Windows Cluster & Application Integ...

Project Description

The project focuses on providing Level 2/Level 3 engineering and infrastructure support for the KeyLink application hosted on Windows Failover Cluster environments. The primary goal is to ensure high availability, stability, and smooth operations of both Front-End (FE) and Back-End (BE) applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and support Windows Server and Failover Cluster environments for the KeyLink application.
• Perform cluster/application start, stop, move, switchover, failover validation, and recovery activities to ensure continuous uptime.
• Support KeyLink FE/BE applications, including executing Backend startup/shutdown sequences using KK menu utilities.
• Monitor and analyze Windows Event Viewer logs, cluster events, and application-specific logs to troubleshoot production issues related to the cluster or infrastructure.
• Validate SQL Server and Oracle connectivity between applications and databases; troubleshoot connection failures effectively.
• Manage SSL certificates for the KeyLink environment using Windows MMC tools and resolve certificate-related application connectivity issues.
• Troubleshoot complex login, redirect, FE/BE communication, and failover behavior problems.
• Leverage PowerShell scripting for operational tasks, health checks, cluster monitoring, automation of repetitive activities, and reporting.
• Document all incidents, cluster switchovers, application recovery events, and troubleshooting steps taken.
• Coordinate effectively with Windows Engineering, Cluster Administration, Database (SQL/Oracle), Infrastructure, and Application Development teams to resolve end-to-end issues quickly.

Mandatory Skills & Experience

Experience: 7+ years of relevant experience in Windows Server Administration is required. This includes deep hands-on expertise with services management, Event Viewer analysis, permission configurations, networking basics, system health checks, and advanced production troubleshooting.

• Windows Failover Clustering: Extensive practical knowledge using Failover Cluster Manager to manage cluster nodes, resource groups, dependencies, failovers, switchovers, and continuous cluster health monitoring.
• Cluster Application Management: Proven ability to start/stop/move application groups, execute node switchovers, validate failovers, and recover applications within a Windows clustered environment without downtime.
• KeyLink Application Support: Specific experience supporting KeyLink or similar enterprise-scale applications, including understanding FE/BE components, managing Backend startup/shutdown sequences via KK menu utilities, and overseeing application group management.
• FE/BE Troubleshooting: Deep technical understanding of Front-End and Back-End communication protocols. Must be able to troubleshoot complex flows involving redirects, login failures (access cards), backend service crashes, and failover logic errors.
• Log Analysis: Expert ability to parse Windows Event Viewer logs, cluster-specific event IDs, and application error files to isolate root causes of infrastructure or software issues.
• SQL/Oracle Connectivity: Solid grasp of SQL Server and Oracle database architectures. Must be able to validate network paths, port availability, credential passing, and troubleshoot T-SQL/Orcle connectivity failures impacting the KeyLink app.
• SSL Certificate Management: Hands-on experience installing, renewing, managing (including renewal alerts), and troubleshooting SSL/TLS certificates using Windows MMC. Must be able to diagnose certificate chain errors causing application hangs or connection drops.
• PowerShell Scripting: Working proficiency in PowerShell for automating administrative tasks, writing custom scripts for cluster health checks, monitoring service states, gathering logs via command-line tools (Get-ClusterLog), and streamlining troubleshooting processes.

Nice to Have Skills:

• Troubleshooting Access Card login issues on Windows domains.
• Debugging Applet flow interruptions in the KeyLink UI.
• Building or interpreting Cluster Monitoring Dashboards (SCOM/Third-party tools).
• Advanced PowerShell automation for bulk configuration changes.
• Direct SQL/Oracle database administration experience beyond simple connectivity checks.