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Cisco San Architect / Migration Lead Consultant or full-time hire resource brief for a confidential Cisco San refresh and migration engagement

Confidential project context

• Confidential client currently operates a production Cisco MDS San fabric built on legacy multiservice and multilayer switching.
• Existing fabric includes multiple Vsans, active PWWN-based zoning, and production host / storage connectivity that must be preserved during migration.
• Planned engagement covers architecture validation, staged migration planning, controlled cutovers, and documented rollback / as-built closeout.

Role snapshot Client / project Confidential client | Cisco San refresh and migration program

Engagement type Consultant or full-time hire resource

Location NY / NJ / CT local preferred; onsite workshops and cutover windows expected

CCIE Storage / Storage Networking = top priority and technically qualified; Certification priority otherwise CCIE Data Center plus direct Cisco MDS migration leadership

Profile level Senior or principal-level San architect / migration lead

Schedule expectation Business hours plus after-hours / weekend cutover support as needed

We are seeking a senior storage-networking resource who can own architecture validation, migration planning, implementation oversight, and operational handoff for a controlled Cisco MDS San refresh. This is not a generic data-center role. The selected resource must have direct Cisco MDS San design and migration leadership experience and be comfortable operating with client stakeholders during production cutovers.

Qualification hierarchy

• CCIE Storage / Storage Networking is the highest-priority credential. Any verified holder should be treated as technically qualified and routed to priority review.
• Current CCIE Data Center is the secondary certification path and must be paired with direct Cisco MDS San migration leadership.
• Candidates without either certification should only be considered when their resume shows exceptional, hands-on ownership of complex Cisco MDS migration programs.

Mandatory qualifications Category Requirement

• Cisco MDS San depth Direct design, implementation, and migration experience with Cisco MDS 9000-family San switching.
• Brownfield migration ownership Personally led production migrations from older MDS fabrics into current-generation MDS environments with minimal disruption.
• Platform familiarity Strong working knowledge of MDS 9250i / MDS 9148S-class environments and adjacent current-generation MDS target platforms.
• Fabric services Deep knowledge of Vsans, zone sets, device aliases, PWWN-based zoning, ISLs, trunking, PortChannels, NPIV / NPV, and NX-OS operations.
• Cutover governance Can produce migration strategy, MOPs, rollback plans, validation steps, and cutover wave sequencing.
• Cross-team coordination Comfort coordinating storage, server, virtualization, network, security, and operations teams during migrations.
• Documentation Produces clean design notes, as-builts, configuration archives, and operational handoff material.

Preferred qualifications Category Preference

• Multiservice assessment Can assess active multiservice dependencies such as FCIP, iSCSI bridging, or IPStorage interfaces and translate them into migration decisions.
• Regulated delivery Comfortable in environments with formal change control, access controls, maintenance windows, and structured evidence capture.
• Multi-site delivery Experience with dual-site or campus San refresh programs using phased cutovers and rollback discipline.
• Locality NY / NJ / CT based resource preferred, or able to support onsite work in the region.
• Related certifications CCIE Data Center, VMware, storage-platform, or adjacent certifications are beneficial but secondary to direct Cisco MDS San ownership.

Core responsibilities and deliverables The selected resource should be able to own the work below directly, not just support another lead engineer.

• Assess the legacy MDS fabric, validate the target architecture, and surface dependency or feature-parity gaps before implementation begins.
• Lead working sessions with client stakeholders and adjacent technical teams.
• Develop the implementation approach, migration runbooks, rollback procedures, validation checkpoints, and cutover wave sequencing.
• Build, stage, configure, and validate new Cisco San switching components in alignment with the approved design.
• Lead migration execution across fabrics, hosts, and storage paths with disciplined testing and rollback readiness.

• Produce as-built documentation, configuration backups, zoning / port-mapping artifacts, and knowledge-transfer material.

Candidate submission package Resume / profile Current resume highlighting direct Cisco MDS San design and migration work.

CCIE Storage / Storage Networking verification first, then any CCIE Data Center Certification evidence or adjacent certifications.

At least 2-3 relevant Cisco San migration examples with platform mix, scale, and Project examples candidate role.

Location and mobility Current location, onsite flexibility, and any travel limits for tri-state delivery.

Availability Earliest start date and any known blackout periods.

Rate (if consultant) or salary target (if FTE), employment type, and work Commercials authorization.

Recruiter screening questions

• Confirm whether the candidate holds or can verify the retired CCIE Storage / Storage Networking certification. If yes, provide verification details and the most recent Cisco San program delivered.
• Describe the most relevant Cisco MDS San migration the candidate personally led. What legacy hardware was replaced, what was the target platform, and what role did they own from planning through cutover?
• Has the candidate worked directly with MDS 9250i or other multiservice MDS environments? If yes, what active services or dependencies had to be preserved or retired?
• What pre-cutover artifacts does the candidate normally produce? Ask for migration packet components, validation steps, and rollback content.
• How does the candidate validate zoning, pathing, and host / storage visibility before and after each migration wave?
• Can the candidate support after-hours / weekend cutovers and onsite presence in the NY / NJ / CT area when required?

Do not send

• Generic routing / switching or data-center profile without direct Cisco MDS San migration ownership.
• No meaningful hands-on experience with Vsans, zoning, Fibre Channel path validation, and migration runbooks.
• Unable to lead client-facing workshops, change reviews, and production cutovers.

Criterion Weight (%) Passing signal

• CCIE Storage / Storage Networking 40 Verified CCIE Storage / Storage Networking holder. certification Advance immediately for priority review.
• Direct Cisco MDS San migration 25 Candidate can explain a migration personally led end-to-ownership end, including planning, cutover, rollback, and validation.
• Runbook and rollback discipline 10 Candidate discusses structured MOPs, test points, rollback triggers, and evidence collection.
• Platform relevance 10 Experience includes legacy multiservice / multilayer MDS fabrics and transition into current-generation MDS platforms.
• Client-facing leadership 10 Comfortable leading workshops, change reviews, and stakeholder communication without heavy supervision.
• Locality and cutover flexibility 5 Can support tri-state onsite work and after-hours / weekend cutovers as needed.

Practical selection guidance Start with any verified CCIE Storage / Storage Networking holder. If no such candidate is available, next prioritize current CCIE Data Center professionals who have personally led brownfield Cisco MDS San migrations and can own runbooks, rollback, stakeholder workshops, and production cutovers. Generic data-center profiles should not outrank direct MDS San ownership.