Ashtech - Senior System Administrator - VMware (4-5 yrs)

Senior System Administrator - VMware

Responsibilities :

As a Senior System Administrator specializing in VMware, you will be a critical member of our infrastructure team, responsible for the advanced management, maintenance, and support of our virtualized and physical server environment. Your expertise will be crucial in ensuring the stability, performance, and security of our critical systems.

- Level 3 Technical Support & Escalation Management : Provide expert-level technical support for complex VMware, Linux, and server hardware issues, acting as a point of escalation for junior administrators. You will be responsible for in-depth troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and the implementation of effective solutions.

- Patch Management & Server Provisioning : Proactively manage the patching lifecycle, including identifying necessary patches based on security advisories and system requirements, scheduling maintenance windows, and applying patches to VMware ESXi hosts and guest operating systems. You will also be responsible for building and configuring high-end physical servers (Dell, HP, IBM, SUN) according to best practices and organizational standards.

- Oversee the planning, scheduling, and execution of server firmware upgrades, ensuring compatibility and stability across our hardware infrastructure. You will also be responsible for troubleshooting any issues arising from firmware updates.

- Perform installations, kernel updates, and client patching on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) servers based on application and client requirements. This includes the configuration and management of storage Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs) presented to Linux systems.

- Proficiently add, configure, and manage physical and virtual disks. You will be responsible for creating, resizing, and maintaining file systems on Linux and other Unix-based systems.

- Implement and maintain robust user access controls, including the ability to enable and revoke user privileges based on the principle of least privilege and security best practices.

- Implement and manage Network Interface Card (NIC) bonding (teaming) using kernel modules to enhance network redundancy and performance.

- Oversee the installation, configuration, and ongoing maintenance of internal DNS servers. This includes ensuring high availability and optimal performance of our DNS infrastructure.

- Efficiently manage internal DNS records, including adding, deleting, and modifying A, CNAME, PTR, and other record types as required.

- Configure and manage network file sharing services using NFS (Network File System) and AutoFS to provide seamless access to shared resources.

- Actively participate in the remediation of vulnerabilities identified through Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) exercises, implementing necessary security patches and configurations.

Requirements :

- Proven and in-depth experience in managing logical volumes using Linux LVM (Logical Volume Manager), Veritas VxVM (Volume Manager), and Solaris SVM (Solaris Volume Manager).

- Strong understanding and practical experience in implementing server hardening techniques and security best practices across various operating systems.

- Demonstrated experience and a thorough understanding of Physical to Virtual (P2V) migration processes and tools.

- Proven track record of successfully handling migration projects from older hardware to new hardware platforms, ensuring minimal downtime and data integrity.

- Exceptional ability to understand, analyze, and troubleshoot complex technical errors. You must be capable of performing detailed Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and documenting findings effectively.

- Strong understanding of system performance monitoring and tuning methodologies. You should be able to identify and resolve performance bottlenecks at the operating system and virtualization layers.

- Hands-on, expert-level experience with Veritas Volume Manager, including critical tasks such as encapsulating the root disk and safely breaking mirror disks for maintenance and upgrades on critical systems.

- A strong understanding of ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) processes, particularly Incident Management, Change Management, and Problem Management.

- Good understanding and practical experience in basic shell programming (e.g., Bash, Shell) for system administration automation and scripting tasks.

- Excellent documentation skills, including the ability to create and maintain clear, concise, and accurate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), process documents, and technical documentation