Senior Systems & Storage Administrator (Dell Infrastructure Specialist)

he Systems & Storage Administrator is responsible for managing and supporting Dell enterprise infrastructure, with primary focus on Dell PowerEdge XE9712 GPU servers, PowerEdge R670 servers, Dell PowerSwitch networking, PowerStore SAN storage, and PowerScale (Isilon) NAS platforms.

The role ensures high availability, performance optimization, secure configuration, and lifecycle management of mission-critical compute, storage, and network infrastructure.

Core Infrastructure Environment

• Compute: Dell PowerEdge XE9712 (GPU/AI workloads), Dell PowerEdge R670
• Storage: Dell PowerStore (SAN), Dell PowerScale (Isilon NAS)
• Networking: Dell PowerSwitch (Layer 2/3)
• Virtualization: VMware vSphere / ESXi
• Backup & DR: Integrated enterprise backup solutions
• Data Center: Production & Disaster Recovery Sites

Key Responsibilities

1️⃣ Compute Administration (PowerEdge XE9712 & R670)

• Install, configure, and maintain Dell PowerEdge XE9712 and R670 servers.
• Manage GPU-enabled workloads (AI/ML environments on XE9712).
• Configure BIOS, iDRAC, firmware upgrades, and lifecycle management.
• Perform hardware diagnostics and capacity planning.
• Deploy and maintain VMware ESXi clusters.
• Optimize CPU, GPU, and memory resource utilization.

2️⃣ Storage Administration (PowerStore & PowerScale)

🔹 Dell PowerStore (SAN)

• Configure storage pools, volumes, and LUN provisioning.
• Manage replication, snapshots, and thin provisioning.
• Implement synchronous/asynchronous replication for DR.
• Perform firmware upgrades and health monitoring.
• Optimize performance and latency for virtualization workloads.

🔹 Dell PowerScale (Isilon NAS)

• Manage OneFS operating system.
• Configure SMB, NFS, and multi-protocol access.
• Implement quota management and SmartPools tiering.
• Monitor cluster health and node expansion.
• Manage data protection policies (SnapshotIQ, SyncIQ).

3️⃣ Network Administration (Dell PowerSwitch)

• Configure VLANs, trunking, routing (Layer 2/3).
• Implement link aggregation (LACP).
• Manage switch stacking and firmware upgrades.
• Configure QoS for storage and AI workloads.
• Troubleshoot network connectivity between compute and storage layers.

4️⃣ Virtualization & Integration

• Deploy and manage VMware vSphere clusters.
• Integrate PowerStore with VMware via VAAI and vVols.
• Configure datastore mappings and storage policies.
• Manage HA, DRS, and vMotion.
• Monitor VM performance and storage latency.

5️⃣ Backup & Disaster Recovery

• Implement backup strategies for PowerStore & PowerScale.
• Perform DR drills and failover testing.
• Ensure compliance with RPO and RTO requirements.
• Maintain replication between production and DR sites.

6️⃣ Monitoring & Optimization

• Use Dell OpenManage Enterprise for monitoring.
• Monitor storage performance metrics (IOPS, latency, throughput).
• Conduct firmware lifecycle management.
• Perform root cause analysis for infrastructure incidents.

Required Technical Skills

• Strong hands-on experience with:
• Dell PowerEdge XE9712
• Dell PowerEdge R670
• Dell PowerStore
• Dell PowerScale (Isilon / OneFS)
• Dell PowerSwitch

•
• VMware vSphere / ESXi
• SAN protocols (iSCSI / FC)
• NAS protocols (SMB / NFS)
• Dell iDRAC & OpenManage
• Enterprise backup & replication

Preferred Certifications

• Dell EMC Proven Professional Certification
• VMware VCP
• Networking certification (CCNA or equivalent)
• ITIL Foundation

Experience Level

• 5–8+ years in enterprise infrastructure
• Experience in large-scale data center environments
• Experience supporting AI / GPU workloads (preferred)