Harshitha S
Dallas
Summary
- Highly motivated and results-driven Senior Network Engineer with 7+ years of extensive experience in IP network design, integration, deployment, and advanced troubleshooting across diverse enterprise, data center, service provider, and multi-cloud environments.
- Specialist in deploying and managing Arista Networks solutions including EVPN-VXLAN data center fabrics, L2LS/L3LS architectures, and CVaaS for large-scale enterprise and service provider networks.
- Expertise in building greenfield and brownfield Arista deployments using 7000 Series platforms (7280CR3, 7050SX3, 7500E, 7368X4) with eBGP underlay/overlay, MLAG redundancy, VARP gateway, and multi-region DCI connectivity.
- Proficient in integrating Arista EOS with multi-vendor environments including Cisco Nexus-to-Arista migrations, CheckPoint/Palo Alto firewall peering, F5 BIG-IP load balancers, and Cisco SD-WAN edge routing.
- Expertise in designing and implementing advanced Cisco SD-WAN (Viptela, Versa, Silver Peak) solutions and Cisco ACI fabric for data center modernization.
- Experienced in automating EVPN-VXLAN fabric deployments using AVD collection, generating device configurations from structured YAML inventory files, and validating network state with AVD post-deployment testing and eos_validate_state roles.
- Skilled in engineering secure hybrid cloud connectivity using AWS Direct Connect and Transit Gateway, with hands-on experience terminating circuits on Arista border leafs and establishing eBGP peering to AWS/Azure/GCP.
- Proficient in designing and managing AWS VPCs, subnets, routing, and security groups. Experience with Route 53, CloudWatch, and network traffic monitoring in AWS environments for operational visibility and high availability.
- Expertise in implementing ExpressRoute for high-throughput private connectivity and Azure Firewall for centralized security policies.
- Proficient in configuring VNets, Network Security Groups (NSGs), and Azure VPN Gateway to enable scalable, secure hybrid cloud architecture.
- Familiar with GCP’s Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP), firewall rules, and operations suite for monitoring and securing cloud-native environments.
- Demonstrated experience in supporting hybrid infrastructure services, including hardware, operating systems (Windows Server, Linux), and both network and software platforms in high-availability cluster environments.
- Experienced in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform for provisioning and managing cloud network infrastructure in AWS and Azure.
- Adept at managing advanced load balancing solutions including F5 BIG-IP (LTM, GTM, iRules, ASM) and Citrix NetScaler ADC.
- In-depth knowledge of routing protocols including BGP (complex path manipulation, RPKI, BFD for sub-second convergence), OSPF (multi-area design, NSSA), EIGRP, across enterprise and data center environments.
- Skilled in wireless network design and management using Cisco WLCs (Catalyst 9800), Aruba Mobility Controllers, and Cisco Meraki, including Ekahau site surveys.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Professional Services Network Engineer
Arista Networks
09.2024 - Current
- Deployed brownfield EVPN-VXLAN fabric infrastructure across 6 data centers using Arista 7280CR3 spines and 7050SX3 leafs with eBGP underlay and BGP EVPN overlay supporting 200+ production devices.
- Configured BGP routing with eBGP peering between spines and leafs using /31 point-to-point links, implementing EVPN address-family with send-community extended for Type-2 and Type-5 route propagation.
- Engineered EVPN multi-domain DCI over metro dark fiber circuits connecting four data centers, re-advertising Type-2/3/5 routes with next-hop-self to enable 70+ VRF stretch, 700+ VLAN stretch, and active-active workload mobility with optimized VTEP flood-lists.
- Implemented VXLAN overlay networks with VTEP source interfaces on Loopback1, enabling Layer 2 extension across Layer 3 underlay fabric with 86 VRF instances supporting multi-tenant environments.
- Built EVPN-VXLAN symmetric IRB architecture using L3VNI per VRF, configuring anycast gateway with VARP for active-active Layer 3 routing across MLAG leaf pairs.
- Configured OSPF multi-area design with Area 0 backbone for underlay routing, implementing NSSA areas for external route filtering and BFD for sub-second failure detection.
