Shahied Rustin

Linux Systems Administrator | Infrastructure Engineer

CV available on request
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About Me

Linux Systems Administrator and Infrastructure Engineer with 3+ years of commercial experience designing, deploying, and maintaining scalable Linux and cloud environments. Successfully operated an independent IT consultancy concurrent with earning a BEngTech in Computer Engineering.

Specialized in RHEL/Debian systems, infrastructure automation (Ansible/Bash), and secure network architecture. Proven track record of managing end-to-end project lifecycles from initial architecture to comprehensive documentation and client handover. I move beyond simply "making it work" to designing secure, resilient IT operations.

Technical Arsenal

OS & Core Admin

  • › RHEL, CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu, Arch Linux
  • › Systemd, SELinux
  • › Identity & Access Management

Infrastructure & Virt

  • › Docker
  • › KVM / QEMU, Proxmox
  • › Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
  • › Synology NAS
  • › AWS (EC2/S3)

Networking & Security

  • › TCP/IP Stack
  • › Cloudflare Zero Trust (SD-WAN)
  • › VPN Configuration (WireGuard/OpenVPN)
  • › Firewalls (UFW/Firewalld/MikroTik)

Automation & Scripting

  • › Ansible (IaC)
  • › Bash, Python
  • › Git / GitHub
  • › CI/CD Pipelines

Professional Experience

Linux Infrastructure Engineer

Feb 2026 – Present

Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)

  • ✓ Architected and deployed an automated Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to support 10+ concurrent engineering students for remote laboratory access.
  • ✓ Infrastructure as Code: Authored idempotent Ansible playbooks to fully automate bare-metal server provisioning, custom kernel locking, XFCE GUI optimization, and XRDP configuration.
  • ✓ Identity & Access Management: Engineered a bespoke Bash-based CLI management tool for faculty, automating user lifecycle management, virtualization group permissions, and "Golden Image" desktop cloning.
  • ✓ Enterprise Networking: Designed a secure ingress architecture using Cloudflare Zero Trust (SD-WAN), successfully bypassing strict enterprise NAT/firewall restrictions without compromising campus security.

Lead IT Consultant & Systems Administrator

Jan 2022 – Present

Rustin Systems

Founded and operated an independent IT consultancy concurrent with earning a BEngTech in Computer Engineering, delivering high-availability infrastructure, network security, and digital transformation solutions to SME clients.

  • ✓ Hadjie Abdullah Solomon Family Trust: Architected a resilient, self-hosted ecosystem transitioning the organization from legacy infrastructure. Orchestrated a containerized surveillance system (Docker/Frigate NVR) on headless Debian and secured remote administration via WireGuard VPN and hardened MikroTik routing.
  • ✓ Admin Professional: Designed a hybrid digital transformation strategy and a "Zero-Downtime" connectivity solution utilizing dedicated UPS systems. Architected a high-performance corporate web platform achieving sub-second load times.
  • ✓ Muhammadeyah Pre-Primary School: Overhauled campus network architecture, deployed dedicated power backup solutions, and standardized the digital environment via Microsoft 365. Extended workstation hardware lifecycles through strategic upgrades and deep-level diagnostics.
  • ✓ Internal Infrastructure: Provisioned and managed Debian/RHEL server environments, engineered automated backup solutions integrating Synology NAS for disaster recovery, and deployed NextJS/MERN applications with Nginx reverse proxies.

Key Engineering Projects

Cape Peninsula University of Technology: Enterprise VDI Deployment

Architected and deployed an automated Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to support concurrent engineering students for remote laboratory access.

VDIAnsibleLinuxNetworking

High-Performance AI Infrastructure

Architected a video synthesis pipeline on Arch Linux, optimizing GPU scheduling via CUDA and Python to reduce rendering time by 96%.

Arch LinuxCUDAPythonGPU Optimization

Admin Professional: From Digital Identity to Physical Resilience

Full-stack Next.js web presence and office infrastructure overhaul ensuring operational continuity during power instability.

Next.jsZoho MailUPSInfrastructure

Municipal Infrastructure Database

Designed a Neo4j graph database to model complex public works dependencies, outperforming MySQL in query speed for deep-link relationships.

Neo4jGraph TheoryDatabase Design

IoT Ecosystem & Automation Orchestration

Custom IoT ecosystem with NAS integration, IP surveillance, and Docker orchestration for a smart home environment.

IoTDockerHome AssistantNetworking

Education

Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Computer Engineering (NQF 7)

Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)

Feb 2021 – Nov 2025

Focus on embedded systems, software engineering, and network infrastructure.

Certifications

Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)

In Progress (Expected Q2 2026)

Validating proficiency in RHEL system administration, users, security, and automation.

Certified Full Stack Web Developer

AstroLabs, Dubai (UAE) | 2022

MERN Stack: React.js, Node.js, and DevOps basics. Architected the commercial platform for Admin Professional.