IT Consultant and Systems Administrator
Marietta , GA 30067 | Tel: 678-919-9969 | [email protected]
Dear Hiring Manager,
I bring extensive experience in IT consulting and systems administration, with expertise across technologies including Cisco, Windows, Red Hat, Debian, and Ubuntu Linux. My background includes successfully implementing solutions on leading cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.
My skills encompass designing, configuring, and managing diverse IT infrastructures, including physical servers, network devices, storage arrays (NAS/SAN), and virtualization platforms like VMware, Hyper-V, and ProxMox. I excel in delivering efficient, tailored IT solutions that meet both organizational and client needs.
I am immediately available for on-site/hybrid opportunities within the Atlanta, Georgia area or remote roles across the United States. Furthermore, I am flexible and open to full-time, project-based contracts, or 1099 engagements.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to discussing how my expertise can contribute to your team’s success. Please let me know a convenient time to connect.
Sincerely,
Imad Daou
SUMMARY
— Proactive IT Hybrid Specialist with over 8 years of experience specializing in Cloud / Data Centers, encompassing routers, switches, servers, firewalls, and virtualization technologies.
— Proven expertise in designing, configuring, managing, securing, and troubleshooting diverse systems within highly available and secure cloud environments using AWS or Azure.
— Extensive technical proficiency with Windows (10/11, Server 2022), Linux distributions (Ubuntu/Debian, Red Hat, SUSE), and virtualization platforms like ESXi, Hyper-V, Proxmox.
— Strong cybersecurity expertise, adept at deploying UTM and NGFW solutions to fortify systems against threats; implementing backup and recovery strategies to mitigate data loss.
— Adept at working under pressure, independently or as part of cross-functional teams, with oral and written communication skills to ensure top-tier IT support and customer service.
OBJECTIVES
I am seeking a role in a dynamic environment to leverage my experience. My goal is to contribute to innovative projects while enhancing organizational performance through my IT consulting and technical skills. I am looking for Onsite, Hybrid, Remote (Full-Time/Contract/Temp) or (1099) IT position.
I am actively pursuing advanced certifications, including Cisco CCNA, NetApp and EMC Storage, VMWare, Red Hat, Windows, and Azure / AWS Cloud Professional to deepen my knowledge.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
OS: Win10/11, Win2022 Servers, Cisco IOS XE/XR, Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL, Suse, and MAC.
Web: Web Servers using Apache / Nginx, MySQL, PostGres, MariaDB, PHP and Python Flask.
Mail: MS Exchange/Office365, Dovecot, Postfix, Mail proxies, Mail filtering; Email Encryption.
Cloud: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, and OVH Servers and Clouds.
RBAC: Managing devices and users access via LDAP/AD Resources and Role security groups.
Panels: cPanel, WHMCS, ISPConfig, and CMS platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla.
Backup: Acronis, Veritas, BackupAssist, Macrium, Veeam, Clonezilla, and ProxMox Backups.
Security: PKI, IPTables/IPSET, OPNSense/pfSense, Email/Data Encryption, and TOTP / MFA.
Storage: iSCSI SAN, LVM Volumes, LUNs Targets; NAS NFS, SMB, CIFS, FTP, and GlusterFS.
Network: Cisco Routers, LAN and SAN Switches, and Knowledge of Fiber / Ethernet Cabling.
Virtualization: Hypervisors using Red Hat KVM, MS Hyper-V, VMware ESXi or ProxMox IaaS.
Shell Scripting: Bash and PowerShell – Putting more time to learn Bash/PS/Python scripting.
Configuration Tools: Ansible, PSSH, and PDSH – Learning more about Ansible & Terraform.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Linux and Windows Systems Administrator – Telrite Holdings AT&T Partner – Marietta, GA
08/2020 – 08/2024 – Company lost a multi-million dollars Gov. contract (ACP), for more info
Responsibilities:
Virtualization:
— Installed and managed Virtualization platforms like ProxMox, VMware ESXi, and MS Hyper-V.
— Designed and implemented new Infrastructure based on ProxMox / Ceph using HCIaaS setup.
— Deployed thousands of Virtual Machines on VMWare / ProxMox via API and Ansible playbooks.
— Provisioned and managed DataStores for VMWare and ProxMox using iSCSI and NFS Volumes.
— Created and managed Virtual Disks, LVM, and LUNs across Windows and Linux/UNIX Servers.
Network and Security:
— Installed OPNSense, pfSense, and IPTables Firewalls for External, DMZ and LAN networks.
— Implemented OpenVPN Solution using OPNSense/MFA using Active Directory Authentication.
— Configured Cisco Routers and Switches; IPSec Tunnels; and VLANs using Cisco IOS XE/XR.
— Configured systems like VMware, ProxMox, and OPNSense to use RBAC via Active Directory.
— Troubleshooted Network, Servers, Storage, Hardware, Systems, and Access related issues.
— Maintained DMZ, LAN, and SAN Cisco Nexus switches with its Extenders of 10G/40Gb speed.
— Setup and managed Public DNS using Cloudflare, and used Bind9 for internal Sites/Requests.
Storage Arrays:
— Created and managed iSCSI Storage Targets using iX Systems/TrueNAS Centralized Storage.
— Conducted regular audits of Storage and Servers to Ensure Compliance with company policies.
— Monitored Storage / Hypervisors Performance / Capacity to Ensure Optimal System Operation.