- Deployed BGP route-reflector architecture for EVPN overlay on spines eliminating full-mesh iBGP peering requirements, validating EVPN route propagation across 150+ leaf switches.
- Configured BGP graceful restart with restart-time 300 seconds and stalepath-time 360 seconds on eBGP sessions, ensuring seamless route retention during planned maintenance.
- Implemented MTU optimization setting underlay to 9214 bytes and overlay to 9100 bytes, accommodating 54-byte VXLAN encapsulation overhead without packet fragmentation.
- Implemented MLAG across 60+ leaf pairs with active-active redundancy, configuring peer-link on Port-Channel interfaces with VLAN trunk via management VRF heartbeat.
- Configured VXLAN flood lists using Head-End Replication (HER) without multicast dependency, validating MAC address learning via EVPN Type-2 route advertisements.
- Automated Arista EOS fabric provisioning using Ansible AVD framework with YAML data models, Jinja2 templates, and Git-based version control for 200+ devices.
- Integrated Cisco SD-WAN Viptela with Arista 7500E border leafs via eBGP AS 65515, redistributing 1,200+ routes to 250 branch edge routers over dual 100GbE uplinks.
- Deployed F5 BIG-IP and NetScaler clusters with LACP, advertising VIPs via BGP /32 routes, implementing PBR + DSCP marking for SNAT/USIP mode traffic steering.
- Deployed out-of-band management network using dedicated L2LS topology with 7050SX3 OOB cores and 7010TX leafs, supporting 68 management devices with isolated MGMT VRF.
- Implemented DNS integration using BlueCat appliances with anycast /32 advertisements via eBGP, configuring recursive lookups and split-horizon policies across production VRFs.
- Configured CVP Studios for automated compliance checks (TACACS+, NTP, ACL audits) and ZTP DHCP relay/option 67 infrastructure for mass device provisioning, generating weekly reports and auto-remediating drift via configlet pushes.
- Executed multi-vendor migration from Nexus to EOS, translating vpc/vrf context/HSRP configuration to mlag/vrf instance/VARP, validating routing parity across migration windows.
- Integrated CheckPoint security gateways with border leafs transitioning from Layer 2 subinterface to MLAG with SVI-based eBGP, implementing AS-override for inter-VRF routing.
- Integrated Palo Alto PA-5250 with Arista 7010T using eBGP and BFD (300ms interval, 3x multiplier) for sub-second failover across 18 DMZ VRFs.
- Deployed AAA infrastructure with TACACS+ and RADIUS servers, configuring source-interface binding, AAA for exec and commands level 15 with local fallback.
- Built WAN edge using Cisco Catalyst 8000V dual-homed to Arista 7358X4, configuring BGP multihop, BFD (250ms), AS-path prepending, and local-preference 200.
- Onboarded Cisco ISE 3.1 with Arista 7020SR, enabling 802.1x and RADIUS CoA for dynamic VLAN assignment across 3,500 endpoints with dACLs.
- Implemented 802.1X dynamic VLAN assignment with multi-host authentication, MAC-based authentication, LLDP bypass for VoIP phones, unauthorized VLAN egress for endpoints.
- Configured control plane protection using service ACLs for SSH/SNMP/eAPI access, implementing copp-system-policy with platform-specific class maps for IPv4/IPv6.
- Deployed AWS Direct Connect 10Gbps on Arista 7150S with 802.1Q private VIF, configuring eBGP to AWS ASN 64512 and advertising 45 on-prem subnets to Transit Gateway.
- Configured Azure ExpressRoute on Arista 7060CX pairs using LACP and BGP prefix-lists to control 30+ VNet routes with MED-based path selection.
- Configured Aruba ClearPass 6.10 with Arista 7048T using TACACS+ and RADIUS, implementing 50+ IoT profiling policies with automated VLAN assignment.
- Architected CloudVision-as-a-Service deployment with TerminAttr streaming telemetry to cloud endpoints on port 443, utilizing Studios with Jinja2 configlets for provisioning.
