Digitalization and technological progress have fundamentally transformed the world of science. Without High-Performance Computing (HPC), modern research in many disciplines would be almost inconceivable today. For his work in the field of HPC, René Meißner, a member of the IT Servicecenter (ITS) at the University of Bayreuth, has been honored with the 2025 Emil Warburg Technology Prize.

Together with his colleague Bernhard Winkler, René is responsible for the maintenance and configuration of the high-performance computing clusters at the University of Bayreuth.

The highlight of his work to date was the establishment of the new computing cluster "Festus." He procured the necessary components, organized the hardware setup, and configured the entire system. The result is impressive: the new computing cluster was completed in significantly less time than its predecessor and runs with exceptional stability, reliability, and high performance.

Through dedication and technical expertise, available resources are being utilized to their full potential. His work creates added value for the entire university, enabling researchers to implement their projects efficiently and successfully. Many scientific breakthroughs and innovations would not be possible without a reliable IT infrastructure.

The presentation of the 2025 Emil Warburg Technology Prize recognizes René Meißner's commitment and outstanding achievements.

René, what were the greatest challenges in setting up the new computing cluster?

René Meißner: Keeping track of the numerous details and dependencies was definitely a challenge. The spontaneous delivery of over 40 nodes, which had to be hastily stored and installed, didn't make things any easier. :)

How did you decide to manage the project independently?

Our department head, Günther Neubauer (also known as "Festus"), asked if we could purchase a system through the framework agreement. I liked the idea... By purchasing through the framework agreement, we were able to avoid a risky formal tender process. As a result, I discarded the nearly finished tender documents and opted for the framework agreement instead. The desire for maximum creative control over the hardware selection and configuration essentially turned the project into an "in-house build." This allowed us to save on costs and invest more in pure computing power.

Was there anything that didn’t go as planned?

A few things. The deliveries arrived earlier than expected, but some configurations took much longer than anticipated.

The scripts and programs in the accounting area took a long time to reach maturity. However, I learned a lot, and building the successor should go much more smoothly.

How do you see the future of High-Performance Computing at the University of Bayreuth?

We will continue to increase our CPU time capacities. In the long term, we should look for solutions that make better use of the waste heat generated by servers. This doesn't just apply to HPC, but to the university's IT systems in general. Unfortunately, there is a visible trend where people use funded equipment for free while simultaneously using their own funds to build separate, individual systems. This is neither organizationally sustainable nor economically or ecologically sensible. I would like to appeal to the community spirit of decision-makers to contact the ITS/KeylabHPC to check whether their requirements can be met by strengthening a central system instead. This would be a win-win for everyone involved. A great way to stay up to date on current developments is to join the BZHPC.