SERVER ENGINEER

Christopher
Berry

Windows & Linux Server Engineer & Systems Administrator

Over 20 years solving problems across Windows and Linux — from on-call incidents and infrastructure builds to automation, mentoring, and everything in between.

Christopher Berry — Freelance server engineer and systems administrator based in Telford, UK

A bit about me

I'm a hands-on server engineer and system administrator with over 20 years' experience supporting and securing mission-critical environments across both Windows and Linux platforms. Whether it's streamlining operations through automation, managing on-call incidents, or tackling obscure faults, I bring curiosity, resilience, and a knack for cutting through complexity.

My approach may be unconventional — but it delivers results where it counts. I thrive on challenges that require thinking beyond the obvious, and I'm just as comfortable mentoring junior engineers as I am racking hardware in a data centre at midnight.

Based in
Telford, UK
Experience
20+ years in IT infrastructure
Availability
Open to opportunities

What I do

Linux Administration
RHEL, CentOS, Ubuntu — deployment, hardening, log analysis, performance tuning, and maintenance across production environments.
Windows Server
Active Directory, Group Policy, PowerShell automation, and Citrix environments. Over two decades across every major Windows Server release.
Break-Fix & On-Call
Rapid diagnosis and resolution of critical system failures. On-call rota experience, calm under pressure, methodical in approach.
Cloud & Virtualisation
Azure, AWS, VMware, Docker — managing hybrid environments, container deployments, and private cloud setups.
Backup & DR
Veeam and IBM TSM — backup management, disaster recovery testing, and validation across large-scale estates.
Automation & Scripting
Bash and PowerShell scripting for daily operations, patching schedules, and infrastructure automation.
ITSM & Process
ServiceNow, ITIL-aligned workflows, SLA management, change control, and incident escalation across MSP environments.
Databases & Web Stack
MariaDB, MySQL — access control, config tuning, and performance optimisation. LEMP stack, cPanel, and WordPress hosting.

Where I've worked

2022 — 2025
2nd Line Windows & Linux Engineer
Digital Space, Telford
Advanced troubleshooting across mixed Windows and Linux environments for multiple MSP clients. On-call rota, Docker deployments, database admin, and mentoring junior engineers. Escalation point for complex technical issues.
2015 — 2022
Operations Analyst → 2nd Line Engineer
Xerox / Digital Space, Telford
Progressed from 1st line to 2nd line through several company acquisitions. Supported Windows Server estates, VMware environments, Citrix, and backup/restore services. Hands-on data centre work including racking, cabling, and hardware swaps.
2013 — 2015
Technical Support Supervisor
Infoteam, Telford
Promoted within 8 months. Led technical operations supporting Sharp's commercial displays. Coordinated nationwide field engineers, authored ISO-aligned documentation, and rolled out a ticketing system that improved SLA compliance.
2009 — 2013
Technical Support & Hosting
BigBrainGlobal / British Army
Remote support for hosting environments and VPS platforms across Linux and Windows. Brief stint in the British Army developing communication skills, resilience, and structured teamwork under pressure.

Independent work

Alongside full-time roles, I've been delivering freelance server administration and infrastructure work since 2016 — from one-off fixes to ongoing managed support.

Server performance tuning & optimisation
CentOS, Debian & Ubuntu administration
Cloud infrastructure builds (AWS, Azure)
WordPress & LEMP stack troubleshooting
VPS migrations & disaster recovery
Firewall, security audits & hardening

Verified feedback from Upwork & Freelancer

★★★★★ 5.0
"A real wizard! Got us out of a serious jam. Do not hesitate to hire this brilliant man."
— Ryan J.
Freelancer Client — Linux & MySQL
★★★★★ 5.0
"Chris does an outstanding job! He went up and beyond what I was expecting, and he was in constant communication with me. He knows his stuff, and there wasn't anything that he couldn't do."
— Sheri
Upwork Client — CentOS & VPS
★★★★★ 5.0
"It's really a pleasure to work with Chris. Very professional, always available. Couldn't have found someone better for this job."
— Michele Jose I.
Freelancer Client — Cloud Infrastructure
★★★★★ 5.0
"His in-depth knowledge saved the day for us when our server and hosting essentially ceased to work. Critical to our business operations, Chris worked tirelessly until he resolved the issue. I have no hesitation recommending him."
— Rafiq K.
Freelancer Client — Server & Hosting

Let's talk

Looking for an experienced server engineer or system administrator? I'd love to hear from you.