Systems Administrator
School of Mathematics & Information Security, Department of Computer Science
11/09/2006 – 03/02/2017
I joined Royal Holloway straight out of university in 2006 as part of a small IT team (between three and six people) supporting some of the UK’s leading academic departments in Information Security, Computer Science and Mathematics. Over eleven years I grew from a graduate putting theory into practice for the first time to an experienced systems administrator responsible for infrastructure, procurement, and platform strategy across three departments.
The Environment#
Royal Holloway, University of London is one of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities. The School of Mathematics and Information Security Group is a world-renowned name in cyber security education and research, recently awarded the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Cyber Security. The Department of Computer Science ranked 11th in the UK REF (Research Excellence Framework) 2014.
Together, the departments comprised over 70 staff, 25 researchers, 100 PhD/CDT students, 120 postgraduate MSc students and 300 undergraduate students – a diverse and demanding user base with requirements ranging from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Being part of the Information Security Group came with high responsibility. No matter what hat I was wearing, data security and the reputation of the ISG had to be at the forefront of every decision.
Growth#
This role was where I learned to work in a team, putting my university education into practice in a live environment for the first time. Early on, I gained hands-on experience managing and supporting Linux servers – something I had studied but never done professionally. Over the years I took on increasingly broad responsibilities:
- First and second line support – the front line for a diverse academic user base
- Systems administration – managing servers running Ubuntu, SUSE and Windows across four distinct networks
- Network administration – configuration and management of network infrastructure
- IT platform solutions architecture – researching, evaluating and implementing new services
- IT purchasing management – procurement of desktop, server and infrastructure hardware across three departments
Key Achievements#
Apple Platform Adoption#
One of my most significant projects was the introduction of Apple laptops to replace Windows desktops for the Information Security Group. The move delivered increased reliability, an improved user experience, and – crucially for ISG – combined the usability of macOS with the power of a Unix-based operating system. This gave researchers and academics the best of both worlds: a polished desktop environment with native access to the Linux tooling they needed for their security research.
Desktop Replacement Programme#
I managed the full lifecycle of desktop hardware across three departments, from initial specification through to deployment and disposal:
- Specification – selecting systems that met departmental needs within budget, with long-term product roadmaps from HP or Dell, the ability to scale specs (RAM, storage, CPU, graphics), and support for both Windows and Ubuntu Linux LTS
- Requirements capture – consulting individually with academics to capture specific needs (OS preference, hardware requirements, upcoming research demands, DSE requirements), compiled into an ordering matrix
- Testing and imaging – prototyping builds on early-delivery hardware, creating stable images using Symantec Ghost for in-house deployment or pre-delivery imaging by the supplier
- Deployment – PXE-based imaging with automated domain joining via custom scripts, or direct desk-side deployment
VOME Research Project#
I was approached by the lead researcher of the VOME project (Visualisation and Other Methods of Expression) to handle the project’s systems administration. VOME was a three-year collaborative research project between Royal Holloway’s ISG, Salford and Cranfield Universities, Consult Hyperion and Sunderland City Council, exploring how people engage with concepts of information privacy and consent online. My responsibilities included web server creation and maintenance, WordPress and Moodle platform management, and acting as creative consultant for the project’s web presence.
Other Notable Work#
- Managed virtualisation infrastructure, migrating physical servers to virtual machines (P2V) and providing dedicated user VMs for long-running computation
- Deployed and managed WordPress multi-site hosting for the Mathematics, Information Security and Computer Science departments
- Directed and filmed an interview with Jeff Widener (the photographer behind the iconic Tiananmen Square “Tank Man” image) for the university
- Liaised with the central IT Service Department to deliver larger projects to departments and the wider university
Responsibilities#
- Provide excellent customer experience to staff and students across three departments
- Manage and maintain servers running Ubuntu, SUSE and Windows across four distinct networks, minimising user impact and outward-facing downtime
- Research, evaluate and implement new services in consultation with the Network and Systems Manager
- Manage hardware lifecycle from procurement to disposal in line with college and departmental policy
- Maintain computer labs and provide teaching support for internal and external courses
- Document procedures and technical documentation in line with department policy
- Contribute to and maintain departmental IT policies