Open to Network Architect roles
Sagar Bairagi
Network Architect – Data Center, Hybrid Cloud & Enterprise
I architect data center, hybrid cloud and enterprise networks that scale, stay segmented and keep working when things fail. Fifteen years of building and running them – from the NOC to leading Cisco ACI fabrics for Vodafone’s European data centers and connecting them to AWS, Azure and GCP – means my designs are made for production.
CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure #57252CCNP Data Center · Cisco Data Center Design Specialist
LinkedIn sagargbairagi@gmail.com Pune, India
15+
years designing, building and running production networks
CCIE
#57252 Enterprise Infrastructure
4
Vodafone core data centers architected on Cisco ACI
5
countries in a global WAN migration
Architecture domains
Designs that scale, stay secure and survive failure
Where I spend my design time – each one backed by years of running the same networks in production.
Data center architecture
Cisco ACI Multi-Pod and VXLAN EVPN fabrics designed for scale, multi-tenancy and failure – with NSX-T, HPE and firewall integration worked out before the first cable is patched.
- Cisco ACI Multi-Pod
- VXLAN EVPN
- Nexus 9000
- VMware NSX-T
- HLD / LLD
Hybrid & multi-cloud
Routed, policy-consistent connectivity between data centers and AWS, Azure and GCP – Direct Connect, VPN, transit routing and load balancing, built as code.
- AWS Transit Gateway
- Direct Connect
- Azure networking
- BGP design
- Terraform
Security & segmentation
Zero-trust segmentation by design: tenants, VRFs and contracts in the fabric, micro-segmentation with NSX-T, and firewalls and VPNs at every trust boundary.
- Zero-trust segmentation
- FortiGate
- Cisco ASA / Firepower
- Juniper SRX
- IPsec VPN
- Cisco ISE
Enterprise WAN & campus
Multi-country WAN, MPLS and SD-WAN, and identity-based campus access with SD-Access and ISE – designed so branches keep working when links fail.
- MPLS L3VPN
- SD-WAN
- SD-Access & ISE
- OSPF / BGP
- IPv4 / IPv6 design
How I architect
From requirements to a network operations can run
A design is only finished when the team on call can build it, run it and recover it.
Discover
Business goals, applications, traffic flows, compliance and how much failure the business can tolerate – before any platform is chosen.
Design
HLD and LLD with the options and trade-offs written down: topology, addressing, routing, segmentation, and a documented failure model.
Build & automate
Templates and pipelines – Terraform, Ansible, Git and Jenkins – with pre-checks, post-checks, MOPs and rollback plans.
Operate & evolve
Monitoring, runbooks and calm P1 troubleshooting. Every root cause feeds back into the design so it does not happen twice.
Selected work
Architecture case studies
The problem, the design decisions and the outcome.
Hybrid connectivity between AWS and on-premises Cisco ACI
Read the case study: Hybrid connectivity between AWS and on-premises Cisco ACIConnecting AWS workloads to on-premises data centers running Cisco ACI with Site-to-Site VPN and Direct Connect, ALB/NLB application delivery and Terraform-built VPCs.
ACI configuration as code with Ansible, Git and Jenkins
Read the case study: ACI configuration as code with Ansible, Git and JenkinsReplacing hand-built ACI tenant changes with Ansible playbooks, YAML/JSON templates and a Jenkins pipeline with automatic pre-checks and post-checks across several fabrics.
Cisco ACI fabrics for four Vodafone core data centers
Read the case study: Cisco ACI fabrics for four Vodafone core data centersDesign, deployment and operation of Cisco ACI Multi-Pod fabrics for four of Vodafone’s core data centers in the UK and Europe, integrated with NSX-T, HPE networking and AWS, Azure and GCP.
Experience
From the NOC floor to network architecture
Since 2011 I have worked every layer – support, operations, engineering, design and leadership. Architects who have been on call design networks that are easier to run.
Senior Specialist Cloud Network Engineer
Design and run the hybrid network between AWS and on-premises data centers built on Cisco ACI.
Senior Network Manager – Data Center
Ran four enterprise-scale Vodafone data centers: Cisco ACI Multi-Pod, Nexus 9K/7K, VMware NSX-T, Fortinet and Juniper firewalls, F5 load balancers.
Data Center Manager
Led design, deployment and operation of Cisco ACI fabrics for four large Vodafone core data centers in the UK and Europe.
Deputy Manager – Network
Rolled out Cisco DNA Center with SD-Access, integrated with Cisco ISE and wireless controllers for identity-based access, device profiling and secure mobility.
Certifications
Expert-level and vendor-verified
Cisco CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure, plus data center, security and cloud certifications. Select a badge to verify it on Credly.
CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure#57252 · Cisco Certified Internetwork ExpertCisco’s expert-level certification – earned as CCIE Routing & SwitchingCCNP Data CenterCisco Certified Network ProfessionalVerify ↗Data Center DesignCisco Certified SpecialistVerify ↗
Data Center CoreCisco Certified SpecialistVerify ↗
Data Center OperationsCisco Certified SpecialistVerify ↗Enterprise CoreCisco Certified SpecialistVerify ↗
Secure Solutions with VPNsCisco SVPNVerify ↗
CCNACisco Certified Network AssociateVerify ↗Also certified: Microsoft Azure AZ-700 (Azure Network Engineer) · VMware VCP-NV 2022 (NSX-T) · Juniper JNCIA-Junos · CCIE Data Center written exam · All badges on Credly ↗
Blog
Latest writing on network architecture, cloud and AI
The network engineer in the age of AI: what changes, what doesn’t, and how to prepare
Will AI replace network engineers? A CCIE architect explains what AI already does, where engineers stay essential, and which skills to build next.
Open to Network Architect roles
Looking for a network architect?
I turn business requirements into data center, hybrid cloud and enterprise network designs that are secure, documented and proven in production. Recruiters and hiring managers are welcome to reach out.