# NetConnect Experience Summary (Mar 2024 - Present)

## Position: System/Network Administrator & DevOps Engineer
**Company:** NetConnect Group  
**Period:** Martie 2024 - Prezent (aprox. 22 luni)  
**Location:** Remote

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## Major Projects & Achievements

### 1. PowerDNS High Availability Cluster (pdns, pdns2-6) 🎯
**Timeline:** Nov 2023 - Dec 2025 (ongoing)  
**Current Version:** v2.4.0-stable → v2.5.0 (in development)

**Architecture:**
- Master-Slave MySQL replication cluster
- Keepalived VIP failover (automatic failback)
- PowerDNS Authoritative servers (NS1: .214, NS2: .215)
- Cloudflare API integration (20 zones, 581 records sync)
- Custom CF-Sync v2.4.0 (Docker-based)

**Key Achievements:**
- Designed and deployed production HA DNS infrastructure
- Implemented automatic failover/failback mechanism
- Created comprehensive automation scripts (Bash, Python)
- Cloud-init deployment automation
- Extreme load testing and optimization
- Production endpoint: `pdns.infra.netconnect.ro`

**Technologies:** PowerDNS, MySQL/MariaDB, Keepalived, Docker, Bash, Python, Cloud-init, Ansible

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### 2. InfraManager - Dynamic Infrastructure Management Tool
**Timeline:** Ongoing development  
**Purpose:** Lightweight infrastructure orchestration

**Features:**
- Dynamic service/node management via CLI
- YAML-based state tracking
- Template generation for configs
- Future integrations: Ansible, Terraform, Proxmox API

**Technologies:** Python, YAML, CLI development

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### 3. ncTesseract - Nextcloud OCR & Elasticsearch Indexing
**Timeline:** Dec 2024  
**Problem:** Traditional Nextcloud indexing was extremely slow (350k files = 77 days!)

**Solution:**
- Custom Python parallel indexer with 48+ workers
- Tesseract OCR integration
- Direct Elasticsearch indexing in Nextcloud-compatible format
- Massive performance improvement (single-threaded PHP → multiprocessing)

**Technologies:** Python, Multiprocessing, Tesseract OCR, Elasticsearch, Nextcloud

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### 4. Certificate Management Automation (certbotAuto)
**Timeline:** Sep 2024 - Dec 2024

**Features:**
- Automated SSL/TLS certificate management
- Multi-server deployment via Ansible
- Let's Encrypt integration (certbot)
- Centralized secrets management
- Automated renewal and deployment

**Technologies:** Bash, Certbot, Ansible, YAML

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### 5. CDR Processing System (cdr2sql)
**Timeline:** Feb 2024 - Jul 2025

**Purpose:** Call Detail Records processing and SQL integration

**Components:**
- PHP backend for CDR parsing
- Node.js/Gulp build system
- Database integration for telecom billing

**Technologies:** PHP, Node.js, Gulp, MySQL

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### 6. Xen to KVM/Proxmox Migration Tools (xen2lxc, xenserver_to_xen)
**Timeline:** Sep-Nov 2024

**Purpose:** Automated VM migration from legacy Xen infrastructure

**Features:**
- XVA image extraction and conversion
- Disk preparation for QEMU/KVM
- Automated boot scripts
- Proxmox integration

**Technologies:** Python, Bash, QEMU, Proxmox, Xen

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### 7. Cataleya Integration (cataleya2db)
**Timeline:** Oct 2024

**Purpose:** Telecom data integration with Cataleya platform

**Technologies:** PHP, Database integration

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### 8. Laravel Development Environment with SQL Anywhere
**Timeline:** Aug-Sep 2024

**Purpose:** Custom Docker-based development environment

**Features:**
- Laravel + SQL Anywhere integration
- Nginx + PHP-FPM stack
- Docker Compose orchestration

**Technologies:** Docker, Laravel, PHP, Nginx, SQL Anywhere

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### 9. Portability System - Czech Republic (portabilitateCehia.org)
**Timeline:** Ongoing maintenance