- Documented network architecture with topology diagrams, CRD, LLD, HLD and runbooks for troubleshooting EVPN-VXLAN fabric issues, delivering KT sessions to operations teams.
Senior Network Engineer
Austin Energy
Austin, TX
08.2023 - 08.2024
- Led the planning and multi-phase rollout of Cisco SD-WAN (Viptela) across 250+ sites, replacing legacy MPLS circuits to enhance application performance and cut WAN costs, deployed using Cisco ISR 4000 and Catalyst 8000 Series routers.
- Optimized advanced Viptela SD-WAN policies for Application-Aware Routing (AAR), traffic engineering using BFD triggers, and dynamic QoS to prioritize critical utility applications.
- Implemented Direct Internet Access (DIA) with integrated Zscaler cloud security (ZIA) for secure internet access at branch locations.
- Managed and ensured high availability for vManage, vSmart, and vBond controllers (v20), including certificate management and disaster recovery protocols for the SD-WAN fabric.
- Installed Cisco ACI (APIC version 5.x/6.x) in dual multi-POD data centers, utilizing Cisco Nexus 9000 Series (9300/9500) switches as spines and leafs, including APIC cluster setup and fabric discovery.
- Configured virtual networking in lab environments with Catalyst 9000, Juniper MX routers, Arista 7000 switches, deploying BGP, OSPF, VLANs to mirror production topologies.
- Supported developer testing with Cisco Nexus 9000 ACI integration and VMware vCenter VMM for VM-aware network policies.
- Delivered escalated tier support internally and with vendors, resolving complex Layer 2/3 network issues across multi-vendor environments.
- Applied end-to-end QoS (LLQ, WRED, DSCP mapping) for VoIP (Cisco CUCUM 14.x) and video over SD-WAN, LAN, and WLAN.
- Implemented Juniper Junos-based Layer 2 and Layer 3 fabric architectures replicating Arista’s VXLAN EVPN overlays, including route reflector setup and BGP EVPN control plane migration.
- Integrated and validated Cisco ACI L3Outs using OSPF (Area 0, NSSA) and BGP (iBGP/eBGP with AS path prepending, MED tuning) for resilient external and shared services connectivity.
- Troubleshoot complex lab network/cloud issues using Wireshark, Cisco IOS-XE, Junos OS CLI, and cloud provider tools.
- Installed, upgraded and maintained Palo Alto Networks PA-5200/PA-7000 series firewalls (PAN-OS 10.2/11.0) in active/passive HA pairs at data center perimeters and internet edges.
- Developed granular security policies on Palo Alto firewalls utilizing App-ID, User-ID, Content-ID, and advanced Threat Prevention (WildFire, DNS Security, Anti-Spyware).
- Implemented GlobalProtect VPN (v5.x/6.x) for 10,000+ users, featuring SAML integration with Okta for MFA, and Host Information Profile (HIP) checks for endpoint compliance.
- Acted as Load Balancing SME for enterprise applications, providing architecture design, platform upgrades, and advanced troubleshooting across F5 BIG-IP, Citrix NetScaler, and Infoblox/BlueCat DDI platforms, ensuring resiliency and HA for mission-critical services.
Network Engineer
UCLA
Los Angeles, CA
08.2021 - 07.2023
- Managed a campus-wide network refresh for hospital system, migrating aging Cisco switches to Catalyst 9300/9400 Series (IOS-XE), enhancing performance, enabling modern features.
- Segmented departmental traffic using VLANs (Clinical, Admin, Guest, Medical Devices/IoT) and implemented QoS for critical healthcare applications (PACS, EMR, Telemetry).
- Optimized internal routing using OSPF (multi-area design) across the extensive hospital campus network for efficient and resilient L3 connectivity.
- Managed BGP routing for external connectivity and disaster recovery, implementing route filtering and path selection policies on edge routers.
- Deployed Palo Alto Networks PA-3200 series firewalls (PAN-OS 10.1/10.2) for securing critical data center segments, implementing application-based security policies and User-ID for granular access control.
