Achraf Belarif

01 / About

About Me

I am a software engineer with strong experience building, testing, and maintaining reliable systems in complex environments. My work spans backend development, system-level programming, virtualization, and test automation — with a focus on performance, stability, and scalability.

I regularly work on low-level Linux systems, QEMU/KVM virtualization, automated test frameworks, and backend services — contributing to both product quality and engineering efficiency through rigorous debugging and clean, maintainable code.

Open to new opportunities

02 / Experience

Work Experience

Virtualization QA Engineer

DevOps-Oriented Engineer

Oracle

Results-driven engineer specializing in virtualization, Linux systems, and automation, with a strong focus on reliability, performance, and scalability. Experienced in designing low-level test strategies, debugging complex system issues, and bridging QA with DevOps practices. Proven ability to work across infrastructure, storage, and application layers to deliver stable and efficient environments.

Key Responsibilities

Designed and executed comprehensive virtualization test plans covering CPU, memory, networking, storage, security, and nested virtualization scenarios.
Engineered and maintained virtual machines using QEMU/KVM, including advanced configurations with PCIe devices and custom storage setups.
Converted complex QEMU command-line configurations into libvirt XML for better orchestration and maintainability.
Managed and tested iSCSI storage integration, including SCSI device handling, disk attachment (hotplug/coldplug), and performance validation.
Troubleshot deep system-level issues including VM boot failures, kernel interactions, and performance bottlenecks.
Automated repetitive tasks using Bash scripting (user provisioning, log parsing, system monitoring, test workflows).
Performed system performance analysis using Linux tools (vmstat, top, iostat) to identify inefficiencies and optimize resource usage.
Debugged networking and access issues using SSH, IP tools, and Linux networking utilities.
Conducted security and technical audits, identifying vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and areas of technical debt.
Collaborated across teams to reproduce, isolate, and resolve complex production-like issues.
Worked on Salesforce (SFCC) environments, including debugging frontend issues (JavaScript/jQuery) and backend logic (Apex, formulas).
Contributed to a DevOps-oriented workflow, emphasizing automation, reproducibility, and system reliability.

Achievements & Impact

Improved VM reliability by identifying and resolving critical issues in storage and hotplug workflows.
Reduced manual effort by automating recurring system and testing tasks, increasing overall efficiency.
Enhanced system observability and debugging speed through structured log analysis and monitoring approaches.
Successfully validated complex virtualization scenarios, including nested environments and multi-device configurations.
Contributed to more secure and maintainable systems through detailed audit and remediation efforts.

Technologies & Tools

Virtualization & Infrastructure

QEMUKVMlibvirtPCIeiSCSISCSIVM disk management

Operating Systems & Kernel

Oracle Linux 8/9UEK KernelLinux internals

Scripting & Automation

BashShell scriptingAutomation workflows

System & Networking Tools

SSHvmstatiostattopipnet-tools

DevOps & Practices

CI/CDSystem reliabilityPerformance tuningDebugging

Web & Application Layer

JavaScriptjQuerySalesforce SFCCApex

03 / Work

Personal Projects

01/06

Ft_transcendence

ft_transcendence is an onepage website providing a real-time multiplayer online Pong game, chat (private/group messages), friend list, profiles, 42API-Auth/google 2fa, match-making system, and a spectating system.

02/06