Systems & networks achievements
Dominate the IT tools and make them obedient, for better results.
Virtualization
Scalability, disponibility and cost
Microsoft solutions
Organization and efficiency
Monitoring and inventory
Anticipation and sustainability
Processes automatization
Speed, standardization and cost
Business applications
Reliability and professionalism
Users trainings
Listening and pedagogy
Virtualization
Virtual environments implementation and management
Server virtualization has become a standard for many companies, due to its numerous benefits:
As a result of our success, Metro International also virtualized its own servers and, as it was Microsoft partner, I have been able to discover Hyper-V.
Virtualization also helped us to increase servers' reliability, while getting rid of classic and tedious backup procedures, via:
- Resources optimization (thus, lower costs)
- Flexibility and simplicity of the administration
- Availability growth
As a result of our success, Metro International also virtualized its own servers and, as it was Microsoft partner, I have been able to discover Hyper-V.
Virtualization also helped us to increase servers' reliability, while getting rid of classic and tedious backup procedures, via:
- vSphere vMotion: virtual machines hosted by a VMware ESX server experiencing problems are automatically moved to another working host
- Veeam Backup and Replication: powerful backup software, dedicated to virtual environments, VMware ESX, or MS Hyper-V
- Date: 2011-2016
- Applicant(s): Publications Metro France
- Category(ies): Systems and networks
- Implemented skills: VMware vSphere / Veeam Backup & Replication / Hyper-V / Storage arrays / Network / BRP-BCP
Microsoft solutions
Implementation and management of Active Directory architectures
Microsoft solutions, due to their maturity in business environments, offer a very good compromise between robustness, features, and simplicity.
Despite the heterogeneous networks I managed (Windows + Linux + Mac), Microsoft servers have often been the core of my activity. Indeed, it is important to note that over time, both Linux and Macintosh have made themselves compatible with Active Directory (AD) main features.
With my Microsoft certification (MCP), I managed AD architectures and related domains, and I even had the opportunity to install new ones, when creating new offices abroad:
Despite the heterogeneous networks I managed (Windows + Linux + Mac), Microsoft servers have often been the core of my activity. Indeed, it is important to note that over time, both Linux and Macintosh have made themselves compatible with Active Directory (AD) main features.
With my Microsoft certification (MCP), I managed AD architectures and related domains, and I even had the opportunity to install new ones, when creating new offices abroad:
- Group Policy Objects (GPO), centralizing administration
- Roaming profiles, securing user data
- DNS and DHCP services, for proper operation of the network
- Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), automating the Microsoft updates deployment
- Distribution and Replication services (DFS/RFS), ensuring data security and availability
- Exchange server, for mails management and their external web access (OWA)
- MSSQL server, for most of business applications databases
- Date: 2001-2016
- Category(ies): Systems and networks
- Implemented skills: Active Directory / Roaming profiles / GPO / WSUS / DNS / DHCP / DFS / RFS / Exchange Server / MSSQL Server
Monitoring and inventory
Anticipate rather than suffer
In Publications Metro France, then Metro International companies, I had the opportunity to install and manage several monitoring and inventory tools, all free:
These tools help to be more proactive, by automating some administrative tasks:
- Spiceworks, which remarkably manages network inventory (machines, users, installed software, ...), does not end there: the software also integrates a Help Desk that easily tracks tickets (users requests, tasks delegation, history, ...)
- Cacti, measures network and servers performances, and highlights their evolutions on charts
- Nagios, and its graphic counterpart Centreon, issue alerts (or even emails) when anomalies are spotted
- NagVis, which is a plugin of Centreon, creates maps of the network, helping to visualize, and thus locate existing problems
These tools help to be more proactive, by automating some administrative tasks:
- Anticipation of IT needs and concerns, before their impact is felt
- Immediate escalation of issues,allowing fast intervention
- Date: 2005-2017
- Applicant(s): Publications Metro France / Metro International / Alias IT
- Category(ies): Systems and networks
- Implemented skills: Analysis and anticipation of network problems / Probes implementation (scripts, Windows services, ...) / Work organization
Processes automatization
Never forget computers can also be used for your own needs
Being able to manage IT networks is good. Being able to automate part of this management is even better !
To implement this automation, I usually go through:
The advantages are numerous:
To implement this automation, I usually go through:
- Widely used tools (GPO, WSUS, monitoring applications, ...)
- Complete and pre-configured system images creation, allowing homogeneous deployment, within minutes, of workstations (for example, I worked on many OSX images)
- Scripting of specific tasks, eased by the fact that I am a developer
The advantages are numerous:
- Better responsiveness when solving requests
- Uniformity of undertaken actions
- Fewer human errors, generally resulting from repetitive and boring tasks
- Time saving, that can be used in other tasks or projects required for company's development
- Date: 2001-2017
- Category(ies): Systems and networks / Development
- Implemented skills: Analysis of needs / GPO / WSUS / OSX systems images creation / Scripting (Shell, Bash, Powershell, VBScript, PHP, Python, ...)
Business applications
Going further in professional expertise
In a company network, it is also required to manage server applications related to the core business of the enterprise.
When they are installed server-side, they offer:
When they are installed server-side, they offer:
- Convenience, with centralized management of settings, users, updates, etc. and with the ease of client deployment, which can even be unnecessary in case of thin clients (intranets, workflows ...)
- Safety and robustness, with regularly backed up data that cannot be accessed by users
- Sage FRP 1000, reference software for financial management control
- OneVision Asura, preflight software used in quality control and normalization of prepress files, through automated workflows
- FotoWare Color Factory, software dedicated to pictures quality improvement and standardization, implementing automated workflows again
- Extensis Universal Type Server, centralized fonts manager
- Roxen Editorial Portal (REP), editorial production platform
- LineUp AdPoint, CRM for advertising sales management dedicated to various kinds of media
- Trustelem, tool that allows simple and effective implementation of Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication
- Xmount, solution for advertising planning and print-publishing production
- Date: 2001-2016
- Category(ies): Production
- Implemented skills: Analysis, understanding, and anticipation of needs / Prepress workflows / Network
Users trainings
Skills transfer and change management
Having been trained on the editorial tool Roxen Editorial Portal, and having even contributed to its evolution with its developers, it was logical for Metro International to delegate me the global deployment of the platform in its various offices. Therefore, I was sent within various countries in Europe, North America (Canada FR & EN) and Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Peru, ...) in order to install the application, and train its future users and administrators.
I was also involved in offices openings in Latin America (Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico) to prepare the IT infrastructure, but also to train users (especially system administrators and editorial team), on their respective tasks.
All these were very rewarding experiences, from a human point of view of course, but also professionally, since they allowed to highlight countries specificities, and to find dedicated solutions for their needs.
- Date: 2010-2015
- Applicant(s): Publications Metro France / Metro International
- Category(ies)s: Help desk and user support
- Implemented skills: Systems and networks / Editorial workflows / Analysis and understanding of the problems / English / Spanish