Ahmad Ali
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Ahmad Ali

I'm a

Architecture on paper, uptime in production. That's the whole job.

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About Me

Nine years of keeping infrastructure standing, secure, and accountable

Ahmad Ali

Ahmad Ali

Infrastructure Architect

  • Degree

    BS in Information Technology, University of Gujrat

  • Location

    Lahore, Pakistan

  • Experience

    9+ Years in IT Infrastructure

  • Email

    ahmad24247@hotmail.com

  • Contact

    +92 300 6429242

Designing Infrastructure That Survives Contact with Reality

Plenty of my work happens before anything gets racked. I design the solution, prepare the BOQ, build the cost estimate, write the technical and commercial proposal, and pull apart vendor quotations to see whether they actually meet spec or just look like they do.

I've led engineering teams across multiple sites and managed OEM relationships, licensing, and technology evaluation from the client side of the table. Nine years spread across public sector, power sector, education and private enterprises taught me the lesson that matters most here: the right architecture isn't the one with the best datasheet, it's the one that survives the organisation's real budget, real staffing, and real governance.

Infrastructure ArchitectRHCSA CertifiedNetwork SecurityProblem SolverCloud & VirtualizationSolution Design & Pre-SalesTeam LeadISO 27001Multi-Site OperationsDisaster Recovery

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Years of Experience

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Network Nodes Managed

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Certifications

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Professional Trainings

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CCTV Cameras Deployed

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Major Projects Delivered

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Languages Known

Academic Journey

My Education

Where the systems-thinking foundation started

Completed2013 – 2017

BS in Information Technology

University of Gujrat

Undergraduate degree in Information Technology, building the foundation in networks, systems, and software that a career in infrastructure architecture is built on.

NetworkingSystemsDatabasesIT Fundamentals
Professional Journey

Work Experience

Nine years across public sector, power sector, education, and private enterprise

Full-time · Lahore, Pakistan

Mar 2026 – Present

Infrastructure Architect

Nitsel Private Limited

Architecture and design ownership across enterprise client engagements, covering both greenfield solution design and the recovery and hardening of existing environments.

  • Produce high-level and low-level designs, infrastructure standards, and reference architectures for client deployments
  • Design end-to-end infrastructure and security solutions, prepare technical proposals, BOQs, and cost estimates, and evaluate vendor quotations against spec
  • Deploy and administer cloud workplace environments — Microsoft 365, Azure, Entra ID, and Intune
  • Implement identity and access architecture including SSO, MFA, RBAC, and Conditional Access policies
  • Design network and security topologies covering firewalls, VPN, segmentation, and Zero Trust principles
  • Architect HA/DR capability — backup strategy, disaster recovery runbooks, and business continuity planning
Solution DesignAzureEntra IDIntuneZero TrustISO 27001

Full-time · Pakistan & UAE

Mar 2022 – Mar 2026

Manager, Network Infrastructure Security

Flow Petroleum Pvt. Ltd.

Owned the full infrastructure and security estate for a multi-national petroleum group, spanning 400+ nodes across sites in Pakistan and the UAE, with a distributed team reporting in from multiple locations.

  • Administered SAP Business One infrastructure alongside legacy financial applications across on-premise and cloud environments
  • Managed Linux and Windows server estates with accountability for uptime, performance, and security compliance
  • Deployed and monitored Kaspersky Endpoint Security with EDR across servers and endpoints organisation-wide
  • Configured Fortinet firewalls for load balancing, failover, and secure site-to-site VPN, and Cisco switching for VLAN segmentation
  • Designed and specified CCTV, access control, and structured cabling for multi-site facilities, including BOQ and vendor evaluation
  • Led a distributed team of IT engineers, providing technical direction, escalation support, and vendor management
SAP Business OneFortinetCiscoKaspersky EDRZabbixVeeam

Full-time · Pakistan

Dec 2020 – Feb 2022

IT Officer

PRAL (Pakistan Revenue Automation Ltd. — FBR)

Operational responsibility for network and virtualisation infrastructure within a federal revenue authority environment.

