Zeta Kovacs, Developer in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
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Zeta Kovacs

Verified Expert  in Engineering

DevOps Engineer and Developer

Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Toptal member since February 21, 2024

Bio

Zeta is a highly motivated professional who loves to learn new things and thrives on challenges. His extensive IT experience encompasses diverse projects and roles over the years, with a particular focus on cloud computing, infrastructure automation, and security. Zeta prefers coding in Python but also has experience with other languages.

Portfolio

Wayfair
Google Cloud Platform (GCP), GCP Security, Python, Go, Java, PHP, Jenkins...
Proximus Luxembourg
Azure, Terraform, CyberArk, Python, Windows PowerShell, Linux, Windows, VMware...
NTT
VMware, Cisco, Dell EMC, Linux, Windows, Ansible, Terraform, Rundeck, Veeam...

Experience

  • Linux - 15 years
  • Puppet - 6 years
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS) - 6 years
  • Google Cloud Platform (GCP) - 5 years
  • Terraform - 5 years
  • Azure - 4 years
  • Ansible - 4 years
  • SaltStack - 3 years

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Linux, Puppet, Ansible, Terraform, SaltStack, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

The most amazing...

...project I've headed is a merger of multiple Artifactory clusters with over 50 nodes and 200 TB storage to achieve enhanced performance and cost efficiency.

Work Experience

Staff Engineer

2022 - PRESENT
Wayfair
  • Revamped the infrastructure as code (IaC) to manage intricate Artifactory clusters and reworked the entire lifecycle management process. Automated deployment, scaling, and upgrades using Terraform, Puppet, and Python within a GitOps framework.
  • Reduced costs and enhanced operational efficiency across various systems by optimizing GCP compute features and streamlining software stacks in multiple projects.
  • Collaborated with my team to restructure the Jenkins-based batch processing system, enabling on-demand scaling for worker nodes while decreasing costs and improving operations.
Technologies: Google Cloud Platform (GCP), GCP Security, Python, Go, Java, PHP, Jenkins, Artifactory, Consul, Terraform, Puppet, Vault, Docker, Kubernetes, Helm, Ansible, SaltStack, Apache Kafka, ELK (Elastic Stack), Grafana, Prometheus, Datadog, Linux, Windows, FreeBSD, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), DevSecOps, Buildkite, GitHub, Git, GitOps, HAProxy, Varnish, NGINX, Jenkins Pipeline, CI/CD Pipelines, Data Pipelines, Build Pipelines, Pipelines, Rendering Pipelines, Apache JMeter, BIND, Google Cloud Functions, Google Cloud Storage, Cloud Migration, Containerization, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), System Administration, Cloud Architecture, Release Management, IT Security, Cloud Security, Cron

Senior DevOps Architect

2021 - 2021
Proximus Luxembourg
  • Designed and implemented an Azure-centralized log collector solution for clients utilizing Azure-based managed services.
  • Assisted in adopting GitOps practices and deployed private GitLab instances to enhance development workflows.
  • Contributed to optimizing Azure costs through basic service automation, such as lifecycle management for developer systems.
Technologies: Azure, Terraform, CyberArk, Python, Windows PowerShell, Linux, Windows, VMware, VMware ESXi, VMware vSphere, VMware vCenter, VMware NSX, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), DevOps, DevSecOps, Azure DevOps, GitOps, Cloud Migration, Containerization, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), System Administration, Cloud Architecture, IT Security, CI/CD Pipelines, Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP), Helm, Cloud Security, AWS IAM, Cron

Lead Engineer

2017 - 2021
NTT
  • Implemented a sophisticated charge-back system for Cisco networking equipment using Splunk, Cisco ICE, and custom Python-based pipelines.
  • Deployed large-scale Dell VxRail clusters and VMware clusters with vSAN and NSX.
  • Migrated multiple large Oracle databases from Oracle VM Server for SPARC to Linux KVM.
  • Headed the design and implementation of a project to deploy and automate one of Europe's largest Splunk installations.
Technologies: VMware, Cisco, Dell EMC, Linux, Windows, Ansible, Terraform, Rundeck, Veeam, Oracle, KVM/Qemu, Splunk, ELK (Elastic Stack), Python, Ceph, OpenStack, AWS Lambda, Amazon EC2, Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), Amazon RDS, Oracle Database, Amazon Cognito, Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), Prometheus, Zabbix, Nagios, VMware NSX, VMware ESXi, VMware vCenter, VMware vSphere, VMware vCloud, VMware VMotion, VMware Horizon, VMware vSphere HA, FreeBSD, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), DevOps, DevSecOps, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), GitOps, Linux Virtual Server (LVS), Keepalived, Pacemaker, Google Cloud Functions, Google Cloud Storage, Cloud Migration, Containerization, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), System Administration, Cloud Architecture, Release Management, CI/CD Pipelines, Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP), Helm, Cloud Security, AWS IAM, Cron, AWS Deployment