- Configured Cisco ASA 5516-X firewalls (ASA v9.12+) for perimeter security, including granular ACL implementation and managing software updates to ensure security compliance.
- Configured secure site-to-site IPsec VPNs (IKEv2, AES-256) on Cisco ASA and Palo Alto firewalls to connect the main hospital campus with remote clinics and partner facilities.
- Leveraged Cisco DNA Center (DNAC v2.x/v2.4) for network assurance, monitoring health of Catalyst 9k switches, employing its analytics capabilities for troubleshooting network issues.
- Designed and implemented DMVPN (Phase 2/3 using NHRP, IPsec, EIGRP) solutions for secure and scalable connectivity to a cluster of newly acquired outpatient facilities.
- Administered Symantec Blue Coat ProxySG appliances for secure web gateway solutions, configuring web filtering, and SSL inspection policies to protect against web-based threats.
- Managed F5 BIG-IP LTM (TMOS v14.x/15.x) solutions for load balancing critical healthcare applications, including VIP creation, pool management, and SSL offloading.
- Administered Infoblox Trinzic appliances (NIOS 8.x/9.x) supporting over 15,000 DHCP leases and 40,000 DNS records in a multi-data center healthcare environment.
- Configured Cisco SD-WAN (Viptela) components, including vEdge routers and centralized policies via vManage, for specific pilot programs aimed at enhancing branch connectivity.
- Planned and executed migration projects transitioning legacy firewall environments to Cisco Meraki security appliances using Meraki APIs for automated provisioning and monitoring.
- Configured and deployed Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN to optimize WAN performance for 30+ remote clinics, leveraging dynamic path control.
- Contributed to Cisco ACI L2/L3 connectivity designs, including L3Out configurations with OSPF for integrating the ACI fabric with the existing hospital network core.
Network Engineer
DISH Networks
Remote
05.2020 - 06.2021
- Managed and optimized firewall operations across a multi-vendor environment including Cisco ASA/Firepower (FTD v6.4-v6.7), Checkpoint (R80.30/R80.40), and Juniper SRX (Junos 19.x), ensuring high availability and policy compliance for corporate and retail networks.
- Designed and implemented Palo Alto Networks (PAN-OS 9.1/10.0) security policies, including Application/URL filtering, advanced Threat Prevention (WildFire), and Data Filtering.
- Supported secure remote access solutions using Cisco FTD (v6.4-v6.7) with AnyConnect, implementing robust VPN policies to ensure data integrity and confidentiality.
- Secured site-to-site IPsec VPNs (IKEv2, AES-GCM) between corporate headquarters, retail stores, distribution centers, ensuring encrypted and authenticated communication channels.
- Optimized multi-domain Checkpoint firewall environments, managing policies, NAT rules, and threat prevention enforcing consistent security controls across distributed networks.
- Performed detailed Cisco ASA 5516-X firewall policy management, including ACL modifications, object management, and software updates.
- Ensured secure SD-WAN (Cisco Viptela, Versa Networks) deployments by defining security policies for IPsec overlay tunnels, validating policy enforcement, and contributing to SASE integration efforts for branch offices and stores.
- Secured BGP routing infrastructure by implementing prefix-lists, route-maps for filtering, AS-path prepending for traffic engineering, and RPKI for route origin validation on edge routers.
- Hardened OSPF and EIGRP routing domains through authentication mechanisms (MD5/SHA), passive-interface configurations, and route redistribution filtering to prevent unauthorized information exchange.
- Managed secure DNS/DHCP services, implemented SNMPv3 for encrypted monitoring.
- Utilized Wireshark for deep packet inspection during security incident investigations and troubleshooting.
- Implemented VLAN segmentation strategies, configured STP security mechanisms (BPDU Guard, Root Guard, Loop Guard) to protect Layer2 infrastructure from instability and attacks.
- Leveraged MPLS WAN infrastructure for secure and prioritized data transport between retail stores, distribution centers, and corporate offices, ensuring QoS for critical applications.
Network Engineer
Syntel
Hyderabad, India
01.2018 - 03.2020
- Participated in campus LAN redesign projects for SME clients, focusing on implementing L2/L3 architectures using Cisco Catalyst 2960, 3750, and 3850 series switches.
