Mohammed Taher Ali

• Implementation of HCI VMware Virtualization Project (Mar 2019- Jun 2021)
  1. Led the planning and implementation of Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) solutions utilizing VMware vSphere and vSAN, optimizing compute, storage and network resources for scalable, high-performance infrastructure.
  2.Coordinated all phases of VMware virtualization projects, including initial planning, hardware procurement, configuration and post-implementation monitoring, ensuring adherence to timelines and budgets.
  3. Achieved an 80% improvement in operational efficiency, reduced total cost of ownership, and ensured high availability and disaster recovery through the use of VMware vCenter, vMotion and Site Recovery Manager (SRM) for business continuity,
  4. Enhanced business continuity by implementing seamless failover and recovery processes through efficient backup and restore integration. Strengthened data protection and disaster recovery capabilities with strategic Hyper Converged Infrastructure (HCI) solutions, resulting in 99.99% system uptime.
  5. Achieved a 92% reduction in physical server footprint within the data center through the successful implementation.
  6. Implementation of VMware vROps Reporting and Analytics,Performance Monitoring,Capacity Planning.
  7. Implemented security compliance measures and controls, including data encryption at rest, data encryption in transit and access control.
• Expansion of HCI Phase 1, 2 & 3 (Jul 2021 - Mar 2024)
  1. Spearheaded the enhancement of VMware Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) project that has been delivered across multiple phases to meet evolving business requirements for virtual resources.
  2. Developed and implemented forward-planning strategies to allocate resources in advance, reducing downtime and improving project readiness.
  3. Collaborated with Project Management and Portfolio team to assess future Business project demands, ensuring that IT Infrastructure team is aligned with business needs.
  4. Optimized server provisioning, reducing provisioning time by 30%, which accelerated project delivery, improved business agility and cut operational costs by 25%
  5. Ensured compliance with IT governance standards and VMware best practices for efficient and secure resource management.
• In-Flight projects
  1. Infrastructure GAP Analysis on IT Environments
  As part of the Digital Transformation initiative, conducted infrastructure gap analysis for critical and mission-critical systems lacking Development, SIT, UAT and Pre-Production environments to minimize the bank's operational losses. Identified and assessed system gaps in the IT environment to determine hardware, software and licensing requirements for procurement.
  2.Secure Bridge Implementation
  Developed and implemented a solution to ensure secure, controlled access to production environments, aligning with security policies and minimizing exposure of critical systems to external threats.
  Restricted direct access to production environments, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access and breaches, while providing comprehensive logging and monitoring of user activity for audit trails and compliance investigations.
  3.One Click DR Automation (POC)
  Planning and designing the implementation of an automation platform to facilitate outage recovery with minimal Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Rapid Recovery Time Objectives (RRTO). Developed an IT dashboard to display real-time statistics for infrastructure components, including status, disaster recovery readiness, data lag and monitoring.

Implement and enforce security measures to protect data and system integrity during the project. Developed and executed a comprehensive project plans that included risk assessments, resource allocations, and milestone tracking, ensuring timely completion within budget constraints.

• Migration of EMC VNX to EMC Isilon Project (Jan 2016 - Aug 2016)
  1. Led the migration of EMC VNX NAS to EMC Isilon, ensuring seamless data transfer, enhanced scalability, and improved performance for unstructured data management.
  2. Coordinated cross-functional teams across IT, operations, and external vendors to align project objectives and timelines, significantly enhancing collaboration and communication during the migration process.
  3. Leveraged Isilon's scalability features to optimize unstructured data management, achieving a 30% increase in storage efficiency and a 25% reduction in data retrieval times.
• Implementation of Microsoft Hyper-V Virtualization Project (Jul 2016 - Jun 2017)
  1. Spearheaded the implementation of a Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization solution, resulting in waiving off the OS licensing cost by Microsoft which resulted in 10% reduction in operational costs while enhancing scalability and high availability for mission-critical systems.
  2. Achieved a 30% reduction in physical server footprint within the data center through the successful implementation of the Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization solution, optimizing space utilization and reducing energy costs.
  3. Conducted thorough needs assessments and capacity planning to optimize resource allocation, improving system performance and reliability for critical applications.
  4. Implemented best practices for disaster recovery and backup solutions within the Hyper-V environment, significantly enhancing data protection and system resilience.
  5. Directed the successful implementation of System Center Orchestrator, automating IT processes and workflows to improve operational efficiency and decrease manual intervention by 40%.
• Active Directory upgrade project (Feb 2018 - May 2018)
  1. Ensured all application functionalities were compatible with the Active Directory upgrade in the UAT environment, collaborating closely with the AD team to validate performance and stability before the production rollout.
  2. Successfully managed the migration of Active Directory from Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server 2016, achieving 100% data integrity and zero downtime during the transition.
  3. Implemented and validated new features of Windows Server 2016, such as improved group policies and advanced security measures, to optimize user management and access control.
  4. Conducted in-depth training and created user-friendly documentation for IT staff, facilitating a smooth transition and maximizing the adoption of new features post-migration.
  5. Monitored and analyzed post-migration performance metrics to assess system functionality, resulting in a 20% improvement in user authentication times and overall system responsiveness.
• Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Program Integration (Oct 2017 - Nov 2018)
  1. Develop and document Disaster Recovery Plans to ensure systems readiness in the Disaster Recovery Center
  2. Collaborate with Business Continuity team to establish a comprehensive Disaster Recovery Program
  3. Collaborate with application owners and other stakeholders to ensure the accuracy of the runbook
  4. Regularly conducted Pre-Disaster Recovery (Pre-DR) assessments to identify gaps between Production and DR environments in terms of availability and resource utilization, ensuring system readiness for seamless disaster recovery

