Ashifa Abdul Sarthar
Santa Clara
Summary
Cloud Infrastructure Engineer with 8 years of overall expertise across Azure, AWS, VMware, Linux (RHEL), and Windows ecosystems. Strong in OS patching, vulnerability remediation, HA/DR setups, and cloud deployment pipelines. Skilled in managing large-scale clusters, securing environments with Defender/CrowdStrike, and ensuring uptime using monitoring tools like Site24x7 and Rapid7. Skilled in automation tools like Ansible and Puppet. Adept at ITSM processes, RCA preparation, and supporting multi-client production environments.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Cloud Deployment Specialist Sr
Dayforce India Pvt Ltd
05.2023 - 11.2025
- I worked as a Cloud Deployment Specialist Sr, gradually expanding my handson to multi-platform environments across VMware, Azure, and AWS. I simultaneously supported four different payroll products hosted on these platforms.
- A major project I handled involved migrating all RHEL 7 servers to RHEL 8 and subsequently from RHEL 8 to RHEL 9, covering AWS and Azure environments using an utility called LEAPP. This project spanned one year and was successfully completed for two different products, including resolving multiple production issues within approved downtime windows.
- My daily responsibilities included diagnosing and resolving server performance issues, scaling of server resources, installing and managing monitoring agents such as Site24x7, and effectively using the tool for proactive monitoring.
- I also deployed security tools like Microsoft Defender, CrowdStrike Falcon, and Rapid7 across servers.
- I worked extensively on storage provisioning and expansion across VMware, Azure, and AWS. I successfully led Disaster Recovery (DR) drills for servers hosted on AWS and Azure, including full DR drills for two products, ensuring complete business continuity validation.
- I served as the primary contact for vulnerability remediation, ensuring both Windows and Linux servers were patched monthly. I utilized Red Hat Satellite for RHEL system management tasks including provisioning, remote management, software updates, subscription management, patch publishing, promotion, and automated monthly patch-and-reboot schedules.
- I configured Ansible to automate patching and other repetitive administrative tasks, reducing manual intervention across multiple servers.
- Throughout my role, I demonstrated expertise in managing hybrid cloud environments, automating operational workflows, and maintaining compliance with security and audit requirements.
Cloud Ops Engineering Sr Analyst
Accenture
03.2022 - 05.2023
- I served as the point of contact for multiple high-impact infrastructure projects across diverse client environments. I successfully configured Puppet Enterprise from scratch for a specific client and automated the patching process through Puppet, completing the project within three months. I managed the Puppet Enterprise server, onboarded client servers, and maintained ongoing configurations.
- I also administered PCS (Pacemaker/Corosync) cluster nodes, which involved configuring cluster resources, monitoring cluster health, and ensuring failover mechanisms were functioning correctly. This included performing routine maintenance, applying patches, resolving issues related to resource failures or node communication, troubleshooting split-brain scenarios, optimizing resource allocation, and validating cluster configurations to maintain high availability for critical applications and services.
- My role included leading the setup of the Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager (OLVM) platform for a new client, completing the project within four months, and overseeing VM builds, configuration, and platform-level troubleshooting.
- I configured and managed Azure VM backups, patched servers monthly across multiple platforms, and ensured all vulnerabilities were remediated promptly.
- I acted as the primary contact for P1 incidents, collaborating with vendors to resolve critical production issues on time. I diagnosed server performance problems, monitored server health in Azure, and managed VM add-ons such as Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE) and OMSAgent.
- I worked on adding servers to domains, troubleshooting domain-related issues across multiple environments, and ensuring smooth integration.
- I created and managed Change Requests for various activities, ensuring compliance with the IT Service Management (ITSM) process. Throughout my role, I consistently monitored, troubleshot, and resolved Linux server issues while ensuring optimal performance and stability.
Cloud Tech Support Analyst
Accenture
12.2020 - 02.2022
- I have provided multi-client infrastructure support for seven enterprise clients, each operating on distinct platforms including VMware and Microsoft Azure.I worked extensively with both Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL 6, RHEL 7) and Oracle operating systems across on-premises and cloud environments.
- My responsibilities included creating virtual machines in VMware using ISO images, preconfigured templates, and cloning from existing VMs.
- I managed end-to-end VM lifecycle activities such as provisioning, decommissioning, scaling, and snapshot creation and restoration.