  • Administered 100+ network nodes with accountability for functionality, performance, and security
  • Managed Windows Server 2012/2016 including Active Directory, DNS, and DHCP
  • Configured Cisco and Huawei switching, implementing VLANs for network segmentation
  • Configured and maintained pfSense firewall and proxy services to strengthen perimeter security
  • Managed virtual machines across VMware Hypervisor and VMware Cloud Director
Active DirectoryCiscoHuaweipfSenseVMware

Full-time · Pakistan

Aug 2018 – Dec 2020

Assistant Network Administrator

Virtual University of Pakistan

Campus infrastructure administration for a distance-learning institution, including examination-critical systems.

  • Administered four physical servers (including Dell PowerEdge T310) hosting eight VMs running AD, DHCP, DNS, gateway, and pfSense services
  • Managed five Juniper EX2200 switches for network performance and reliability
  • Maintained a campus network of 100+ workstations, covering uptime, security, and operational efficiency
  • Led installation and configuration of the university's online examination server for secure, reliable exam delivery
Active DirectoryJuniperpfSenseHigh Availability

Full-time · Pakistan

Mar 2018 – Jul 2018

Technical Support Engineer

Nexlinx Networks Pvt. Ltd.

Tier 2 and 3 support for an ISP's enterprise fibre and wireless customer base.

  • Provided L2 and L3 support for optical fibre and radio link customers, resolving faults and optimising link performance
  • Monitored CIR and radio links using Advanced Host Monitoring and PRTG for proactive fault detection
  • Troubleshot and maintained GPON networks for stable subscriber connectivity
  • Performed speed and link testing to validate and improve network reliability
GPONPRTGFibre & Wireless
Achievements

My Certifications

Red Hat credentials, plus a decade of hands-on professional training

Verified

RHCSA — Red Hat Certified System Administrator

Red Hat · 2025

Validates hands-on competency in Linux system administration — user and storage management, networking, security, and troubleshooting production systems.

Linux AdministrationBashSecurity

Industry Recognized

Verified

RHCOA — Red Hat OpenShift Administrator

Red Hat · 2024

Validates the skills to deploy, configure, and manage containerized applications on Red Hat OpenShift.

OpenShiftKubernetesContainers

Industry Recognized

Professional Trainings

Ten years of continuous, hands-on training alongside the day job.

  • RHCSA — KR Network Cloud Institute, New Delhi (2025)
  • AWS Solutions Architect – Associate (in progress) — KRNC Institute, New Delhi (2025)
  • Fortinet Administration — Udemy (2025)
  • Advanced Network Technologies (R&S, Network Security, Wireless, IP Telephony) — ICT Integrators, Lahore (2025)
  • RHCOA — KR Network Cloud Institute, New Delhi (2024)
  • Zoho Mail Administration — Zoho Online (2023)
  • Kaspersky Endpoint Protection — Tech6 Solutions, Karachi (2023)
  • MCSA 2016/2019 — Corvit Systems, Lahore (2020)
  • MTCNA — Urdu IT Academy (2020)
  • CCNA Routing & Switching — Corvit Systems, Lahore (2020)
Technical Arsenal

My Skills

Eleven years' worth of tools, platforms, and disciplines, all still in active use

Enterprise Applications

SharePoint 2019SAP ECCSAP Business OneIISSQL ServerExchange OnlineZoho Mail

Security

Fortinet FortiGatepfSenseZero Trust ArchitectureKaspersky EDRXcitium EDRWindows DefenderPenetration & Stress Testing

Virtualization & Containers

VMware vCenter / ESXiVMware Cloud DirectorProxmoxDockerKubernetesRed Hat OpenShift

Cloud & Identity

AWSMicrosoft AzureMicrosoft 365Entra IDIntuneSSO / MFA / RBACCloudflare

Servers & Operating Systems

Windows Server 2012/2016/2019Active DirectoryLinux AdministrationBash Scripting

Networking

Cisco SwitchingJuniper EX-SeriesHuawei SwitchingMikroTik RouterOSGPONNetwork Segmentation

