Senior Systems Analyst

About The Role
A Senior Systems Analyst is responsible for supporting the IBM Power Systems platforms within Netcracker's data centers. IBM Power Systems Platforms are made up of Development, Production, and Test Logical Partitions. The individual in this position will also assist in providing mentorship to our off-shore staff as needed. This position is part of our Global Managed Services (GMS) team that supports various Netcracker clients, located within North America and across the globe.

Role and Responsibilities

• Interact with Global Managed Services (GMS) customers daily in support of the environments managed by GMS – hosted or remote by

• Resolving environment-related problems reported by GMS customers through CSS as assigned

• Completing service requests submitted by GMS customers, including managing customer user IDs, remote print writers and/or queues, and similar requests
• Submitting service requests for data center services needed by GMS customers
• Acting as a liaison between GMS customer and Netcracker IT Group to facilitate the completion of requests
• Researching system and database journals to retrieve auditing information in support of internal and customer data investigations

• Troubleshooting problems with TCP/IP-based interfaces using IBM and third-party network tracing tools

• Configure and monitor systems to ensure

• peak and problem-free operation

• compliance with security standards

• Configure and support

• Software-based replication, particularly using Vision Solutions MIMIX HA1, as it relates to both HA and DR implementations.

• System monitoring, particularly using Help Systems Halcyon, especially as it relates to interface/job monitoring
• Tape management systems, particularly using IBM's BRMS.
• System compliance and audit functions, particularly using Enforcive Enterprise Security, especially as it relates to PCI compliance
• Automation functions, particularly using Help Systems Robot SCHEDULE and REPLAY, or IBM's Advanced Job Scheduler
• Browser-based GUI interface, particularly using Rocket Software's LegaSuite application over Netcracker's ICOMS solution.
• Digital certificates using IBM Digital Certificate Manager

• End user access to system tools using IBM i Navigator

• Maintain application environments by

• Reviewing patches and release updates and constructing a plan to apply them to Netcracker and third party applications

• Creating custom programming using CL, RPG, or other available languages in support of production processing

• Performing regular maintenance tasks on time to ensure PCI compliance

• Regularly review

• Security bulletins issued by US-CERT, IBM, and other vendors, especially related to PCI compliance. Resolve any vulnerabilities on time

• System performance statistics, forecasted growth data, and project system resource utilization, making recommendations for hardware and/or software upgrades to meet demand.

• Disaster Recovery Plans and participate in annual Disaster Recovery Exercises, focusing on validating business continuity plans for GMS customers. Update the DR plans to reflect current configurations, environments, and processes.

• Manage the underlying systems supporting the ICOMS solution by

• Upgrading firmware, and HMC release levels in accordance with IBM compatibility matrices and recommendations

• Allocating system resources for production and test partitions
• Preparing system plans for partitions on Power Systems servers
• Installing hardware components required by the solution

• Reading the PAL and SAL in System Service Tools (SST) and Service logs in the HMC to assist hardware maintenance providers with troubleshooting, and resolving hardware problems.

• Will be asked to perform similar duties for internal (development/test) systems as well.

• May be asked to perform consulting services for customers outside of GMS

Required Experience

• Minimum of 5 years experience (preferably more) administering IBM i running on Power Systems servers.

• Must be familiar with all aspects of system administration, including upgrades from previous releases, backup and recovery, storage management, using journaling, understands the differences between various types of ASPs and their uses, and has strong HMC skills.

• IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 7.x (highly preferred)

• At least one major system hardware upgrade (for example POWER6 to POWER7)
• At least two major operating system upgrades (for example, IBM i 5.4 or 6.1 to 7.1)
• At least two full system restores (as if from a site-down crash)
• Experience in managing partitioned systems
• Strong experience in using database journaling, especially remote journaling
• Strong experience with utilizing Performance tools such as IBM Job Watcher/Pex and MPG Performance Navigator
• Understands the differences between independent ASPs, *SYSBAS, and traditional ASPs
• Understands the functional differences between logical replication and clustering
• Understands IBM i security administration, compliance, and access control
• Extensive knowledge of the HMC
• Some experience managing IBM i with SAN-attached storage
• Keeps up with IBM hardware announcements, and has an awareness of IBM technical directions for their product lines
• Keeps up with Technology Refreshes, and has an awareness of new features and functions
• Is very familiar with the IBM Memo to Users for V7R1 as of April 2012, and any subsequent Technical Releases (TRs)
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to train operations monitoring staff on how to respond to alerts, ensure "switch readiness" on HA/DR systems, and perform less complex maintenance window activities
• Must be able to provide 24x7 on-call support coverage - on a rotational basis with other team members. (on occasion)

Other Highly Desired Skills

• Experience installing software upgrades and updates to third party and in-house developed applications
• Very familiar with the use of MIMIX software for logical replication of database information to redundant systems for high availability and disaster recovery deployments
• Very familiar with the configuration and management of ODBC / JDBC / TCP socket communications on IBM i systems communicating with other applications running on Unix / Linux & or Windows systems
• Very familiar with current PCI-DSS standards and how to ensure PCI compliance on IBM i operating system and database containing PCI sensitive data
• Experience managing medium projects, lasting a few weeks, involving two or more teams.
• Fluent English Speaker and availability to work from office on Hybrid mode
• Must be able to work on Shifts mode

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field