Manoj Polur Sudhakar

• Serving as a Senior TAC Engineer at Cisco, providing expert-level troubleshooting and technical assistance for complex security issues related to Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine), focusing on network access control, identity management, and policy enforcement.

• Specializing in Cisco ISE deployment, configuration, and troubleshooting, ensuring seamless integration with network infrastructure, Active Directory (AD), RADIUS/TACACS+, and cloud environments to enforce secure authentication and authorization policies.

• Conducting advanced packet analysis, log reviews, and system debugging to resolve escalated cases, including Sev 1 and Sev 2 issues, focusing on optimizing security and minimizing downtime for enterprise customers.

• Collaborating with cross-functional teams—including Engineering, Development, and Product Management—to resolve product defects, performance issues, and security vulnerabilities in Cisco ISE and related security solutions.

• Managing and resolving high-priority Sev 1 and Sev 2 escalations, ensuring optimal security and seamless functionality for enterprise customers while adhering to SLAs.

• Providing technical mentorship to junior engineers and support staff, guiding them through ISE troubleshooting methodologies and best practices for policy enforcement, Guest/BYOD access, and Posture assessments.

• Engaging in internal field testing (IFT) and beta programs, collaborating with product teams to proactively identify potential issues and suggest product enhancements before product releases.

• Contributing to knowledge base articles, technical documentation, and TechZone publications, enhancing global support capabilities and streamlining issue resolution for customers and partners.

• Assisting customers in the design and integration of Cisco ISE solutions with complex network security architectures, including SD-WAN, Cisco Umbrella, firewalls, and network access policies to enhance security posture and operational efficiency.

• Managing Cisco ISE migrations from legacy solutions like Cisco ACS, handling configuration, data migration, and validation to ensure a smooth transition and minimal service disruption.

• Proactively performing health checks and security audits to ensure ISE deployments are optimized for performance, compliance, and security.

• Developing and conducting technical training sessions and workshops for internal teams and customers, sharing in-depth knowledge of ISE features, security practices, and troubleshooting techniques.

• Driving continuous improvements in Cisco ISE solutions by identifying common customer pain points, collecting feedback, and working closely with engineering to enhance functionality and usability.

• Driving customer success by proactively identifying and resolving pain points, ensuring seamless Cisco ISE deployments, and enhancing customer retention through strategic support.

• Developing and executing customer success plans, setting milestones, and defining KPIs to help clients achieve their security and network access objectives with Cisco ISE.

• Facilitating customer onboarding by providing configuration guidance, best practices, and troubleshooting support, reducing time-to-value and ensuring efficient product adoption.

• Guiding customers through the Cisco Customer Success Track, ensuring maximum value realization from Cisco solutions through continuous engagement and optimization strategies.

• Conducting proactive network assessments by analyzing network designs, configurations, and software risks, providing Software Recommendation Reports for IOS/IOS-XE, NX-OS, and IOS-XR.

• Collaborating with Swisscom and T-Mobile to assess software upgrade risks, evaluate bug impacts, and deliver PSIRT, Field Notice, End-of-Life reports, and SMU notifications.

• Providing best practice recommendations by reviewing customer configurations (VLANs, Inter-VLAN Routing, VTP, NAT, ACLs, and routing protocols such as RIP, EIGRP, and OSPF).

• Performing customer environment health checks and configuration reviews to proactively identify security risks and enhance network performance.

• Working with Cisco’s Business Critical Services (BCS) Team, leveraging internal tools (SORA, SLM, Network Profile) and contributing to automation enhancements.

• Collaborating with cross-functional teams, including Engineering, Development, and Product Management, to identify product defects, drive roadmap improvements, and ensure optimal Cisco ISE functionality.

• Ensuring high CSAT scores by delivering exceptional technical support, proactive recommendations, and continuous engagement, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

• Optimized bandwidth usage with careful planning of network resources allocation for various applications.

• Led efforts to troubleshoot complex network issues, working closely with colleagues across multiple departments as needed for resolution.

• Managed Cisco TAC (Technical Assistance Center) cases, efficiently troubleshooting and resolving complex customer issues related to routing, switching, and security.

• Provided remote support to HTTS engineers, diagnosing and resolving network disruptions for enterprise customers.

• Led high-priority incident management, ensuring timely resolution of critical issues, change implementations, and problem management, while maintaining 100% SLA compliance.

• Executed LAN extension projects based on customer specifications, optimizing network performance and stability, resulting in improved customer satisfaction (CSAT).

• Handled escalations and critical troubleshooting scenarios, demonstrating expertise in network protocols, device configurations, and customer impact management.

• Utilized CALO Lab (TAC Lab) to reproduce customer environments, diagnose complex networking issues, and validate fixes in a controlled environment.

• Performed end-to-end troubleshooting on Cisco Catalyst (6500, 4500), Nexus (7000, 5000, 2000), and ISR G1/G2 routers (1800, 2800, 3800, 1900, 2900, 3900) to isolate faults and validate configurations.

• Configured, upgraded, and validated NX-OS on Nexus platforms (N9K, N7K, N5K), including In-Service Software Upgrades (ISSU) and rollback procedures.

• Executed hardware deployment tasks, including racking, stacking, and configuring Nexus 9K, 7K, 5K, and 2K switches, ensuring proper connectivity and operational readiness.

• Designed and tested Virtual Device Contexts (VDCs) and Virtual Port Channels (vPCs) on Nexus switches, aligning with customer topology and redundancy requirements.

• Maintained strong client relationships by delivering professional, empathetic, and technically sound support services.

• Applied advanced analytical skills to diagnose complex software and hardware issues, escalating to engineering teams when necessary for bug fixes or design modifications.

• Designed and implemented LAN network expansions, including the installation and configuration of network routers and switches.

• Installed physical hardware, performed GOLD testing, and upgraded IOS to ensure optimal performance and security.

• Designed and configured VLANs, Private VLANs (PVLANs), and Inter-VLAN routing to optimize enterprise network segmentation and communication.

• Managed the commissioning and decommissioning of routers and switches, ensuring seamless network transitions.

• Administered and maintained Cisco 4510R and 6509 switches for enterprise environments.

• Led break-fix activities, including flash card replacements in GSR routers, supervisor module replacements, and chassis upgrades.

• Configured high-availability features and security mechanisms in switching environments to enhance network resilience and protection.

• Demonstrated expertise in switching technologies and routing protocols such as RIP, EIGRP, and OSPF.

• Implemented and managed NAT/PAT and Access Control Lists (ACLs) for secure and efficient traffic management.

• Monitored network capacity and performance to diagnose and resolve complex network problems.
• Provided complete end-to-end engineering and installation of route-based IP network solutions.