Sai Nikhil Chandra Kappagantula is a Senior Software Engineer serving as lead for the Global Research Network Operations Center (GlobalNOC) at Indiana University, a core product that helps manage large-scale network and system infrastructure located in Bloomington and Indianapolis, Indiana (USA). Mr. Kappagantula ("Nikhil") brings more than a decade of advanced software engineering experience to his role. As a specialist in security, distributed systems, and network engineering, his expertise encompasses the entire IT stack, including development, DevOps, infrastructure management, monitoring, disaster recovery, and authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA).
Nikhil applies his significant technical expertise in IT systems and processes to ensure the GlobalNOC's mission to enable fast, secure, and optimized networks for some of the world's leading research, educational, and federal organizations. Because the GlobalNOC is the premier operational partner for advanced research and education (R&E) networks worldwide, its innovative tech team comprises many of the IT industry's most highly trained and talented system engineers and software developers. Leading this high-caliber team, Nikhil ensures the integrity of security frameworks, identifies network and system inefficiencies, designs and implements sophisticated solutions, and drives operational excellence for the GlobalNOC's regional, national, and international R&E partners.
Nikhil earned an M.S. degree in Computer Science from Indiana University Purdue University (IUPUI) and received his M.B.A. degree from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. With his dual academic experience in technology and business, Nikhil uniquely applies his technical knowledge with strategic acumen for navigating complex IT challenges and delivering robust, secure, and scalable tech solutions.
We spoke with Nikhil about how he supports critical infrastructure for a broad portfolio of high-profile R&E organizations, ensuring the seamless and secure continuity of their important work around the globe.
Q: Nikhil, let's start with some background about GlobalNOC and your role there.
A: The GlobalNOC was established in 1998 to provide network management and monitoring services for the Abilene network, which has since evolved into the Internet2 network. Internet2 is a cutting-edge, ultra-high-speed network connecting hundreds of the United States' leading research universities and thousands of educational, research, and medical facilities. Over the years, the GlobalNOC has expanded its services and infrastructure, growing alongside Internet2 to support over twenty research and education organizations.
GlobalNOC is recognized as one of Indiana's most significant contributions to national infrastructure and has consistently been a cornerstone in the research and education sector. It is now the largest research and education network operations center in the U.S., providing 24x7x365 service with a team of 120 skilled service desk technicians, engineers, and developers. Its mission focuses on ensuring that the computer networks of partner organizations remain secure, reliable, and high-performing in an ever-evolving technological landscape.
The GlobalNOC serves a diverse range of institutions, from small, underserved colleges like Little Priest Tribal College to large national networks such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's SciNET and international networks, including TransPAC, which connects institutions in the U.S. and Asia. Across all partnerships, GlobalNOC's commitment remains steadfast: to deliver tools and services that support secure, available, and performant networks for the researchers and educators who rely on them.
At GlobalNOC, I serve as a Senior Software Developer, leading multiple software projects at any given time. My role involves meeting with high-profile clients, reviewing the work of my peers, and conducting training sessions and demos for both our internal staff and external partners. My team focuses on developing software and managing systems critical to the management of computer networks, including monitoring, measurement, visualization, database systems, network automation, security scanning and remediation, and authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) services.
Supporting research and education networks poses unique challenges that require deep expertise in security, software, distributed systems, and computer networking. I have consistently applied my knowledge across these domains to develop innovative solutions that address the specific needs of our organizational partners. My contributions have had a significant impact, enhancing the missions of the research and education community both nationally and internationally.
Q: How have threats to network and system architecture changed over the last decade? What are the challenges your team works to overcome? How do you mitigate risk?
A: Over the last decade, threats to network and system architecture have evolved significantly, driven by the rise of advanced persistent threats, ransomware, sophisticated phishing attacks, and vulnerabilities in an increasingly interconnected world. The expansion of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, cloud adoption, and hybrid work environments has increased attack surfaces, while state-sponsored cyber threats have become more prevalent.
Our team faces challenges such as maintaining the security of complex, large-scale networks, ensuring compliance with evolving regulations, and balancing high performance with robust security. Additionally, securing legacy systems while adopting new technologies poses a unique challenge.
To mitigate these risks, we employ a proactive, multi-layered security approach. This includes continuous monitoring, automated scanning and remediation tools, implementing best practices for encryption and authentication, and regularly updating and patching systems. We also focus on threat modeling, incident response planning, and collaborating closely with partners to address potential vulnerabilities before they become critical issues. By staying ahead of emerging threats and leveraging innovative solutions, we ensure the resilience and reliability of the networks we support.
Q: One of your many areas of expertise is in DevOps processes for infrastructure. How are you using new cloud technologies to streamline and enhance DevOps processes?
A: In my role, I leverage new technologies to streamline and enhance DevOps processes, focusing on automation, scalability, and reliability. A key tool we use is GitHub Actions for CI/CD, which has been instrumental in automating our development pipelines. GitHub Actions allows us to integrate build, test, and deploy processes seamlessly into our repositories, providing developers with immediate feedback and enabling faster iterations. This ensures that code changes are tested thoroughly and deployed consistently, reducing errors and improving overall efficiency.
