, Encrypted Financial Records, Secure Patient Data Transmission

CERTIFICATION:

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

State Street – IL January 2023 – Present

Network Engineer

Reduced branch network latency by 47% by architecting and deploying Cisco Viptela SD-WAN across corporate banking sites, leveraging dynamic path selection, active-active failover and application-aware routing for seamless financial application access.

Achieved 99% SLA compliance for network uptime across Tier-1 trading and clearinghouse data centers by implementing F5 BIG-IP LTM load balancing, optimizing load distribution for high-frequency trading platforms and ensuring continuous banking operations.

Automated 85% of firewall rule provisioning in production environments using Ansible playbooks integrated with Palo Alto REST APIs, reducing change control windows by 40% and minimizing risk during quarterly regulatory audits (SOX/GLBA compliance).

Strengthened zero-trust architecture by integrating Zscaler ZIA/ZPA, Azure Firewall and Microsoft Defender for Cloud, enforcing identity-aware segmentation across internal banking portals, customer transaction services and mobile banking APIs.

Designed and deployed redundant core architectures using Cisco Nexus 9000 series switches (VXLAN-enabled) and ASR routers running NX-OS/IOS-XE, ensuring 40Gbps+ throughput for inter-branch financial data replication and real-time fraud analytics pipelines.

Worked on a multi-phase global rollout of Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewalls across institutional branches, delivering deep packet inspection, application control and intrusion prevention for SWIFT, ACH and RTGS traffic.

Managed and optimized F5 BIG-IP LTM, GTM and ASM modules supporting online banking portals, ATMs and mobile applications, reducing transaction timeouts by 32% and meeting PCI DSS compliance requirements.

Engineered BGP-OSPF redistribution between MPLS and AWS Direct Connect/ExpressRoute hybrid environments, enabling deterministic routing & failover capabilities for cloud-based core banking services & backup recovery systems.

Built and monitored VXLAN overlays in a leaf-spine architecture using Arista EOS and CloudVision, enabling scalable microsegmentation for high-priority financial workloads and reducing east-west traffic latency by 28%.

Developed and tested DMVPN Phase 3 topologies using GRE over IPsec for regional DR sites and compliance offices, enhancing business continuity and cross-site replication speed for encrypted financial records.

Implemented network access control (NAC) using Cisco ISE and Aruba ClearPass, applying dynamic VLAN assignment and 802.1x enforcement to restrict unauthorized access across financial campuses and corporate headquarters.

Integrated Splunk SIEM with firewall, VPN and IPS logs, enabling real-time network anomaly detection, insider threat monitoring and event correlation aligned with FFIEC cybersecurity assessment standards.

Zensar Technologies – India May 2019 - November 2021

Network Engineer

Spearheaded the design and implementation of a resilient network infrastructure for a multi-site healthcare facility, achieving a 30% increase in network uptime through strategic deployment of redundant configurations and advanced failover mechanisms tailored for healthcare operations.

Expertly configured and managed Cisco ASA firewalls, significantly enhancing the organization’s security posture and achieving 100% compliance with HIPAA regulations through rigorous policy enforcement and continuous monitoring.

Led the deployment and optimization of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, specifically Cerner and Epic, resulting in a 25% reduction in data retrieval times, thereby improving the efficiency of healthcare professionals in patient care delivery.

Utilized SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) for proactive network monitoring, successfully reducing incident response times by 40% through the implementation of real-time alerts and comprehensive reporting mechanisms tailored for healthcare environments.

Designed and implemented Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to ensure the secure transmission of sensitive patient data, adhering to best practices in data protection and privacy.

Conducted regular compliance audits to ensure adherence to HIPAA and NIST standards, implementing corrective actions as necessary to maintain regulatory compliance and safeguard patient information.

Developed and maintained automation scripts using Python to streamline network configuration tasks, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing manual errors in network management processes.

Collaborated with IT Service Management (ITSM) tools, specifically ServiceNow, to facilitate effective ticket management and resolution tracking, ensuring timely responses to network-related incidents and service requests.

Provided specialized support for the configuration of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) networks, ensuring efficient image storage, retrieval and transmission in compliance with healthcare imaging standards.

Assisted in the deployment of cloud-based solutions, particularly on Amazon Web Services (AWS), to facilitate secure remote access and scalable data storage solutions, enhancing operational flexibility for healthcare providers.

EDUCATION:

Master of Science in Management Information Systems - Northern Illinois University, IL, USA

Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering - Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri, Kerala, India

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