Governance & Commercial

ISO 27001CIS BenchmarkITILRisk ManagementBOQ & Cost EstimationVendor Evaluation

Development

Node.js / ExpressReactPostgreSQLMongoDBREST APIsPowerShell

Physical & ELV Systems

CCTV MonitoringAccess ControlStructured CablingData Centre Build-Out

Monitoring & Backup

Zabbix NMSPRTGVeeam Backup & ReplicationQNAP NASSNMP

Leadership

Team ManagementCross-Site DirectionOEM & Vendor ManagementProject Ownership
What I've Built

Featured Projects

Deployments and recoveries that shipped, at scale, under real constraints

DR & RecoveryRecovery

HCM Portal — Ransomware Recovery & Full Rebuild

Complete recovery and rebuild of a SharePoint 2019 HCM approval portal serving 10,000+ employees after a ransomware compromise — application and data tiers rebuilt on new servers, all ten approval workflows restored, and SAP ECC integration re-established.

SharePoint 2019SQL ServerSAP ECCFortiGatePowerShell
Cloud MigrationCloud

Business Application Migration to VMware Cloud

Migrated SAP Business One and legacy financial applications from ageing on-premise servers to VMware Cloud, re-architecting resource allocation and re-establishing backup and DR coverage post-migration.

VMware CloudSAP Business OneDisaster Recovery
M365 MigrationCloud

Enterprise Email Migration — Zoho to Microsoft 365

Planned and executed migration of ~400 mailboxes and 2.2TB of mail data from Zoho Mail to Microsoft 365, including Exchange Online configuration, DNS cutover, and end-user transition.

Microsoft 365Exchange OnlineDNS Cutover
Data CentreInfrastructure

On-Premise Data Centre Build-Out

Designed and established the group's head office data centre — rack layout, structured cabling, power and cooling considerations, server and network hardware specification, and BOQ preparation.

Data Centre DesignStructured CablingBOQ
EDR RolloutSecurity

Organisation-Wide Endpoint Security Deployment

Rolled out Kaspersky Endpoint Security with EDR across all servers and endpoints group-wide, with centralised policy management, threat monitoring, and compliance reporting.

Kaspersky Endpoint SecurityEDR
CCTVPhysical Security

Centralised CCTV Monitoring — 500+ Cameras

Designed and delivered a centralised CCTV monitoring platform aggregating 500+ cameras from geographically distributed sites — solution design, BOQ, vendor coordination, and commissioning.

CCTVSolution DesignVendor Coordination
VPN & SD-WANNetworking

Site-to-Multisite VPN Deployment

Deployed a hub-and-spoke VPN topology on Fortinet firewalls connecting local and international offices, with failover paths and SD-WAN load balancing.

FortinetSD-WANVPN
VOIPInfrastructure

Centralised VOIP Platform

Established a unified VOIP solution serving every company within the group, consolidating telephony across sites onto a single managed platform.

VOIPUnified Communications
Active DirectoryInfrastructure

Enterprise Active Directory Rollout

Designed and deployed group-wide Active Directory with a structured OU model and Group Policy framework covering security baselines, software deployment, and user environment standardisation.

Active DirectoryGroup Policy
High AvailabilityInfrastructure

Online Examination Server

Led installation and configuration of the university's online examination server, ensuring secure, high-availability delivery for distance-learning assessments.

High AvailabilityWindows Server
Network RedesignNetworking

Network Infrastructure Redesign — Multi-Site

Redesigned the network across multiple sites, replacing an organically-grown topology with a standardised, segmented, centrally-managed architecture — switching, perimeter security, wireless, and monitoring, delivered through a phased cutover.

Cisco CBSFortiGateUniFiZabbix
Let's Connect

Get In Touch

Open to opportunities, collaborations & conversations

Let's Talk Infrastructure

Whether you need a solution designed, an environment recovered, or an existing architecture reviewed — my inbox is always open. I'm open to new engagements, consulting, and collaborations.

Email

ahmad24247@hotmail.com

Phone

+92 300 6429242

Location

Lahore, Pakistan

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Ahmad Ali

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