Hello!

I'm Sai Harsha Vemula

Software Engineer

LinkedIn

Name: Sai Harsha Vemula

Job Role: DevOps Engineer

Experience: 4+ Years

Address: Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Skills

Java
Python
Shell Scripting
AWS
Kubernetes
Terraform
SQL
Web Development

About

About Me

I am a versatile DevOps Engineer with over four years of experience building scalable infrastructure, automating cloud environments, and streamlining CI/CD pipelines. Currently working at the University of Alabama's Alabama Water Institute, I specialize in designing and implementing AWS-based research infrastructure with a focus on security, compliance, and cost optimization.

I am proficient in infrastructure automation using Terraform, Ansible, and AWS CloudFormation, with extensive experience in Python, Bash, and shell scripting for workflow automation. My cloud expertise spans AWS and Azure, with deep knowledge of security frameworks including CloudTrail, GuardDuty, Security Hub, and IAM best practices.

My DevOps toolkit includes containerization (Docker, Kubernetes, Helm), CI/CD automation (GitHub Actions, GitLab, Jenkins, Argo CD), and comprehensive observability solutions (Prometheus, Grafana, CloudWatch, ELK Stack). I've successfully implemented multi-architecture build pipelines, automated compliance workflows, and achieved significant cost savings through strategic resource optimization.

I'm passionate about bridging research and technology, enabling teams to build reproducible, secure, and scalable infrastructure. My goal is to continue contributing to innovative projects that leverage cloud-native technologies to solve complex challenges while maintaining operational excellence and security compliance.

Resume

Resume

Purpose-driven DevOps Engineer with 4+ years of experience, specializing in cloud infrastructure automation, security compliance, and scalable CI/CD pipelines for research and enterprise environments.

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Experience


July 2023 - Present

DevOps Engineer

University of Alabama – Alabama Water Institute | Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA

  • Automated research infrastructure provisioning using Terraform and AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda, Step Functions), reducing deployment time by 45%.
  • Implemented comprehensive security framework with CloudTrail, Security Hub, GuardDuty, and IAM Access Analyzer for institutional compliance.
  • Established automated vulnerability scanning (Trivy, Grype, SonarQube) integrated into CI/CD workflows for continuous security validation.
  • Developed multi-architecture Docker build pipelines (x86/ARM64) using GitHub Actions and AWS CodeBuild.
  • Optimized AWS resource utilization achieving 30% monthly cost savings through strategic auditing of EBS, EC2, and S3 resources.
  • Enhanced observability with CloudWatch metrics, dashboards, and alerting for workflow executions and AWS health events.
  • Integrated AWS Config and Trusted Advisor for real-time compliance monitoring across multi-account environments.
  • Designed scalable CI/CD pipelines for scientific modeling workloads, enabling reproducible, event-driven research automation.


2021-2023

Associate Software Engineer - DevOps

Vitrana, Inc.

  • Optimized Kubernetes deployments, boosting speed by 20% and reducing downtime by 30% through refined manifests and automation.
  • Designed AWS VPCs with optimized subnets, CIDR allocations, and NACLs for enhanced security and performance.
  • Deployed Prometheus and Grafana monitoring, reducing incident response times by 40% and elevating uptime to 80%.
  • Implemented Terraform IaC for automated infrastructure provisioning, eliminating configuration drift.
  • Integrated security tools (Trivy, SonarQube) into CI/CD workflows and managed AWS RDS, ElastiCache, WAF, Secrets Manager.
  • Implemented Argo CD for GitOps-based delivery, improving Kubernetes deployment consistency by 30%.

2020-2021

Software Engineer Intern

Vitrana, Inc.

  • Integrated Azure AD for secure identity management with SSO and MFA implementation.
  • Automated monitoring and deployment workflows using Bash and Python, reducing manual intervention by 40%.
  • Developed AWS Lambda scripts for EBS snapshots, ECR cleanup, log management, and dynamic EC2 scaling.
  • Led cloud-native migration of legacy applications, reducing maintenance costs by 15%.
  • Designed IAM roles and Kubernetes RBAC policies for secure access control and compliance.
  • Optimized 300+ Docker container deployments, reducing errors by 25%, and automated configuration with Ansible.
  • Implemented real-time dashboards (AWS QuickSight, Redshift, Glue) and ELK stack for centralized logging.



Education


2023-2024

Master in Computer Science

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

2016-2021

M Tech Integrated Software Engineering

Vellore Institute of Technology

Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India

How My Portfolio Works

This animation illustrates the serverless AWS architecture behind my portfolio and chatbot.

Portfolio Workflow GIF

Projects

Projects

Below are some of the projects I have worked on, focusing on automation, deployment, and analytics in the software engineering domain.

NGEN-Datastream - National Water Model (CIROH)

Led DevOps and infrastructure automation for NextGen National Water Model Research Datastream, managing 68,000+ successful hydrologic model executions. Architected multi-environment Terraform deployment pipeline with AWS Step Functions orchestration across 21 VPUs. Developed GitHub Actions CI/CD workflows for automated AMI creation, testing, and validation with health check auto-rerun capability and cost protection thresholds. Built Docker images for multi-architecture deployment, configured IAM policies, and implemented CloudWatch monitoring with S3 lifecycle policies for cost optimization.

