OpenStack Support Engineer

About the job
Rackspace Technology is a leading provider of expertise and managed services across all major public and private cloud technologies. We’ve evolved Fanatical Support to encompass the entire customer journey — providing Fanatical Experience™ from first consultation to daily operations. Our passionate experts combine the power of proactive, always-on service and expertise with best-in-class tools and automation to deliver technology when and how our customers need it.

The OpenStack Support Engineer plays a crucial role within the Rackspace support infrastructure, providing a high level of technical support to our customers via phone, ticketing system, and automation. This role is responsible for complex customer issues that may take several days or weeks to resolve, ensuring customers are updated throughout the process. Responsibilities include establishing standards for system development, maintenance, and enhancement efforts, analyzing systems and performance usability, and advising customers on potential issues to enhance stability and security. The engineer must also stay informed of emerging technologies and adhere to company security policies and procedures.

Responsibilities:

• OpenStack Deployment and Management:

  • Supporting, deploying, and managing OpenStack-based private cloud infrastructure.
  • Configuring and maintaining OpenStack services like Nova, Neutron, Cinder, and Keystone.
  • Familiarity with Canonical OpenStack, Juju, and Lxd containers is a plus.
  • Understanding advanced OpenStack services such as Octavia, Designate, and Masakari is an advantage.
  • Knowledge of storage solutions such as Ceph.

• Kubernetes Orchestration:

  • Implementing and managing Kubernetes clusters for container orchestration.
  • Deploying and maintaining applications within Kubernetes environments.
  • Understanding Charmed Kubernetes is beneficial.

• Integration and Automation:

  • Integrating OpenStack and Kubernetes technologies for seamless operation.
  • Developing automation scripts and tools for provisioning, monitoring, and scaling cloud resources.

• Performance Monitoring and Optimization:

  • Monitoring system performance and optimizing configurations for maximum efficiency.
  • Troubleshooting and resolving issues related to OpenStack and Kubernetes environments.
  • Competency in SDN OVN networking, performance benchmarking (CPU and disk utilization), and using Elastic Search, Logstash, and Kibana for monitoring.

• Security and Compliance:

  • Implementing security best practices for OpenStack and Kubernetes setups.
  • Managing access controls, authentication, and authorization mechanisms.
  • Familiarity with CIS benchmarking is preferred.

• Documentation and Reporting:

  • Creating and maintaining technical documentation for system configurations and operational procedures.
  • Generating reports on system performance, capacity, and utilization.

• Collaboration and Support:

  • Collaborating with cross-functional teams to integrate OpenStack and Kubernetes solutions.
  • Providing technical support to resolve issues related to cloud and container environments.

Requirements:

• Hands-on experience with OpenStack deployment, configuration, and management.
• Strong experience in Linux system administration and proficiency in scripting languages (e.g., Python, Bash) for automation.
• Knowledge of Software Defined Storage systems such as Ceph.
• Experience in deploying and managing Kubernetes clusters in production environments.
• Strong understanding of containerization concepts, Docker, and Kubernetes orchestration.
• Excellent troubleshooting, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Prior experience in a customer-facing support role.
• Relevant certifications such as Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE), Certified OpenStack Administrator (COA), and Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) are preferred.

Additional Skills (optional):

• Familiarity with other cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Experience with software-defined networking (SDN) solutions.
• Knowledge of infrastructure as code (IaC) tools, like Terraform or Ansible.

About Rackspace Technology
We are the multicloud solutions experts, combining our expertise with leading technologies across applications, data, and security to deliver comprehensive solutions. With a proven track record of advising customers based on their unique challenges, we design scalable solutions, build and manage them, and optimize returns into the future. Recognized as a top workplace by Fortune, Forbes, and Glassdoor, we attract and develop world-class talent. Join us on our mission to embrace technology, empower customers, and deliver the future.