Currently, we are adopting Kubernetes to enhance our infrastructure management. Kubernetes brings significant advantages to our DevOps processes by enabling container orchestration at scale. It allows us to deploy, manage, and scale applications more efficiently, providing self-healing capabilities, automated rollouts and rollbacks, and improved resource utilization. Kubernetes integrates well with GitHub Actions, allowing us to automate deployments to clusters as part of our CI/CD workflows. This integration ensures that updates are delivered to production environments faster and more reliably.
Together, GitHub Actions and Kubernetes are transforming how we manage infrastructure and deploy applications, enabling a modern, cloud-native approach to DevOps that is both agile and resilient.
Q: You have been at the forefront of using innovation to support and protect infrastructure capabilities in transformative ways. Tell us about how you are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools in your work.
A: One area where we are using AI is in anomaly detection. AI can go beyond static thresholds by learning normal behavior patterns of systems and networks. Machine learning models can analyze vast amounts of telemetry data and identify subtle deviations from normal behavior that may indicate impending failures, security threats, or performance degradations. This proactive anomaly detection reduces false positives and ensures that potential issues are identified early, even if they don't conform to predefined conditions. For example, AI-driven monitoring tools can detect abnormal spikes in network traffic that would otherwise be missed by traditional monitoring systems, identifying potential Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks before they escalate.
AI is also a tremendous asset in automated incident response because as the AI detects issues, it can automate the appropriate incident responses. By integrating AI into monitoring systems, organizations can automate the resolution of common issues, reducing response times and freeing up IT teams to focus on more critical tasks. If AI detects a malfunctioning application service, it can automatically restart the service, reroute requests to alternative instances without human intervention, or apply predefined configurations in response to identified problems, thus accelerating remediation and minimizing the impact on end-users.
Another AI case use related to monitoring is in reducing alert fatigue. One of the significant challenges of traditional monitoring systems is alert fatigue, where excessive and often non-actionable alerts overwhelm teams, leading to missed critical issues. AI mitigates this by filtering alerts, prioritizing the most relevant ones, and reducing noise. It helps ensure that IT teams receive actionable alerts rather than being bombarded with information, enhancing operational efficiency. An example of this use is how AI can consolidate alerts across different systems and intelligently prioritize them based on severity, context, and historical data, ensuring that critical incidents are addressed promptly while less important ones are de-escalated.
Q: Are there other emerging technologies that you are using in the monitoring arena?
A: Yes, natural language processing (NLP) is particularly suited for log analysis. Monitoring systems generate massive volumes of logs that are challenging to process manually. AI, particularly through NLP, can efficiently analyze these logs, identify critical events, and provide actionable insights. AI-driven log analysis helps detect patterns that may indicate security breaches or operational inefficiencies, improving system reliability and security. For instance, AI can analyze logs from different systems and alert teams to potential security risks, such as unusual access patterns or failed login attempts across distributed systems, which might go unnoticed by traditional methods.
Q: What excites you about your work at GlobalNOC and the direction of accelerating technologies?
A: What excites me most about my work at GlobalNOC is the opportunity to stay at the forefront of innovation while solving complex challenges in the research and education networking space. The rapid advancement of technology is reshaping how networks are designed, managed, and secured, offering new ways to streamline processes, enhance reliability, and scale services. At GlobalNOC, I am deeply engaged in implementing these advancements to improve efficiency and adaptability, ensuring that our tools and services remain robust and future-ready.
What makes this work even more meaningful is knowing that the networks and tools we support enable groundbreaking research—whether it's unlocking the mysteries of the universe, developing life-saving medical breakthroughs, or addressing critical global challenges. It is deeply satisfying to contribute to the success of the education community in the U.S. and beyond, as this work is foundational to building a brighter, more informed future for everyone. Being part of a team that empowers such transformative efforts inspires me every day.
Q: As a senior engineer for the GlobalNOC, how do you foster collaborative teams and train systems engineers to innovate?
A: I foster collaboration by cultivating an open and inclusive environment where team members feel encouraged to share ideas, ask questions, and contribute to problem-solving. I facilitate regular team discussions, brainstorming sessions, and knowledge-sharing workshops to ensure everyone is aligned and empowered to bring their unique expertise to the table.
Training systems engineers to innovate involves a balance of mentorship and practical experience. I guide them to approach challenges with a creative and solution-oriented mindset, encouraging experimentation while maintaining a focus on delivering high-quality outcomes. I emphasize the importance of understanding the broader impact of their work, helping them see how their contributions drive innovation for our partners and the research and education community.
Additionally, I prioritize skill development by providing access to the latest tools, resources, and industry insights, ensuring engineers stay current with emerging technologies and best practices. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration, I empower my team to push boundaries and consistently deliver innovative solutions.
