1. The document describes the author's background and experience managing the IT infrastructure for a small higher education institution since 1997. They enjoy solving technical problems and keeping systems running smoothly. 2. Over the years, the author has implemented many upgrades and improvements to the network and systems, including migrating to Active Directory, setting up firewalls and remote access, virtualizing servers, and deploying a VDI solution for desktops. 3. The author has extensive experience administering Active Directory, networking equipment, and managing desktop environments. They are looking for a new role managing IT infrastructure at a small, friendly institution when their current job ends in a few years.

1. Whatyouneedtoknowaboutme,andwhatIdo…
1. Iamageek,acomputerperson,someonewhoeats,drinksand
sleepsIT. Idealwithcomputers,networks,systems,technologies
etc,andliketogetthemtodowhatIwantthemtodo.Ipersist
withproblemsuntilI havebeatenthemintosubmission, andthen
moveontothenextchallenge.Engagingwiththisstuffis what
keepsmealive.
2. Icanhappilyspendmydaysoffsatinfrontofmy laptoplogged
intomyworknetworkforhoursonend,seeingwhatneedstobe
changedordevelopedorimproved.Iworkbestonmy own,and
allowedtogetonwithwhatIdo,afterall,youdon’tunderstandit,
youpaymetodoso.
3. If youwantsomeonewhositsathislaptopandadministersyour
ITsystem,keepsitgoingsmoothly,andworkingasit should,who
dealswiththetechnicalstuffthatwouldmakeyourheadache,and
makesthatstuffworkforyou,thenyouneedme.
4. Ihavemanagedthenetworkandserverinfrastructureforasmall
HigherEducationInstitutionsince1997.Westartedoffwitha
basicCat5 systemandoneDellboxrunningWindowsNT4
server,andbuiltonthat.Things I havedonedowntheyears
includethefollowing:
a. In2004movedthenetworktoActiveDirectory2000,and
upgradedthedesktopstoWindows2000Professional,
shortlyfollowedbyWindowsXP.Using group policy
workstationsbecamemulti-userdevices,withalluserdata
andpersonalizationstoredonthenetworkedfileservers.
Datawasnolongerhadtobestoredlocally.
b. OvertenyearsspentadministeringanActiveDirectory
infrastructurehaveacquiredadeepworkingknowledgeof
userandgroups,file andfolderpermissions,grouppolicy

2. andpreferences,DNS,DHCP,LDAP,etc.Mostofthe
configurationchangeswhichdeterminetheservices
availabletoenduserswhentheylogin toourcurrentVDI
systemaredeterminedbymembershipofoneormore
groups,locationinvariousOrganizationalUnitsin theAD,
andthewayin whichgrouppolicies/preferencesare
configuredtointeractwiththem.
c. Shortlyaftersettingupthenetwork,Imovedall
workstations/stationstoaprivateIPspaceandsetup
firewallsbetweenthepublicandprivatearea,allowingfor
variousservicestobemadeavailableoutsidetheCollege,in
particulartheabilityforuserstologontotheirdesktopand
workremotely.Createdseparatesubnetsforvariouspartsof
theCollegeandroutedthemtothemain serversubnet.
d. InresponsetoconcernsraisedbytheCollege’sentryto
HEFCEandits subsequentgovernmentfundedconnection
totheInternet,setupasystemofproxyserverstorecord
whateachuserbrowsed.
e. ExploredthetwoflavoursofHypervisoravailableatthe
time(2005)andthestability/resiliencetobeobtainedbya
virtualizedserverinfrastructurebasedonclusteredphysical
serversandsharedstorage.ChooseXenServerinsteadof
VMwareESX becauseitwasfreeandranonalmostall
hardware.Migratedallphysicalserverstoa resilientvirtual
environment.
f. ExploredtheuseofOpenSourcesoftwarecombinedwith
non-serverclasshardwareasameansofproviding
enterprisewideserviceswithlittleif anycost.Gottoknow
itsadvantagesanddisadvantages,andconcludedthat
commercialsoftwareonserverclasshardwarewasinthe
longrunmorecosteffective.

