Nikunj Master

Work notes

Business problems,
practical deliverables.

A short overview of work I’ve done across infrastructure, security, automation, and operations. The common thread is finding a useful way through a real problem, then making the work easier to repeat and maintain.

These are summaries for now. I plan to add fuller write-ups over time.

Four themes from my work A connected line links Linux modernization, security, automation, and reliable operations. MODERNIZE SECURE AUTOMATE OPERATE RELIABLY A few of the problems I’ve worked on
01

Modernization

Bringing a large Linux estate forward

  • Infrastructure Operations
  • Automation & Operational Efficiency
  • Reliability & Resilience
  • Cloud & Application Modernization

Client context: US-based Fortune 100 logistics company

1,500+ physical servers

The problem
An aging Linux estate needed to move ahead of operating-system end of support, with business-critical applications kept in service.
What I worked on
I helped establish a repeatable migration framework, covering provisioning, post-build configuration, phased execution, validation, rollback planning, and coordination across teams.
What changed
The migration finished ahead of schedule without major business impact. It also reduced exposure to end-of-support licensing costs and improved configuration consistency.

Tools & focusRHEL · Foreman · Ansible · Python · Shell

02

Security

Coordinating security remediation at scale

  • Infrastructure Operations
  • Security & Compliance
  • Automation & Operational Efficiency

Client context: US-based Fortune 100 logistics company

15,000+ Linux servers · 2,000+ applications

The problem
Critical vulnerabilities had to be addressed across a large estate within required timelines, while limiting disruption to services.
What I worked on
I designed automation workflows that brought Python, Ansible, AWX APIs, Foreman APIs, and enterprise tools together for remediation and compliance work.
What changed
The workflows supported remediation within mandated timelines, reduced manual effort, and made the process more consistent across the estate.

Tools & focusPython · Ansible · AWX · REST APIs

03

DevOps

Making software releases more consistent

  • Cloud Platforms
  • Automation & Operational Efficiency
  • Faster, Safer Delivery
  • Cloud & Application Modernization

Client context: Mid-sized Indian IT company with a fast-paced startup environment

50+ applications · 25 developers · 20+ pipelines

The problem
Manual deployments and differing release practices made delivery harder to predict and left teams with avoidable work.
What I worked on
I designed and implemented a self-hosted DevOps platform with shared CI/CD pipelines, quality checks, release controls, automated deployments, and developer onboarding.
What changed
The reported results were 80% faster deployments and 70% less manual effort, alongside more consistent releases and better visibility for teams.

Tools & focusGitLab · GitLab Runner · Docker · SonarQube · AWS · Python · Shell

04

Automation

Taking repetition out of infrastructure work

  • Infrastructure Operations
  • Automation & Operational Efficiency

Client context: US-based Fortune 100 logistics company

Thousands of Linux servers

The problem
Routine infrastructure procedures took manual effort and could be carried out differently from one run to the next.
What I worked on
I developed reusable Ansible playbooks and connected them with enterprise tooling to standardize common operational tasks.
What changed
This made routine work more consistent, reduced repetitive effort and errors, and helped with configuration standardization and onboarding.

Tools & focusAnsible · AWX · Python · Shell · Enterprise automation integrations

05

Compliance

Turning patch data into follow-up

  • Infrastructure Operations
  • Security & Compliance
  • Automation & Operational Efficiency
  • Operational Visibility & Governance

Client context: US-based Fortune 100 logistics company

8,000+ servers · 2,000+ applications · monthly reporting

The problem
Teams needed to know which servers missed monthly security patching and who owned them, so that gaps could be followed up.
What I worked on
I automated the collection of patch-compliance data, matched servers with ownership information, and generated reports teams could act on.
What changed
The process cut down manual audit and reporting work and gave teams clearer visibility for remediation and governance.

Tools & focusGrafana · MariaDB · Automation scripting · APIs · Enterprise reporting integrations

06

Quality engineering

Checking new server builds automatically

  • Infrastructure Operations
  • Automation & Operational Efficiency
  • Faster, Safer Delivery

Client context: US-based Fortune 100 logistics company

Post-build validation before application onboarding

The problem
Manual checks after provisioning took time and could vary, even though servers needed to meet build standards before application teams took them on.
What I worked on
I contributed to designing and building a validation workflow integrated with provisioning. It checked new systems against defined standards and notified teams when remediation was needed.
What changed
The checks reduced repetitive verification work and helped improve consistency, governance, and readiness for application deployment.

