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Job Title: Support System Administrator
Location: Austin, TX (Hybrid)
Interview Mode: Through Microsoft Teams
Position Overview
The Support System Administrator will support migration and modernization of end-of-life systems, including legacy Windows and Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments. The role focuses on upgrading systems to supported OS versions through fresh installs/reinstallation as the primary method, with in-place upgrades only as a last resort, to improve security, performance, and operational continuity.
Key Responsibilities
System Assessment & Planning
- Assess legacy Windows Server (2012 and older) and RHEL 5/6/7 systems.
- Prioritize migration based on system criticality, security risk, and operational needs.
- Develop migration strategies with risk assessments, upgrade paths, and timelines.
System Migration
- Migrate legacy RHEL and Windows systems to supported versions, including RHEL 8/9 and Windows Server 2022/2025.
- Perform reinstallation as the primary upgrade approach; use in-place upgrades only as a last resort.
- Implement data backup and recovery strategies before, during, and after migration.
- Validate post-upgrade functionality, including performance, compatibility, services, and networking.
Configuration Management
- Reconfigure system services and settings after OS upgrade.
- Use Ansible for RHEL and PowerShell for Windows to maintain consistency.
- Write and maintain automation scripts for repetitive tasks across Windows and Linux.
Security Enhancements
- Perform system hardening before and after migration.
- Apply patches and updates to bring systems to current patch levels.
- Run vulnerability scans and remediate issues discovered during migration.
- Ensure compliance with internal policies and standards such as CIS Benchmarks, NIST, and STIGs.
Troubleshooting and Support
- Serve as the escalation point for migration issues, especially on legacy RHEL 5/6 and older Windows systems.
- Provide post-migration support for system, performance, and compatibility issues.
- Troubleshoot OS-level and application-level problems to maintain high availability.
Documentation and Reporting
- Maintain detailed migration documentation, including steps taken, configuration changes, and issues resolved.
- Update system configuration records in the CMDB and TRP list.
- Provide regular progress reports on status, challenges, and milestones.
Collaboration and Coordination
- Work with networking, database, and application teams for smooth integration.
- Coordinate with vendors for legacy or proprietary system issues.
- Communicate downtime, changes, and disruptions to stakeholders and end users.
Training and Knowledge Transfer
- Create internal documentation and user manuals for updated systems.
- Share lessons learned to support future migration efforts.
Backup and Disaster Recovery
- Ensure backup solutions are in place for Windows and RHEL systems.
- Update disaster recovery plans and test recovery procedures after migration.
Post-Implementation Review
- Conduct post-migration audits to confirm systems are functional, secure, and compliant.
- Identify opportunities for optimization and additional enhancements.
Candidate Skills and Qualifications
- 8 years hands-on upgrades of systems for both Windows and RHEL.
- 8 years RHEL and Windows OS administration, upgrade, migration, and modernization experience.
Required Skills and Experience
- Experience with RHEL 5/6/7/8/9 and Windows Server 2008-2022.
- Proficiency in system administration for Linux and Windows environments.
- Advanced troubleshooting skills for legacy systems.
- Experience with in-place upgrades and fresh installs for RHEL and Windows systems.
- Familiarity with configuration management tools such as Ansible, PowerShell, and SCCM.
- Proficient in system automation and scripting using Bash, PowerShell, and Ansible.
- Strong security knowledge, including patch management, system hardening, and vulnerability scanning.
- Experience with backup and recovery solutions.
- Experience with virtualization technologies such as VMware.
- Experience with STIG-based hardening for RHEL and Windows systems.
- Experience with audit log management, vulnerability remediation, and automated compliance enforcement.
Preferred Skills
- Experience with STIG remediation and continuous compliance checks.
- Experience using OpenSCAP, Nessus, OpenVAS, or other vulnerability/compliance scanning tools.
- Experience automating hardening and remediation using Ansible, Puppet, or PowerShell.
- Experience supporting virtual machine-based upgrades, as the majority of systems are VM upgrades.
Deliverables
- Migration plans and timelines for legacy systems.
- Weekly upgrade plans scheduled through change control.
- Backup and disaster recovery strategies.
- Post-migration configurations and updates.
- Regular migration status reports and post-migration review reports.
- System documentation, SOPs, and internal training materials.
Workload Expectations
- Minimum of 3 servers per week to be addressed for conversion through planning, testing, and delivery.
- Expected minimum of 1 EOL system converted/lifted per week per FTE through change control.
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