Ming Gao is a system engineer based in Shanghai. Before finishing his degree in the university, Ming knew exactly where his interests and strengths lay, the field of computer science. He knew very well that he wanted to become an engineer. 

Before joining Rahi in September 2017, Ming worked for an automobile manufacturer as an IT operations engineer. He was mainly in charge of Windows server and related hardware devices. For Ming, life at Rahi has been very special and different than his previous job. Not only can he continue his interest in the IT field,he also has gained more opportunities to improve himself in his expertise and communication skills.

What inspired your decision to become an IT system engineer?

Ming: This is a job that combines my expertise and interest. My major in university was Network Engineering, plus I’m more interested in computer science and relevant industry. Therefore, doing what I do now is just a very natural path for me.

What are the essential skills an IT system engineer must have?

Ming: Professional knowledge and communication skills are all a must. In my opinion, being able to communicate smoothly with customers, understand and deliver the project to meet their needs, and solve their pain points, these are all the skills you need to be an IT system engineer. 

Is there anything special about working at Rahi Systems as an engineer?

Ming: First of all, there is a big difference in just what I do everyday. When I was an operations engineer, we only needed to be familiar with Windows servers and related hardware devices. Now at Rahi Systems, my job involves more data center solutions, ranging from infrastructure (for example, UPS, containment, floor, and data center power devices, etc.) to IT devices, storage, network and more. There are more things I need to know right now. 

When it comes to communication, I used to only have to communicate with our own team and vendors. Now at Rahi, I have to communicate more with our customers to understand their needs.  

What does a typical day for an IT system engineer look like?

Ming: Take my participation in a colo data center for example.

A few days before the deployment, we would communicate with the customers about the solution, in order to make sure their doubts about the project can all be solved, if any. After confirmation, we would send the final version to the customer. The work after that can be dissected into 5 parts. 

Check and count all the needed devices in the colo facility. If there is any problem, we would communicate with the logistics team to make sure everything is in the right place.

  1. Check the racks and cabinets. See if the environment is exactly like expected. If it is not the same, alter the solution and notice the customers. 
  2. Start installing, testing, and connecting the devices. Mark and sort out important cables. Take pictures of the environment after completing deployment and send to customers to confirm.
  3. Accompany customers in the testing process. Make some changes if necessary, in order to make sure customers’ application is successfully deployed. 
  4. After testing, close cabinet doors and clean up the environment. Confirm with the customers that the project is finished.

    Sometimes, the field situation is not how customers expect it to be. This might be due to many reasons, such as the fact that they did not get accurate information. This can result in lack of accessories, or not being able to deploy the project as expected. Under this kind of circumstances, we need to find the right solution to it according to the field situation. During the whole process, we need to always keep in close contact with our customers, in order to make sure every aspect of their needs is satisfied. 

    What is your favorite part of your role with Rahi Systems? What are the challenges of it?

    Ming: I enjoy learning about new products and solutions, and incorporate these new technologies into data center environments. Thanks to Rahi’s rich global partnership, I can learn all this new knowledge through a lot of trainings from different vendors.

    Rahi’s partners are usually from outside of China, some of them do not have a location in China. The main challenges this brings are time differences and language barriers. But I also get benefits from it. One obvious example is that I need to talk with a lot of vendors, customers, and engineer team members from all around the world. For sure, this has helped improve my English skills a lot.   

    I look forward to seeing our Rahi team continue its expansion in the future. Being able to learn and grow together with them will be very exciting!

 

 

Ming Gao is a system engineer based in Shanghai. Before finishing his degree in the university, Ming knew exactly where his interests and strengths lay, that is the field of computer science. He knew very well that he wanted to become an engineer.

About Rahi

Rahi is a subsidiary of Wesco Distribution, a Fortune 200 Company with operations in 50+ countries and annual revenues over USD 19B. Rahi delivers comprehensive data centre solutions for global enterprises, hyperscalers, and multi-tenant data centres. Rahi provides IOR, local currency billing, and RMA services, enabling businesses to operate efficiently anywhere.
Since being acquired in Nov. 2022, Rahi’s global presence and analytical expertise help clients achieve their business and IT requirements.

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