Solution Architect

Solution Architect - Mainframe Storage

Position Overview:

We are seeking an experience Solution Architect specializing in IBM mainframe and Dell Technologies storage environments. This individual will support the daily operation, administration, maintenance, optimization and disaster-recovery readiness of a large enterprise mainframe storage infrastructure.


The Solution Architect will be responsible for maintaining reliable and efficient storage services across production, test, and disaster-recovery environments. The position requires recent, hands-on experience administering Dell/EMC storage platforms and IBM mainframe systems, including strong experience with Disk Library for Mainframe (DLM).


This is fully remote opportunity expected to continue for approximately two to three years. The selected candidate must be a U.S. citizen and will be submitted for USPS background investigation. Because the USPS clearance process must be a lengthy, candidates who currently possess USPS suitability or are already supporting USPS environment may receive preference.


Required Qualifications:

• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain USPS clearance.
• EMC/Dell storage administration experience within the past five years.
• IBM mainframe systems programming and administration experience within the past five years.
• Strong experience administering Dell Technologies enterprise storage platforms.
• Hands-on experience with IBM z/OS storage tools, jobs and commands.
• Demonstrated experience supporting mainframe storage operations and storage management processes.
• DLM administration and support experienced is required.
• Experience with Dell PowerMax, Data Domain, CloudIQ and Unisphere.
• Knowledge of Hierarchical Storage Manager (HSM), Storage Management Subsystem (SMS), and direct Access Storage Device (DASD) environments.
• Experience supporting disaster-recovery activation, testing, teardown, and restoration activities.
• Ability to coordinate hardware maintenance, patching, upgrades and troubleshooting with Dell Engineering.
• Strong troubleshooting, documentation, reporting and change-management skills.

Key Responsibilities:

Mainframe Storage Operations

• Perform daily mainframe storage operations using z/OS tools, jobs and commands.
• Monitor SMS storage pools and make necessary adjustments to ensure the efficient use of SMS and DASD resources.
• Evaluate the overall storage environment and submit change requests or incidents as needed to maintain system reliability and stability.
• Monitor HSM control dataset utilization percentages.
• Identify HSM functions that may be in a held or suspended status and initial corrective action.
• Review daily HSM activity and confirm that scheduled functions have completed successfully.
• Monitor DLM allocation and remaining free=space capacity.
• Perform FastAudit checks across both plexes.
• Review storage and spill volumes across both plexes.
• Identify uncataloged datasets on SMS and non-SMS volumes.
• Identify production datasets residing on test volumes and test datasets residing on production volumes.
• Verify that daily tract-reclain jobs and other automated housekeeping processes are operating correctly.
• Initialized disk volumes are required.
• Create and execute tape connected-pair consolidations.
• Open and manage incidents and change requests related to storage reliability, capacity, maintenance and system availability.

Reporting and Compliance

• Create and distribute monthly IBM and Broadcom Sub-Capacity Reporting Tool reports.
• Run and validate System Management Facilities and SCRT data-collection processes.
• Produce storage capacity, utilization, compliance and operational health reports.
• Maintain accurate documentation of storage configurations, operational procedures, maintenance activities, incidents and changes.

Storage Software Administration

Install, configure, upgrade, troubleshoot and maintain the following products:

• DLM utilities
• Maintain Enablers
• Solutions Enabler for mainframe and Windows environments
• Geographically Dispersed Disaster Restart
• TapeCopy
• Unisphere for Windows

Disaster-Recovery Support

• Participate in the planning and execution of mainframe disaster-recovery exercises.
• Verify the required SYSDR.MNDR.* production datasets before splitting mainframe storage.
• Activate the Eagan mainframe network nodes, MNNA and MNNB, in San Mateo.
• Perform mainframe system housekeeping and run disaster-recovery SMF and SCRT data-collection jobs.
• Deactivate or shut down the MNNA and MNNB mainframe logical partitions when required.
• Perform and controlled teardown of mainframe disaster-recovery storage.
• Validate system health and data availability before, during and after disaster-recovery activities.
• Document disaster-recovery procedures, test results, issues and corrective actions.

Dell Hardware Maintenance

• Collaborate with Dell Engineering to patch, upgrade, troubleshoot and repair DLM, Data Domain, and PowerMax hardware.
• Coordinate maintenance activities to minimized risk and service disruption.
• Review hardware alerts, logs and performance indicators and initial corrective action when necessary.
• Support hardware lifecycle planning and capacity-management activities.

Infrastructure Monitoring

• Monitor Dell/EMC hardware status and respond to system alerts.
• Monitor the Eagan PowerMax 8000 environment through CloudIQ and Unisphere.
• Monitor the San Mateo PowerMax 8000 environment through CloudIQ and Unisphere.
• Monitor the Eagan DLM9500 environment through DLM Monitor.
• Monitor the San Mateo DLM9500 environment through DLM Monitor.
• Monitor the Eagan Data Doman environment through DD Systems Monitor
• Monitor the San Mateo Data Domain environment through DD Systems Monitor.
• Maintain certificates for Unisphere, DLM Monitor and Data Domain Systems Monitor both the Eagan and San Mateo locations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Current or recent experience supporting USPS environment.
• Existing USPS suitability or a recent completed USPS background investigation.
• Experience supporting geographically dispersed enterprise storage environments.
• Experience working with dual-plex IBM mainframe environments.
• Knowledge of formal incident, problem, change and configuration management processes.
• Experience supporting storage infrastructure subject to federal security, audit, and compliance requirements.
• Relevant IBM, Dell Technologies or mainframe storage certifications.

Ideal Candidate:

The ideal candidate is a senior mainframe storage professional who can operate independently while collaborating effectively with customer teams, Dell Engineering, and other infrastructure specialists. This individual should be comfortable performing daily operational support while also providing architectural guidance, identifying capacity and reliability risks, planning upgrades, and leading complex disaster-recovery activities.