3. g. HavingrunaninternalIMAPbasedemailserversince
settingupthenetworkin1997,founditwasnolongerfitfor
purpose,andfailedtoprovidethecollaborativefunctions
availableviaExchange,movedtheCollegetoanexternal
providerandtransferredmailboxestothenewsystem.
h. Thelocallyadministeredswitchandfirewallinfrastructure,
whichhadgrownupin anunplannedandsomewhatorganic
fashionwasnolongerabletocopewiththelevelofuse,and
in thecourseof2010becameveryunstable.1replacedit
withanexternallymanagedfirewallandmanagedswitch
infrastructure,replacingtheflattraditionalsystemwhichhad
grownupfrom1997withaVLAN basedcollectionof
managedCiscoswitches.Thisis nowmanagedremotely
butin accordancewithourinstructions.
i. AtthisstagetheCollege’sdesktopswerebasedonWindow
XP professional,andalthoughmoststaffstoredtheirdatain
theirredirectedfoldersetc,notalldid.Using freesoftware
fromMicrosoft,Imadealltheworkstationsstateless,ie
preventinganychangesfrombeingwrittentothelocalhard
diskunlessdonebyanadministrator.Eachtimetheuser
restartedhisorhermachineanychangeswereremoved.
Doingsocutdownconsiderablyonthenumberofsupport
calls,particularlywhereavirusorspywareinfectionhad
takenplace.
j. Inspiredbythemodelofthestatelessphysicalworkstation,
andknowingthatWindows7didnotsupportthisin a
straightforwardfashionIbegantoexploretheideaofVDI in
particularthepooledstatelessdesktop,whichrevertedtoits
originalstateastheuserlogged out.Conductedanextensive
ProofofConceptonalimitednumberofstaffusers,and
gainedextensiveexperiencefromuserfeedbackwhich

4. provedveryusefulwhenitwasdeployedatproductionlevel
firstlytostudentsandthentostaff.Particularissueswerethe
needforfastlocalstorageonthehypervisors,optimisationof
thedesktopimage,theoptimumconfigurationof Office
2013,particularlyOutlookandWord,theabilitytoaccess
thevirtualdesktopremotely,andmethodswhereby
specializedsoftwaremightbeprovidedtotheendclient.
InitiallydeployedusingCitrixVDI inabox,Ihave
successfullyexploredXenDesktopVDIasareplacement.
Provisioningthepooledrandomdesktop,whichrevertstoits
pristinestatewhentheuserlogs offhaseliminatedlocal
hardwareasanissueforITsupport,andconsiderably
enhancedtheenduserexperience.
k. Initiallysetupalocalwirelesssystemwithunmanaged
accesspointsandacaptiveportalbasedformof
authentication.Duetoconcernsaboutthesecurityofour
internalnetwork,thewirelesssystemwasentirelyroutedvia
anexternalADSLconnection,whichprovedslowand
unreliable.Movedourwirelessprovisiontoanexternally
managedsystemwhichusesourownnetworkforstaff,
studentsandexternalacademics,butcontinuestouseADSL
forthosewhodon’tfitintoanyoftheabovecategories.
5. WhereIworkwill closein twotothreeyears’time,andmaywell
makeme redundantbeforethat.IenjoyITandtheintellectual
challengeitpresents,andwouldliketocontinuetoworkinthis
areawhenmycurrentemploymentceases.WereItohavea
preference,itwouldbeforasmallandfriendlyinstitutionwhereI
managethelocalserverdesktopinfrastructure, anddealwith
outsourcedservices.Havingatoncepointprovidedallofthese
servicesmyself,Ihavethetechnicalknowledgetoensurethatthey
aregiving youwhatyoupayfor.