**Purpose:** Automated portability data download from Czech telecom portal

**Challenges Solved:**
- SSL certificate renewal for client authentication
- Wildcard certificate management (*.netconnect.ro)
- HTTPS client certificate authentication

**Technologies:** OpenSSL, wget, SSL/TLS, Bash

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### 10. Infrastructure Services
**Timeline:** Ongoing

**Deployed/Maintained:**
- **Zabbix Monitoring:** Docker-based monitoring stack
- **FreeSWITCH:** VoIP infrastructure (Docker)
- **Traefik:** Reverse proxy and load balancer
- **Infrastructure automation:** Various supporting services

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## Core Competencies Demonstrated

### DevOps & Automation
- CI/CD pipeline development
- Infrastructure as Code (Ansible, Terraform concepts)
- Docker containerization
- Cloud-init automation
- Custom automation tooling (Bash, Python, Perl)

### System Administration
- High Availability cluster design and deployment
- MySQL/MariaDB replication and failover
- DNS infrastructure (PowerDNS)
- Load balancing (Keepalived)
- SSL/TLS certificate management

### Development
- Python (multiprocessing, CLI tools, automation)
- Bash scripting (complex automation)
- PHP (backend services, integrations)
- Perl (legacy support, migration)
- JavaScript/Node.js (build systems)

### Networking
- DNS management and troubleshooting
- VIP failover mechanisms
- Firewall configuration
- VPN integration concepts
- Network troubleshooting (tcpdump, netstat, ss)

### Virtualization & Cloud
- Proxmox management
- Xen → KVM migration
- Docker (multi-service orchestration)
- Cloud-init deployment
- VM provisioning and management

### Databases
- MySQL Master-Slave replication
- Elasticsearch integration
- SQL Anywhere (legacy support)
- Database optimization and monitoring

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## Key Technologies Used

**Operating Systems:** Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, Alpine Linux  
**Scripting:** Bash, Python, Perl, PHP  
**Orchestration:** Docker, Docker Compose, Ansible (planned)  
**Databases:** MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch, SQL Anywhere  
**Web Stack:** Nginx, Apache, PHP-FPM, Tomcat (limited)  
**Monitoring:** Zabbix, Systemd journaling  
**Version Control:** Git  
**Networking:** PowerDNS, Keepalived, Cloudflare API, OpenSSL  
**Other:** Tesseract OCR, FreeSWITCH, Traefik  

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## Soft Skills Demonstrated

- **Problem Solving:** Reduced Nextcloud indexing from 77 days to hours
- **Architecture Design:** Built production HA DNS from scratch
- **Documentation:** Comprehensive guides for all major projects
- **Automation Focus:** Consistently automated manual processes
- **Tool Development:** Created custom tools when needed (InfraManager, CF-Sync)
- **Migration Expertise:** Successfully migrated legacy Xen infrastructure

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## For CV Update

**Replace RnD Software Group entry (Apr 2021 - Present) with:**

### NetConnect Group | Bucharest, Romania (Remote)
**SYSTEM/NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR & DEVOPS ENGINEER**  
*Mar 2024 - Present*

- Designed and deployed production High Availability DNS infrastructure using PowerDNS, MySQL Master-Slave replication, and Keepalived VIP failover serving 20+ zones with automatic failover/failback
- Developed custom automation tools including parallel OCR indexing system (48+ workers) reducing Nextcloud indexing time from 77 days to hours, and infrastructure management CLI tool (Python)
- Automated SSL/TLS certificate management across multiple servers using certbot, Ansible, and custom bash orchestration
- Migrated legacy Xen virtual infrastructure to Proxmox/KVM using custom Python/Bash tooling
- Maintained and integrated telecom services including CDR processing, portability systems, and FreeSWITCH VoIP infrastructure
- Technologies: PowerDNS, MySQL/MariaDB, Keepalived, Docker, Python, Bash, Ansible, Elasticsearch, Proxmox, Zabbix

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**Note:** Această experiență arată o evoluție clară de la sysadmin tradițional (RnD) către DevOps modern cu focus pe automation, HA, și custom tooling development.