Tharun K — System Engineer | IT Infrastructure & Network Administration

Summary

System Engineer with over 14 years of experience in system design, planning, implementation, network administration, maintenance and troubleshooting across diverse IT environments. Proficient in Microsoft Windows and Windows Server platforms and Linux distributions (RHEL, Ubuntu, CentOS), with a proven ability to deploy, administer and optimize IT infrastructure while ensuring system reliability, security and performance.

Currently with the Central Networking Facility at Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam (Women's University), Tirupati, managing the University's website and web services, Google Workspace and server infrastructure, and promoting the effective use of AI tools in daily IT and administrative work.

14+Years in IT

2018Joined SPMVV, Tirupati

Best Employee · 2022 & 2024

Key Projects & Contributions

Campus Network & Wi-Fi

Assisted with day-to-day network operations at the University, including wireless network surveys and deployment, routine maintenance of firewalls, routers, and switches, and implementation of firewall security patches based on OEM advisories.
Monitored network performance, maintained network cabling and peripherals, ensured backup Internet connectivity, and troubleshot network and connectivity issues.
Actively contributed to the design and deployment of the campus CCTV surveillance system, including the installation and configuration of high-end PTZ and bullet cameras across campus.

WirelessFirewallRouters & SwitchesNetwork MonitoringTroubleshootingCCTV (PTZ & Bullet)

University Website

Developed and deployed a dynamic, WordPress-based institutional website using PHP, HTML, and CSS, with ongoing maintenance and daily content updates managed by the Central Networking Facility.
Migrated the website from a cloud server to a dedicated Linux server with single-tenant infrastructure, high-performance computing resources, and ample storage to improve page load performance, reliability, and data security.
Managed the server environment, including regular backups, system maintenance, and performance monitoring to ensure continuous website availability and data protection.
Conducted annual security audits in accordance with Andhra Pradesh Technological Services (APTS) guidelines, implementing required security patches, vulnerability fixes, and code corrections to maintain compliance and security.

WordPressPHPHTML / CSSLinuxDedicated ServerSecurity Audit

Admissions Payment Gateway

Integrated and supported payment gateway services for counselling and admission workflows, resolving transaction failures through PHP-based backend debugging, logic corrections, and application-level fixes.
Executed application code deployment and migration from a dedicated server to AWS, ensuring secure, reliable, and scalable hosting infrastructure.
Conducted periodic database backup validation and integrity checks to ensure data availability, recovery readiness, and operational continuity.

PHPphpMyAdminAWSSecure Backups

Conference Websites & Journal Portals

Deployed, configured, and maintained Open Journal Systems (OJS) for conference websites and academic journal portals across on-premises and cloud server environments, ensuring reliable platform availability and performance.
Administered end-to-end journal and conference publishing workflows, including manuscript submission, peer review, editorial processing, publication, and participant/author communication.
Managed Digital Object Identifier (DOI) assignment for published articles upon author request, ensuring persistent, standardized, and citable access to scholarly publications.

OJSDeploymentMaintenancePeer ReviewDOI Assignment

Google Workspace Administration

Administered the University's Google Workspace environment supporting 3,000+ student and staff accounts, managing account provisioning, lifecycle administration, role-based delegation, and domain-level configuration.
Monitored security alerts, Workspace activity, and audit logs to identify potential account and service issues, strengthening platform security, reliability, and operational continuity.
Managed student email account provisioning and administration, ensuring timely access and appropriate account configurations across the institutional domain.
Automated e-certificate generation and distribution using Google Workspace tools and automation techniques, reducing manual administrative effort and streamlining certificate management workflows.

Google WorkspaceStudent EmailsActivity MonitoringAutomation

AI-Powered Productivity

Leveraged AI-powered tools to streamline routine IT, documentation and administrative tasks, significantly reducing turnaround time. Used AI-assisted platforms for code review, script development, troubleshooting and knowledge management, and trained departmental staff on practical AI use cases for document preparation, information analysis and workflow optimization.

AI ToolsCode ReviewScriptingDocumentationStaff Training

Experience

System Engineer

June 2018 — Present

Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam (Women's University), Tirupati · Central Networking Facility

Responsible for the design, deployment and day-to-day operation of the University's IT infrastructure, network and web services within the Central Networking Facility, ensuring reliable, secure and high-performing services across the institution.

Web & Application Development

Developed and deployed the University's dynamic website and migrated it from a cloud server to a dedicated server.
Built the registration and fee-collection portal for Padmotsav & Padmatarang, the UGC-sponsored South Zone Youth Festival.
Integrated payment gateways for counselling and admissions on an in-house hosting setup, resolving failed transactions through PHP and backend logic fixes.
Contributed to the CDOE Portal and its API integration with the UGC-DEB Portal; deployed and maintained OJS for the Computer Science conference website.

Network & Infrastructure

Configured and maintained firewalls, routers and switches, applying security patches based on OEM advisories.
Surveyed, engineered and deployed wireless network solutions, and maintained cabling and network peripherals.
Monitored network performance, generated statistics, and maintained backup internet connectivity.
Diagnosed and resolved connectivity issues across the campus network.

Systems, Security & Cloud Services

Created and deployed internal and external SSL certificates, including wildcard, standard and UCC types.
Administered automation servers, covering application and database patching and periodic backups.
Administered Google Workspace, including accounts, roles and alert logs, and supported Microsoft Teams and domain mapping.

Procurement, Training & Committees

Supported procurement and IT asset lifecycle tracking, including GeM portal activities, and trained faculty on its use.
Served as a member of various registration committees during UGC-hosted youth festivals and on technical committees for the institution’s annual convocations and other major events.

AI Adoption & Innovation

Used AI tools to streamline IT, documentation and administrative tasks, reducing turnaround time and improving efficiency.
Trained departmental staff on AI tools and demonstrated practical use cases for document preparation and workflow optimization.
Researched, tested and implemented new technologies on University server infrastructure, staying current with AI, cloud and cybersecurity trends.

Earlier Experience

Senior System Administrator

Sep 2012 — Feb 2018

Administered and troubleshot Windows Server 2003 environments, including user accounts, shared resources and permissions.
Installed and maintained network infrastructure, cabling and peripherals; configured and troubleshot Netgear and Cisco routers and network switches.
Managed LAN connectivity, coordinated with ISPs for issue resolution, and monitored network performance and utilization.
Maintained regular backups of systems, hardware, software and critical data.
Performed preventive maintenance of desktops, servers and network equipment, and assessed needs for repairs, replacements and upgrades.
Installed and supported operating systems and applications, including Microsoft Office, Outlook, Adobe products, Tally and antivirus, along with network printers.
Coordinated with vendors for hardware repairs, warranty claims and annual maintenance.

Education

Master of Computer Applications (MCA)

Certifications

Oracle 11g DBA
Advanced Flash Scripting & Dreamweaver
Software Testing Tools & Concepts

Tharun.K