Linux Systems Engineer with RHEL/CI Partnered Automation Expertise
Resume:
AYESHA AFZAL
Linux systems Engineer
************************@*****.*** 201-***-****
SUMMARY
Results-driven Linux Systems Engineer with over 6 years of experience in building, securing, and optimizing Linux infrastructures across enterprise environments. Expert level in deploying and managing RHEL, Ubuntu, and CentOS systems to ensure seamless operations and maximum uptime. Skilled in automating configuration and deployment processes using Ansible and scripting in Bash and Python to enhance efficiency and reduce manual effort. Strong background in system performance tuning, patch management, and security hardening to maintain compliance and reliability. Experienced in virtualization technologies such as VMware and KVM, as well as cloud platforms including AWS (EC2, S3, IAM, VPC, Route53). Known for strong problem-solving skills, effective cross-team collaboration, and meticulous documentation of system configurations and procedures to support long-term infrastructure stability.
TECHNICAL SKIL
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Operating system: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7,8,9, OEL 7,8,9, CentOS, Debian
• Cloud (AWS): EC2, IAM, AMI, S3, CloudWatch, Route 53, ELB
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Hardware: HP and DELL servers
• Monitoring Tools: Zabbix, Nagios
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Software: Microsoft Office, VS Code,
Notepad, WinSCP, Putty
• Automation: Ansible, Ansible Tower
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Virtual hosting: VMware ESXi, Vcenter, vSphere, Vmotion
• Version Control: Git, GitLab
•
Ticketing Tools: BMC Remedy, Jira,
SNOW
• Networking and network protocols: SMTP, NTP, HTTP, DHCP, TCP/IP, UDP, DNS, DHCP, SSH, SAN and LAN.
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Applications/ Utilities/ Protocols:
Apache, RAID, SSH, TCP/IP, LDAP, LVM, FTP, Nagios, Splunk, Service Now.
• Servers: Pxe boot, Kickstart and RedHat Satellite
•
Filesystems: EXT3, EXT4, XFS, NFS
• Tuning: Performance Tuning, Kernel Tuning
•
Languages: Bash, yaml
• Storage: NFS, LVM, Raid, S3, SAN
WORKING HISTORY:
Linux Systems Engineer
IBM, New York
Dec 2023 – Current
•Demonstrated deep proficiency in managing VMware virtualization platforms, including ESXi, vCenter, vMotion, HA, DRS, and FT, ensuring high availability and resource optimization across production systems.
•Installed, configured, and maintained Linux servers (RHEL, Ubuntu, CentOS) on virtualized environments; automated configuration management and deployment tasks using Ansible playbooks and ad hoc modules.
•Deployed and maintained automation frameworks using Ansible for configuration consistency, reducing manual interventions and improving system reliability.
•Managed Git repositories for source control and configuration tracking, ensuring accurate versioning and facilitating team collaboration on infrastructure code.
•Supported containerization initiatives by managing Docker images and containers, including lifecycle operations and integration with existing systems.
•Configured Kubernetes clusters, managing deployments, and application lifecycle operations for efficient and resilient container orchestration.
•Created and managed Replica Sets for scaling and implemented pod health checks to ensure high availability and optimal performance.
•Administered AWS cloud resources including EC2, S3, ELB, CloudWatch, CloudFront, and IAM for development and testing environments; automated monitoring and alerting to maintain system health.
•Configured S3 bucket policies and implemented lifecycle management between S3 and Glacier for cost-efficient data storage and backups.
•Utilized AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) to securely manage and control access to AWS resources, ensuring proper authorization and compliance across instances.
•Administered SAN storage systems by provisioning LUNs, configuring file systems, and utilizing LVM for dynamic storage allocation and scalability.
•Performed scheduled patching and updates for Linux servers to maintain compliance and security; resolved post-patch performance and dependency issues efficiently.
•Configured NIC bonding and channel bonding on enterprise servers to enable redundancy, fault tolerance, and improved network throughput.
•Proactively monitored key performance metrics including CPU, memory, swap, and disk utilization using tools like top, iostat, and CloudWatch, ensuring optimal system performance and capacity planning.
•Responsible for performance bottleneck investigations and root cause analysis to resolve complex system and application-level issues affecting availability and throughput.
•Utilized ServiceNow for efficient ticket management, ensuring timely response, resolution, and documentation of incidents, changes, and requests.
Linux Systems Administrator
CitiBank, Jersey City
May 2021 – Oct 2023
Oversaw the full lifecycle of Linux system deployments, from OS build automation to post-deployment configuration, ensuring consistent performance and compliance across RHEL and CentOS environments.
Implemented standardized provisioning workflows leveraging network-based installation methods and centralized management tools to streamline new server rollouts.
Managed enterprise patching operations, applied updates across environments, and verified successful package integration while mitigating post-patch stability issues.
Maintained local software repositories to support secure installations and update synchronization in both connected and air-gapped environments.
Executed OS upgrades and migrations (RHEL 7 to RHEL 8), performing post-upgrade validation and troubleshooting to ensure smooth transitions.
Delivered expert administration of core Linux infrastructure handling kernel tuning, process optimization, and system hardening to enhance performance and security.
Configured and managed critical network and storage services such as DNS, NFS, SSH, FTP, DHCP, and Samba, ensuring seamless communication and file-sharing across systems.
Built and supported scalable virtual environments using VMware technologies, optimizing virtual CPU, memory, and disk allocation for improved workload efficiency.
Utilized Logical Volume Management (LVM) to design flexible and reliable storage architectures supporting dynamic capacity expansion and performance tuning.
Installed and administered Apache web servers, performed log analysis, and implemented SSL configurations to maintain secure and responsive web services.
Automated daily administrative functions and monitoring tasks with custom Bash scripts and scheduled jobs, improving operational efficiency and reducing manual overhead.
Integrated Linux systems with centralized authentication mechanisms such as Active Directory to unify access management and enforce security controls.
Supported developers and infrastructure teams with advanced troubleshooting, kernel parameter adjustments, and configuration tuning to meet application requirements.
Implemented multi-pathing and RAID configurations on enterprise-grade Dell and HP servers to improve disk performance and fault tolerance.
Coordinated secure data replication and backup synchronization between production and disaster recovery environments to ensure operational continuity.
Linux Analyst
DXC Technology, Tysons, VA
Oct 2019 – Mar 2021
•Tracked and analyzed system utilization metrics including disk space, CPU load, and uptime to support performance optimization and capacity planning.
•Investigated performance degradation, network latency, and system bottlenecks using diagnostic tools including tcpdump, top, traceroute, and nslookup.
•Investigated and corrected configuration discrepancies and system-level faults to maintain stable production environments.
•Conducted server health assessments and provided technical recommendations to enhance customer system reliability and efficiency.
•Monitored and reviewed system and security logs to identify anomalies and maintain compliance with internal IT policies.
•Developed and utilized Bash scripts to automate system checks and generate reports on key performance and configuration data.
•Observed system health using both command-line utilities and monitoring tools to proactively detect and mitigate performance issues.
EDUATION:
Bachelors in Science (Biology) – 2018
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