Tools & focusNode.js · JavaScript · Python · Ansible · AWX · MariaDB · REST APIs

07

AI innovation

Exploring AI support for infrastructure operations

  • Automation & Operational Efficiency

Client context: US-based Fortune 100 logistics company

Operational knowledge and engineering assistance

The problem
Finding reliable answers to recurring operational questions can take time and often depends on reaching experienced engineers.
What I worked on
I designed a platform concept combining language models, knowledge retrieval, and agent workflows to make operational guidance easier to find and connect it with automation.
What changed
This is an initiative and design direction, rather than a claim of a deployed system or measured results. The idea is to explore how engineers might reach established guidance more quickly.

Tools & focusOpenAI · Ollama · OpenWebUI · LangGraph · Python

08

Operational leadership

Keeping 24×7 support dependable

  • Leadership & Project Recovery
  • Reliability & Resilience

Client context: US-based Fortune 100 logistics company

Distributed engineering team · 24×7 support

The problem
Around-the-clock infrastructure support depends on good handovers, clear escalation paths, and coordination across people and teams.
What I worked on
I led a distributed infrastructure team, coordinated coverage and cross-functional work, supported critical escalations, and encouraged cross-training and shared processes.
What changed
As documented in my resume, support coverage had no slippage for more than four years. The work also strengthened handovers, team readiness, and operational resilience.

Tools & focusEnd-to-end ownership · Cross-functional liaison · Team leadership · Incident escalation · Change coordination · Cross-training

09

Application modernization

Preparing a legacy Java application for Kubernetes

  • Cloud Platforms
  • Cloud & Application Modernization
  • Faster, Safer Delivery

Client context: US-based healthcare startup

Client application · AWS EKS

The problem
The client application was built on a legacy Java codebase that was not ready for container deployment.
What I worked on
As the architect, I designed a microservices architecture and containerized most of the application code to prepare it to run on a Kubernetes cluster.
What changed
The application became lighter and easier to maintain, with most of its code containerized for deployment on Amazon EKS.

Tools & focusAWS · Kubernetes · Amazon EKS · Containerization · Microservices · Scrum

10

Project recovery

Stabilizing a 24×7 infrastructure engagement

  • Cloud Platforms
  • Infrastructure Operations
  • Leadership & Project Recovery
  • Automation & Operational Efficiency
  • Reliability & Resilience
  • Cloud & Application Modernization

Client context: US-based outdoor recreation retailer

24×7 Linux and AWS infrastructure operations

The problem
The Linux and cloud infrastructure team was not meeting the customer’s expectations for the engagement.
What I worked on
I joined to stabilize the project, assessed the situation, identified operational gaps, clarified the customer’s business goals, and adjusted procedures to address them. I used leadership and Scrum practices to guide the recovery.
What changed
The engagement moved from red to green status, and the customer was satisfied with the progress.

Tools & focusAWS · Linux · Automation · Leadership · Scrum · 24×7 operations

11

Linux troubleshooting

Restoring replication after an SSH hang

  • Infrastructure Operations
  • Troubleshooting & Service Restoration
  • Reliability & Resilience

Client context: Kuwaiti semi-government organization

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 · issue open for four months

The problem
On a disaster-recovery server, SSH sessions would hang after producing a large amount of output. The disruption was affecting replication on the DR system, and the issue had remained unresolved for four months.
What I worked on
I investigated the SSH service, shell and TTY behavior, server resource use, network-interface errors and drops, bonding/LACP status, NIC statistics, and kernel and driver versions. After those checks did not identify the issue, I reduced the MTU size. I also asked the network team to review the path and determine the underlying cause.
What changed
The SSH hang stopped after reducing the MTU, and replication completed successfully. The four-month issue, which had escalated to a Kuwait ministry, was resolved operationally; I referred the network path for root-cause follow-up.

Tools & focusSUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 · SSH · MTU · Network diagnostics · Bonding/LACP

More detail will follow as I write up individual projects.