Data Analytics Platform Deployment

Designed and deployed a scalable AWS-based data analytics platform using Apache Spark and Elasticsearch, reducing processing time by 40% through automated pipelines. Implemented Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Terraform to provision and manage AWS resources, resulting in a 30% reduction in infrastructure costs.

MediFlow – Distributed Healthcare System

Engineered a microservices-based healthcare platform using Java and Spring Boot, focusing on scalability and fault tolerance. Containerized microservices with Docker and deployed them on Kubernetes, ensuring seamless scaling and load balancing across the application. Automated CI/CD pipelines with Jenkins and GitLab, leading to a 50% reduction in deployment time.

Achievements

Certifications & Awards

Here are some of the recognitions I have received for my contributions and expertise in the field of DevOps.

HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate

Successfully completed the HashiCorp Certified Terraform Associate certification. This demonstrates my proficiency in understanding infrastructure as code (IaC) concepts, best practices, and managing resources using Terraform.

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HashiCorp Terraform Certification Badge

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

Validated expertise in designing secure, scalable, and cost-effective solutions on AWS. Proficient in AWS services, architecture best practices, and cloud security.

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AWS Solutions Architect Certification Badge

Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals

Earned the Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals certification, demonstrating a foundational understanding of cloud services and Azure concepts, including core solutions, management tools, general security, and network features.

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Microsoft Certified Fundamentals Badge

GitHub Actions Certification

Earned the GitHub Actions certification, demonstrating proficiency in automating workflows, implementing CI/CD pipelines, and leveraging GitHub Actions for continuous integration and deployment. Skilled in creating custom workflows, managing secrets, and optimizing automation processes.

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GitHub Actions Certification Badge

Conferences

Conference Presentations

Here are my research presentations and poster sessions at major conferences.

American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2024

Research to Operations Hydrologic Consortium (R2OHC) Platform

Presented a comprehensive poster on the R2OHC (Research to Operations Hybrid Cloud) Platform at AGU Fall Meeting 2024. As part of the CIROH Cyberinfrastructure team at the University of Alabama, I contributed to developing a multi-cloud infrastructure combining AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and on-premises HPC resources to support hydrological modeling. The platform serves 28 consortium institutions and enables computationally intensive NextGen water simulations through containerized workflows (Docker/Singularity), managed JupyterHub environments, and Infrastructure as Code practices.

AGU Conference Poster Preview

Click to view full poster PDF

Key Platform Achievements:

  • 13,000+ NGIAB Docker downloads supporting containerized hydrologic modeling
  • 1,400+ daily CONUS-wide NextGen executions via NRDS (NextGen Research Datastream)
  • SQL access to 2.7 million NWM forecast points for comprehensive water resource analysis
  • Support for 405+ researchers across 151 active research projects
  • Multi-cloud infrastructure automation with Terraform and AWS Step Functions
  • Cost optimization and security compliance across 28 consortium institutions

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My Blogs

Explore My Articles

Here are some of my recent blog posts where I discuss various topics related to DevOps, cloud technologies, and software engineering.

Read My Blogs

Testimonials

What People Say

Here are some testimonials from my colleagues and mentors who have worked closely with me.

Avnish Joy

DevOps Team Manager at Vitrana

"I had the pleasure of working closely with Sai Harsha in my team as a DevOps Engineer. He consistently demonstrated his expertise in areas such as CI/CD pipelines, automation, and cloud infrastructure management. Sai is technically proficient and an excellent team player, always willing to collaborate and share knowledge. His proactive attitude and dedication ensured our projects were completed efficiently and successfully."

Tharun Yerramreddy

Team Lead of DevOps Team at Vitrana

"As Sai Harsha's lead, I am consistently impressed by his expertise in AWS, DevOps, Kubernetes, Shell Scripting, and GitLab. He has been instrumental in managing complex systems and implementing seamless CI/CD processes. His technical expertise and problem-solving capabilities make him an invaluable asset to any team."

Abibalaji

Team Lead of Java Team at Vitrana

"Sai Harsha is an exceptionally talented and dedicated DevOps Engineer. His outstanding work in formalizing our pipeline architecture significantly improved our workflows. Sai is a team player with strong communication skills and a commitment to delivering results. I am confident Harsha will bring excellence and value to any organization he is associated with."

Shanmukh Sridhar

Python Developer at Vitrana

"I had the pleasure of working with Harsha, where he consistently demonstrated exceptional skills in cloud engineering and DevOps practices. His expertise in AWS, Docker, GitLab, Terraform, and CI/CD pipelines made him a go-to person for automation. Harsha excels in managing complex projects and delivering scalable, efficient solutions. He is also a fantastic team player."

Vanshika Bhatt

DevOps Engineer at Vitrana

"I have had the opportunity to work with Harsha in his role as a DevOps Engineer and can attest to his technical expertise in GitLab, AWS, Kubernetes, and Terraform. His meticulousness and ability to find creative solutions to complex problems have been a valuable asset to our team."

Contact

Contact Me

Below are the details to reach out to me!

Address

Kansas City, Missouri

Contact Number

+ 816-614-4801

Email Address

vemulasaiharsha@gmail.com

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