1. Planned, Designed & Implemented the migration activity of Active Directory Windows 2008 to Windows 2012 in the Y2015
2. Successfully streamlined IT Infrastructure by reducing the number of Domain Controllers from 98 to 12
3. Established a distinct Active Directory Domain for Saudi Fransi Capital to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements
4. Managed servers hardware, upgrade servers firmware and BIOS through ILO and iDRAC
5. In depth knowledge of Microsoft failover cluster, NIC Teaming
6. Oversaw the deployment of ATM screen images to promote new online banking features, ensuring user interface updates and compliance through Microsoft SCCM
7. Directed the successful implementation of the Microsoft Key Management Service (KMS) project, enabling centralized management of Microsoft Volume activation
8. Implemented and managed Microsoft Certificate Authority (CA) to ensure secure issuance, effective management and full lifecycle support of certificates across organizational systems and applications
9. Implemented and administered Quest Auditor to monitor and audit changes in IT environments, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards
10. Successfully integrated all organizational systems into the HP Business Service Management (BSM) platform, enabling comprehensive real-time monitoring for proactive issue resolution

1. Successfully migrated Active Directory across three versions based on organizational requirements and management decisions from Windows NT to Windows 2000 in Y2002, from Windows 2000 to Windows Server 2003 in Y2007 and from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008 in Y2011
2. Upgraded all Windows NT member servers to Windows Server 2000, 2003 and 2008 ensuring seamless integration
3. Managed 98 domain controllers holding DHCP, DNS and print server roles distributed across the kingdom
4. Experienced in the processes of racking and stacking servers within the data center
5. Installed, configured and maintained Server Operating Systems software and hardware
6. Planned, designed and implemented Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager for software distribution, hardware inventory management and Microsoft security updates
7. Spearheaded the migration from SNA (Systems Network Architecture) to HIS (Host Integration Server) to modernize mainframe and midrange integration systems
8. Designed and implemented EMC VNX NAS storage solutions to enhance data management, accessibility and scalability for both file and block storage
9. Maintained file quota settings on CIFS servers
10. Leveraged EMC Centera with Cloud Tiering Appliance for efficient data archiving and optimized storage performance

1. Orchestrated the seamless transition from Windows NT to Windows 2000 Active Directory upgrade project for Saudi Aramco under the guidance of Microsoft Arabia, I also contributed significantly to the support team, successfully resolving user issues and providing effective assistance to over 50,000 users across the kingdom during the post-migration phase
2. Assisted users in accessing applications and information within the new Active Directory environment, enabling a seamless transition
3. Facilitated the transfer of user profiles across individual workstations, ensuring a smooth transition to the updated environment
4. Verified accurate migration of desktop configurations, files, software, and access rights during the transfer process
5. Delivered immediate assistance to users facing migration-related challenges, swiftly resolving issues to reduce interruptions
6. Prioritized minimizing downtime, allowing users to resume work efficiently after migration
7. Supported profile data transfer and addressed login or access complications following the migration
8. Provided users with guidance on post-migration procedures, facilitating their adaptation to the new system
9. Assisted users in accessing applications and information within the new Active Directory environment, enabling a seamless transition
10. Employed specialized software, including Profile Management Tools and Migration Wizards, to optimize and expedite the migration process

1. Provided expert troubleshooting and resolution for hardware, software, and network issues, achieving a 98% first-contact resolution rate
2. Assisted in the installation, configuration, and maintenance of end-user devices, ensuring optimal performance and security
3. Responding to support tickets, emails and calls from end users to provide step-by-step guidance to end users for resolving issues, either in person, over the phone or via remote access

4. Provided technical support during the merger process and facilitated a seamless transition for staff from United Saudi Bank to of Saudi American Bank
5. Collaborated with IT teams to integrate legacy systems, achieving a 95% resolution rate for user issues related to the merger
6. Responsible for cataloging and assessing the existing computing infrastructure (laptops, desktops, mobile devices, printers, etc.) of both organizations
7. Performed an inventory of all end-user devices in both organizations
8. Assess the compatibility of hardware and software across both the organizations to upgrade or replace any outdated or incompatible systems