- Configured and verified OSPF and EIGRP routing protocols on Cisco routers under the guidance of senior engineers for small to medium-sized client networks.
- Deployed and troubleshot Cisco Catalyst switches, implementing VTP (client/server modes), STP (RSTP, PVST+), and EtherChannel (LACP/PAgP).
- Configured First-Hop Redundancy Protocols (HSRP, GLBP) on distribution layer switches to ensure default gateway availability.
- Provided daily operational support for Cisco ASA 5505/5510 firewalls, managing ACLs for internet, VLAN and internet access, and configuring NAT/PAT as per senior engineer instructions.
- Assisted in troubleshooting basic site-to-site IPsec VPN connectivity issues on Cisco ASA firewalls, escalating complex issues when necessary.
- Performed L2/L3 troubleshooting of network connectivity, performance issues using tools such as Wireshark for basic packet analysis, Ping, Traceroute, and detailed switch/router CLI diagnostics (show commands, debugs), resolving an average of 15+ tickets per week.
- Managed IOS upgrades for Cisco routers (2800, 2900, 3800, 3900 series) and switches, ensuring adherence to client change management processes and minimizing service disruption under supervision.
- Handled DNS and DHCP services on Windows Servers and entry-level Infoblox appliances for various client environments, including scope creation and reservation management.
- Diligently documented network diagrams using Visio, updated device configurations, and maintained troubleshooting guides and incident resolution steps in ticketing systems.
- Monitored network device health, availability, and performance using tools like Nagios and WhatsupGold, reporting anomalies to senior staff.
- Assisted in setting up and tuning basic QoS policies for VoIP traffic on client networks to improve call quality, based on pre-defined templates.
Education
Master of Science - Computer Science
Texas State University
TexasSkills
- LAN/WAN Design & Architecture
- TCP/IP Suite (IPv4/IPv6)
- SD-WAN
- VPN (IPsec, SSL, DMVPN)
- VLAN (8021Q)
- VTP
- NAT/PAT
- STP (RSTP, PVST, MSTP)
- EtherChannel (LACP/PAgP)
- MPLS
- VXLAN
- EVPN
- Frame Relay
- Cisco Routers (ISR 4K, Cat 8K, ASR 1K/9K)
- Cisco Switches (Catalyst 9K Series, Nexus 2K-9K Series)
- Juniper Routers (MX Series)
- Juniper Switches (EX/QFX Series)
- Arista Switches (7000 Series)
- OSPF
- BGP
- EIGRP
- RIP
- IS-IS
- RIPv2
- Multicasting
- Palo Alto
- Cisco ASA/Firepower
- Fortinet (FortiGate)
- Checkpoint
- Juniper SRX
- Cisco ISE
- Aruba ClearPass
- Zscaler
- Blue Coat
- PAP/CHAP
- Cisco PIX
- SolarWinds
- Wireshark
- Splunk
- Nagios
- WhatsupGold
- Infoblox IPAM
- HRping
- Cisco DNA Center Assurance
- Cisco IOS
- IOS-XE
- IOS-XR
- NX-OS
- Juniper Junos
- Arista EOS
- PAN-OS
- FortiOS
- F5 TMOS
- Linux
- Windows Server
- Windows 10/11
- Cisco ISR (1000, 4000)
- Catalyst 8000
- ASR (1000, 9000)
- Juniper (MX, M & T Series)
- Cisco (1800-3900, 4300-4500, 7206VXR)
- F5 Networks BIG-IP (LTM, GTM, iRules, ASM)
- Citrix NetScaler ADC
- A10 Thunder ADC
Timeline
Professional Services Network Engineer
Arista Networks
09.2024 - Current
Senior Network Engineer
Austin Energy
08.2023 - 08.2024
Network Engineer
UCLA
08.2021 - 07.2023
Network Engineer
DISH Networks
05.2020 - 06.2021
Network Engineer
Syntel
01.2018 - 03.2020
Master of Science - Computer Science
Texas State University