Sustaining the Infrastructure Engine Room at Scale
A Tier-1 bank strengthened the reliability of its core Unix environment by embedding specialist expertise to manage complex configurations, automation and operational risk at scale.
Context
In a global banking environment, Unix and Linux platforms form the backbone of critical systems. These environments must operate continuously, securely and predictably, yet the skills required to manage them at scale are increasingly scarce.
The organisation faced a growing gap between the complexity of its infrastructure and the availability of suitably experienced local talent. Managing thousands of servers, alongside a large and sophisticated Puppet automation environment, required a level of expertise that could not be met through generalist outsourcing or traditional recruitment models.
Approach
This engagement focused on embedding specialist capability directly into the operational environment, combining strategic insight with hands-on execution.
Define
The first step was understanding where risk and dependency truly sat.
A detailed assessment of the Unix and Puppet environments identified areas of operational fragility, configuration complexity and automation risk. This clarified where specialist oversight was essential to maintain stability and where process modernisation could reduce long-term exposure.
Align
With priorities clear, specialist capability was embedded directly into day-to-day operations.
Senior Unix administrators were engaged to provide end-to-end support and maintenance, taking responsibility for the stability of the core environment. Deep Puppet expertise was applied to manage configurations, automate repetitive tasks and ensure consistency across the estate.
Modernised workflows were introduced to reduce manual intervention, improve deployment reliability and strengthen the integration of fringe technologies operating at the edges of the infrastructure.
Govern
Operational governance was reinforced through expertise rather than layers.
By combining advisory insight with direct accountability for execution, the engagement reduced dependency on escalation and oversight. Decisions were informed by deep technical understanding, ensuring changes were made deliberately and with minimal operational risk
Outcome
Operational reliability was sustained and risk reduced.
The organisation gained ongoing access to locally based specialists with deep experience in large-scale financial environments. Automation stability improved, configuration consistency increased and the risk of manual error was significantly reduced.
Most importantly, one of the bank’s most critical technology layers, its infrastructure engine room, continued to operate reliably, supported by a delivery model that valued depth, accountability and quiet execution over scale.