Lead Cloud Security Consultant

2016 - 2017
NTT Security
  • Migrated many on-premise PCI environments onto the cloud.
  • Helped implement and improve PCI monitoring for multiple large banks in Europe.
  • Helped automate the technical PCI reporting for multiple international organizations.
Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), ELK (Elastic Stack), Splunk, Terraform, Python, Ansible, AWS CloudFormation, AWS OpsWorks, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Amazon EC2, Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), Cisco IOS, Barracuda Networks, Fortinet Firewall Configuration, FortiGate, PHP, Amazon RDS, MySQL, OSSEC, Graylog, SaltStack, Linux, Windows, IT Security, Penetration Testing, LDAP, OpenVPN, FreeBSD, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), DevOps, DevSecOps, GitOps, Linux Virtual Server (LVS), Keepalived, Pacemaker, Backups, Bacula, Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP), Disaster Recovery Consulting, PostgreSQL, Postfix, Google Cloud Functions, Google Cloud Storage, Cloud Migration, Containerization, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), System Administration, Cloud Architecture, Release Management, CI/CD Pipelines, Cloud Security, AWS IAM, Cron, AWS Deployment

Automation Engineer

2014 - 2016
Kneip
  • Built an infrastructure as code (IaC) solution capable of deploying and maintaining complete Oracle Fusion Middleware infrastructure. The solution was written in Puppet and Ansible and orchestrated with Jenkins.
  • Created a migration tool that helped migrate hundreds of Linux virtual machines from old Xen clusters onto new VMware ESXi clusters.
  • Developed a new UAT/QA pipeline for the Oracle Fusion Middleware platform that helped the business set up client and internal test environments on-demand.
Technologies: Java, Linux, Windows, Puppet, Terraform, VMware, Cisco, FortiGate, Oracle, WebLogic, Oracle WebLogic Application Server, Oracle ODI, Oracle Database, Xen, Python, VMware ESXi, VMware vCenter, VMware VMotion, VMware vSphere, VMware vSphere HA, LDAP, NGINX, OpenVPN, FreeBSD, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), DevOps, DevSecOps, GitOps, PostgreSQL, Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP), Containerization, System Administration, Cloud Architecture, Release Management, Cron

Design, Implementation, and Automation of Large-scale Splunk Cluster

Oversaw the design and implementation of a large-scale Splunk cluster comprising around 100 indexers and numerous client servers. I automated server infrastructure provisioning and the entire Splunk services configuration, including Splunk apps. Additionally, I automated universal forwarder deployments and configurations.

Optimizing Efficiency by Merging Artifactory Clusters

Headed merging of multiple Artifactory clusters, totaling over 50 nodes and over 200 TB storage, to achieve enhanced performance and cost efficiency. I ensured seamless online repository access and data migration using customized tools. The project yielded improved package delivery performance and a 50% reduction in operational costs.
2018 - 2023

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science

University of London - London, United Kingdom

APRIL 2023 - APRIL 2025

Google Certified Professional – Cloud Architect

Google Cloud

DECEMBER 2018 - DECEMBER 2021

AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty

Amazon Web Services

NOVEMBER 2018 - NOVEMBER 2021

AWS Certified Security – Speciality

Amazon Web Services

SEPTEMBER 2018 - SEPTEMBER 2020

AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional

Amazon Web Services

SEPTEMBER 2018 - PRESENT

Splunk Enterprise Certified Architect

Splunk Inc.

AUGUST 2018 - AUGUST 2020

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional

Amazon Web Services

DECEMBER 2017 - PRESENT

Offensive Security Certified Expert (OSCE)

OffSec

NOVEMBER 2016 - PRESENT

Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)

OffSec

Libraries/APIs

Jenkins Pipeline, TensorFlow, Keras, Pandas, NumPy

Tools

Puppet, Ansible, Terraform, Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), AWS IAM, Cron, AWS Deployment, SaltStack, Splunk, VMware, AWS CloudFormation, Helm, Hudson, Vault, ELK (Elastic Stack), NGINX, Zabbix, Nagios, Dell EMC, Rundeck, KVM/Qemu, GCP Security, Jenkins, Artifactory, TensorBoard, AWS OpsWorks, OSSEC, Graylog, Amazon Cognito, Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), Grafana, VMware vSphere, VMware vSphere HA, OpenVPN, GitHub, GitLab, Git, Linux Virtual Server (LVS), Keepalived, Pacemaker, Varnish, Apache JMeter, Postfix

Paradigms

DevOps, DevSecOps, Agile Software Development, Penetration Testing, Security Software Development, Oracle ODI, Azure DevOps

Platforms

Linux, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Azure, FreeBSD, Docker, Windows, Oracle, Kubernetes, RStudio, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Amazon EC2, OpenStack, AWS Lambda, Oracle Database, Apache Kafka, Xen, Buildkite

Languages

Python, Go, Java, PHP, C++, JavaScript, R

Storage

Ceph, MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Data Pipelines, Google Cloud Storage, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Datadog, MySQL

Frameworks

Windows PowerShell

Other

IT Security, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), SecOps, AWS DevOps, Cloud Migration, Containerization, System Administration, Cloud Architecture, Cloud Security, AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, CI/CD Pipelines, Build Pipelines, Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP), GitHub Actions, Google Cloud Functions, Release Management, Data Engineering, Consul, ZFS, Cisco, Veeam, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Exploits, Security, CyberArk, Cisco IOS, Barracuda Networks, Fortinet Firewall Configuration, FortiGate, Amazon RDS, Prometheus, VMware ESXi, VMware vCenter, VMware NSX, VMware vCloud, VMware VMotion, VMware Horizon, WebLogic, Oracle WebLogic Application Server, LDAP, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), GitOps, HAProxy, Pipelines, Rendering Pipelines, BIND, Networking, Backups, Bacula, Disaster Recovery Consulting

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