— Configured NAS nodes for SMB, NFS, CIFS, and FTP shares using Virtual Disks over iSCSI SAN.
Backup and Recovery:
— Managed dedicated Veeam and ProxMox backup servers for VMs on VMware/ProxMox hosts.
— Managed LTO7 / 8 Tapes using BackupAssist; Implemented Off-site backups using zfs Replica.
— Configured Windows Backups on dedicated SAN LUNs using Volume Shadow Services (VSS).
— Monitored backups in Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Quarterly based on company’s backup Policy.
— Performed and tested Backup and Recovery strategies for data integrity and service availability.
— Managed Disaster and Recovery via Veritas NetBackup and BackupAssist using LTO 7/8 Tapes.
Key Achievements:
Designed, Engineered, and Deployed Enterprise Open-Source solutions using HP, Dell, and Commodity Hardware, maintaining customer’s IT requirement below budget; in addition, providing the security and the Quality of Service required by most industry standards such as PCI and HIPAA Standards.
— Expert in installing and configuring NAS/File-Serv for Windows/Linux Environment using RBAC.
— ProxMox Infrastructure expertise from Local base to Centralized and Hyper-Converged Storage.
— Designed and implemented iX Systems/TrueNAS Centralized Storage Systems using FCoE SAN.
— Expert in migrating Windows and Linux Virtual Machines from VMware ESXi to ProxMox Suite.
— Designed Transparent VPN Tunnel (TVT) using OpenVPN providing remote users LDAP/AD Auth.
— Role Based Access Control (RBAC) Design and Implementation using AD Resource/Role Groups.
— Expertise on installing and configuring Realm and sssd on UNIX / Linux using AD RBAC Policy.
— Installed and implemented Fiber-Channel cables for Cisco Nexus 9300 LAN and SAN Switches.
— Engineered Secure/Private Cloud Drive replacing Dropbox/OneDrive using TrueNAS/Nextcloud.
— Setup, configure, and manage customers Emails using Open-source Solutions like ISPConfig.
— Expertise in setting and managing Mattermost Platform as replacement for Slack Subscriptions.
— Installed and configured Unified Threat Management Solutions using OPNSense/Endian Firewall.
— Designed and deployed Nextcloud for WebMail, Calendars, Contacts, OnlyOffice, T-Drive Sync.
— Deployed MSP tools to enhance IT Management like Netbox, Open-Audit, Zabbix, Passbolt, etc.
— Installed and configured Apache Superset BI saving the company $$$$ of Dollars on licensing.
IT Engineer, Sr and Systems Consultant – Qualcomm – Chip and CPU Design – San Diego, CA
01/2018 – 05/2020 – End of Contract and moved to Georgia
Responsibilities:
— Supported Distributed High-Performance Compute (HPC) in a Secure and Highly Available Env.
— Maintained Cisco Network devices across multiple Data centers including HP and Dell Servers.
— Performed Hardware monitor and maintenance check for IBM Load Sharing Facility (LSF) farm.
— Provided Tier 2/3 support of mix systems Windows, Debian, RHEL, Suse, and Ubuntu Servers.
— Maintained thousands of Win10, Ubuntu, and Suse-Leap Linux Stations used by Chip Engineers.
— Managed thousands of users Virtual Machines using ProxMox 5/6 and VMware vCenter ESXi6/7.
— Provided support for thousands of Developers and Chip Engineers across USA, Europe, & Asia.
— Daily and weekly tracking / logging of tasks, communications, with follow- up using Jira tickets.
— Maintained internal Tier 2/3 Confluence Wiki pages and SharePoint Engineering documentation.
Key Achievements:
Proposed a Paper For Qualcomm management based on HCIaaS design using open-source solutions such as ProxMox/Ceph Storage using affordable commodity Hardware. The project was tested and approved for production phase allowing the company to save Millions of Dollars on Expensive Hardware and Licensing, removing the Fabric SAN Switches and Centralized Storage overhead from the picture.
IT Service Engineer – NSC Global – A global IT service provider – Brooklyn, NY
06/2014 – 12/2017 – Company closed in New York and moved to CA
Responsibilities:
— Designed and implemented Network devices using Cisco routers and switches for multiple sites.
— Installed and configured virtualization platforms ProxMox, Hyper-V, ESXi for various customers.
— Configured and managed iSCSI SAN LUNs/Volumes including NAS: NFS, CIFS, and SMB Shares.
— Implemented and maintained Disaster and Recovery procedures using Veritas / BackupAssist.
— Supported various type of operating systems such as Linux Red Hat, Debian, and Win2012R2.
— Managed Active Directory users for multiple customers including Shares, VPN, Email Accounts.
— Maintained Customer’s information of Network Designs, IT Documentation, and Backup Tapes.
— Configured and managed Windows Firewalls and IPTables for Red Hat and Debian base Servers.
— Supported hundreds of customers across New York including NY City and State Gov. Agencies.
Key Achievements:
Saved small and medium businesses thousands of dollars on licensing fee by recommending open-source solutions like Debian/Ubuntu systems; i.e a virtualization suite like ProxMox is a drop replacement for VMware; i,e FreeNAS Storage can be alternative in some cases to expensive storage Arrays.
EDUCATION / CERTIFICATES
Bachelor’s Degree: Warren National University – 2006 – 2009 in Computer Information Systems.
Certificates: A+, Network+, Server+, Storage+, Security+, and Linux+; HP, Dell, and IBM Certs.
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