Bello Fils Bertrand

As a Linux engineer working for the government of Cameroon, Bello Fils’ role is primarily focused on designing, implementing, and managing Linux-based operating systems. He is also responsible for installing, configuring, provisioning, maintaining, supporting Linux servers, networks, and applications on the mainframe, for all Linux workloads. In addition, he helps with security related aspects on z/OS. A few years back, CENADI realized they could leverage the Linux partition of the newly acquired IBM Z14 R1 and Bello Fils was the sole person chosen for this job. This exciting opportunity and experience enabled Bello Fils to work closely with the mainframe and show that he was the Linux expert at CENADI given his LPI2 (Linux Professional Institute) certification. Soon he had a new team in place, and the success this team drove resulted in the training of 10 new members on mainframe technologies to ensure depth of talent for today and the future. In Cameroon, CENADI is the only public administration to have a mainframe infrastructure. CENADI to this day, represents the “expertise in computing” at the national level in the public administration of Cameroon. This environment requires one to be well trained and keep learning given the rapid changes in the world of technology. Bello Fils takes advantage of free online training platforms of some IBM partners and has earned two certificates: IBM Mainframe System Programmer Level 1 and IBM Mainframes Systems Operator Level 1.

With the evolution of technology today, Bello Fils understands he and his team have a vast field to explore to build solutions for the administration. Cloud technology has greatly changed the entire perception of IT and CENADI is working to become the cloud provider of the Cameroonian administration. With IBM, the industry leading solution exists today. CENADI is confident they have made the right choice in the field of mission-critical applications and offers services on the cloud with deployments within their infrastructure to several administrations. The result is gratifying and encouraging!

CENADI is working today to set up cooperation with the ministry of higher education to share the mainframe experience with schools. Each year they welcome students for a 1 to 5 month long internship. Currently the interns work on containerized workloads to exploit platforms like OpenShift, Kubernetes or ZCX (Cloud native applications). The team will soon be incorporating Java and COBOL development for z/OS interns.

Bello Fils’ mainframe leadership role at CENADI and his remarkable journey to mainframe serves as an inspiration to the CENADI interns and all others that if you set a career goal, work hard, continuously advance your skills, and persist through challenge by thinking outside the box and driving innovation, you, too, can achieve your dream career!