Eduardo Terra

I served as lead consultant for a power utility looking to modernize its end-of-support SDH infrastructure, which carried TDM voice, SCADA, surveillance, and telemetry, requiring legacy support and operational continuity. I provided vendor-agnostic consulting on SDH refresh, hybrid SDH-IP, or full IP/MPLS. Using global benchmarks and client data, I recommended IP/MPLS for its cost-effectiveness and alignment with smart grid standards, securing leadership endorsement.

Impressed by my neutral approach, the client contracted my employer for an end-to-end solution. Transitioning to presales, I crafted a technical-commercial proposal that included Cisco ASR architecture for mobile backhaul, PTP/GPS synchronization, and budget-aligned equipment and services. The proposal outlined a phased design, testing, migration, and implementation strategy for a smooth transition.

Although I did not participate in the final deployment, I ensured a smooth handover. This project demonstrated my ability to build trust through impartial expertise, influencing a multi-phase partnership. By bridging consultancy and presales, I showcased technical design, stakeholder alignment, and commercial acumen—key to successful infrastructure solutions.

I spearheaded a standardization initiative for a mobile service provider's IP/MPLS backbone, which included over 500 routers and switches. Over time, inconsistent routing (OSPF, BGP, MPLS), management/security (SNMP, NTP, AAA, SSH), QoS, and routing policies led to operational issues. The objective was to unify all devices under a single baseline without disrupting daily operations.

Though automation was not commonly used, I leveraged my programming background to streamline the process. After defining a golden configuration for all protocols and services, my team used Python and shell scripts to compare each device against the standard, automatically generating network implementation plans (NIP) and progress reports. I also mentored junior engineers who initially had limited coding experience until they confidently created and refined automation scripts.

By using automation to create and manage deliverables, we minimized human error, accelerated deployments, and improved network reliability. This project showcased my leadership, creative problem-solving, and ability to mentor teams in adopting new technologies, ultimately delivering a more stable and scalable environment for the provider.

I developed a personal set of Python-based automation tools using the Netmiko library to access and manage multivendor routers and switches. Designed as a Swiss Army knife for network operations, the toolkit streamlines the retrieval, processing, and parsing of configuration data, improving efficiency and accuracy and reducing human error. Through a command-line interface, I can gather information from various devices, run commands, and gain real-time insights into the network. This toolkit fills gaps where dedicated automation frameworks are unavailable, accelerating troubleshooting and modernization efforts across complex infrastructures.