- I was also responsible for creating and managing Azure NetApp Files (ANF) and Network File System (NFS) volumes to support critical application and data hosting needs.
- Additionally, I installed and configured various enterprise-grade security tools including QualysGuard, Tanium Client, Splunk, and Microsoft Defender.
- My role involved performing monthly patching of servers to ensure vulnerabilities were remediated on time, as well as monitoring and acting on ServiceNow alerts related to CPU, memory, storage, and other system issues, resolving them promptly to maintain optimal performance.
- I also worked on adding servers to multiple domains—spanning seven distinct environments—and troubleshooting domain-related issues in a timely manner to maintain seamless authentication and resource access.
- I regularly performed system-level troubleshooting, maintained platform configurations, and ensured servers remained healthy, secure, and available at all times while meeting SLA commitments.
Senior Systems Engineer
Infosys
12.2019 - 12.2020
- Performed Linux LVM administration, including creating, resizing, and managing logical volumes and volume groups.
- Installed and updated packages using Yum and RPM
installation methods to maintain system functionality and security. - Troubleshot routing issues, ensuring stable and optimized network communication. Managed NAS mounts for shared storage access and resolved login issues across Linux systems. Conducted storage
integration into Linux OS by scanning and configuring LUNs. - Investigated and resolved day-to-day RHEL operational issues, including kernel-level troubleshooting. Performed password synchronization and reset activities across multiple systems. Used VMware tools to perform storage addition, RAM and CPU upgrades, performance checks, monitoring, and datastore migration to optimize virtual infrastructure.
- Developed shell scripts to automate tasks such as monitoring processes consuming excessive CPU and memory resources. Created scripts to check for duplicate running processes and terminate unnecessary instances, improving server efficiency and resource utilization.
- Utilized Nagios server monitoring tool to track server health, set up alerts, and schedule maintenance during planned outage windows for all servers.
- Used ServiceNow as a ticketing tool to track, manage, and resolve day-to-day tickets without breaching SLA timelines, ensuring consistent service quality and operational efficiency.
Systems Engineer
Infosys
11.2017 - 12.2019
- I started my career as a Middleware engineer in the role systems engineer. I was responsible for monitoring servers through the WebLogic Console to ensure optimal performance and availability.
- I created and maintained basic PowerShell scripts to automate repetitive tasks and improve operational efficiency.
- I also regularly updated servers and verified their status to maintain system security and compliance. In addition, I hosted and managed webpages using Internet Information Services (IIS), ensuring smooth deployment and accessibility.
- Used ServiceNow as a ticketing tool to track, manage, and resolve day-to-day incidents,
service requests, and change tasks. Ensured troubleshooting and resolution of tickets
without breach of SLA timelines, maintaining high-quality service delivery and customer
satisfaction. - Over time, I expanded my expertise by learning Linux and transitioning into a Linux Administrator role, which broadened my capabilities in managing and optimizing server environments.
Education
Bachelor of Engineering - Computer Science
Velammal College of Engineering And Technology
India05-2017
Skills
- Operating Systems: Windows OS, RHEL5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and Oracle versions
- Cloud Platforms: AWS, Microsoft Azure, VMware
- Monitoring Tools: Splunk, Nagios, Site24x7, Azure Monitor
- Security Tools: Microsoft Defender, CrowdStrike Falcon, Rapid7
- Patch Management: Red Hat Satellite, WSUS, Ansible Automation
- Disaster Recovery: AWS DR and Azure DR
- ITSM Tools: Service-Now and Salesforce
- Storage Management: VMware, AWS, Azure NetApp Files, NFS Volumes
- Vulnerability Remediation: Monthly patching for Windows and Linux, security hardening
- Automation: Ansible and Puppet
Timeline
Cloud Deployment Specialist Sr
Dayforce India Pvt Ltd
05.2023 - 11.2025
Cloud Ops Engineering Sr Analyst
Accenture
03.2022 - 05.2023
Cloud Tech Support Analyst
Accenture
12.2020 - 02.2022
Senior Systems Engineer
Infosys
12.2019 - 12.2020
Systems Engineer
Infosys
11.2017 - 12.2019
Bachelor of Engineering - Computer Science
Velammal College of Engineering And Technology