THE COMPUTING CENTRE OF THE MATHEMATICAL INSTITUTE OF THE SERBIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND ARTS

Head of the Computing Centre: Dr. Vanja Korać

The MISANU Computing Centre is the main organisational unit in charge of maintaining, planning, and developing the local network, software, and network services at the Mathematical Institute of SANU.

In addition, the Computing Centre provides support for a large number of different services to both MISANU users and external partners and associates. The steady and reliable performance of the Computing Centre is enabled by Dr Vanja Korać, as Head of the Computing Centre (holding the position since 2000), Dragan Aćimović, as technical support of the Computing Centre (holding the position since 2014), Božo Vuković as administrator of the e-education platform (since 2018), Zoran Davidovac as an external associate in maintaining the security of computer systems (since 2009) and Aleksandra Arsić as web administrator (since 2016). The basic functions of the Computing Centre MISANU are:

Maintenance of the Institute's internal network (LAN); maintenance of hardware and software.
Planning the development of the Institute network: adding new workstations and virtual machines, address space maintenance.
Maintenance of the main Internet server, virtual servers and backup servers.
Maintenance of the Computing Centre facilities and equipment that belong to the Computing Centre.
Work with users and external associates: users’ accounts, technical support.
Providing support to services: secretariat, accounting; providing support in organising e-seminars, e-scientific councils, and distribution of video conferences and production of educational e-content.
Providing support in using the smart board in the lecture hall.
Providing support in organising and conducting seminars and lectures organised by MISANU.
Participation in projects that improve the existing infrastructure.
Planning and implementation of new services.
Acquisition and storage of software.
Participation in digitization projects (which encompass the processes of collecting, archiving, processing, and presenting digital material).

Chronology of the development of the Computing Centre

As the Mathematical Institute recognised very early the importance of computer science in the further development of mathematics, it set up the Computing Centre in 1968. It was equipped with one of the most modern computers of that time – IBM-360/44. Since the Institute did not have an adequate room to accommodate such a computer, the Computing Centre initially operated at the Faculty of Mathematics. As technology evolved and computers became faster and more compact, the Mathematical Institute again became the seat of the Computing Centre in the mid-1980s. After purchasing the first IBM (XT-AT) PCs, between 1985 and 1987, at the initiative of MISANU director Zoran Marković, the Computing Centre entered a new phase of its development. In that way, it was possible for the Institute to equip the premises with the most modern PC computers of that time. The Mathematical Institute had its premises on the first and fourth floors of the SANU building, and the Computing Centre was housed on the second floor in office number 213 at the address 35, Knez Mihailova Street.

In 1989, at the suggestion of Professor Žarko Mijailović, the first computers for parallel calculations – transputers – were procured. In the following year, the first laser Post-Script Printer NEC Silent Writer LC-800 was purchased, which was an extremely rare acquisition at that time and one of the first in the former Yugoslavia. In order to create a network with an information system, the Institute also installed the first HP Proliant server in Serbia with a hard drive of, for that time, an impressive 700 MB. For the purposes of monitoring the implementation of scientific projects, Professor Mijajlović, in the period from 1989 to 1997, developed the Information System of the Mathematical Institute (ISMI), while Zoran Marković, then Director of MISANU, conceived the functionality of the system. In the early phase of development, Milan Dražić was also involved as a programmer, and after 1997, the system was maintained by Dragan Urošević. From 1991 onwards, the ISMI was network software, which enabled multiple users to share their work to the same databases. Adapted versions of the ISMI satisfied the needs of the Serbian editorial office of Zentralblatt MATH, as well as the Ministry of Science, i.e. the Science Fund, which kept the databases that contained all scientists in Serbia.

In 1991, the LaserJet III laser printer was purchased with, for that time, an incredible 600 dots per inch and PCL5 printer language. In the same year, 386 and 386sx desktop computers were purchased, as well as network cards. In the period 1991-1994, Zolt Zolnai and his colleagues established the first network at the Mathematical Institute (1991) and set up the Novell Netware 3.10 (1992) server, which was used to store user data. From 1993 to 1997, Aleksandar Mirić was hired to maintain the computer systems at MISANU.

In 1994, Vlada Petrović and Uroš Majstorović set up the first Linux server at the Institute and established modem communication that enabled e-mail service. The first Olivetti laptops were purchased at the beginning of 1993, but due to delays in Hungary caused by the sanctions against FR Yugoslavia, they were delivered in mid-1994.

In the first half of 1995, MISANU received the domain mi.sanu.ac.yu, and in the same year, Veljko Spasić launched the first MISANU website. In 1996, with advisory assistance from Zoran Perišić, an Infocus LitePro 620 DLP projector with JBL speakers, a brightness of 600 ANSI lumens, and a resolution of 800 × 600 was purchased for scientific lectures; it was perhaps the only one of its kind in the country. From 1997 to 1999, maintenance of the computer network and system was taken over by Igor Jovanović, and from 1999 to 2002, Saša Todorović was engaged in system maintenance.

In 2000, Vanja Korać began upgrading the servers and selected workstations, and in 2001 he upgraded the operating systems (Windows 95/Windows 98) on all PCs to Windows XP. Together with his colleague Milan Vukosavljević, he replaced outdated Linux installations on the servers with the latest version of Slackware Linux 8. As a result of cooperation with the Leibniz Institute for Information Infrastructure, an EMIS server was set up to serve as a mirror site and provide access to the Zentralblatt MATH database. To protect the servers from power surges and outages, the Institute procured an APC Smart-UPS 2000VA (tower) for the most important servers, as well as several smaller stand-alone MGE and APC UPS units to protect other important computers.

In 2002, the MISANU website got a new look thanks to Arthur Stokes. The following year, a design for the MISANU local computer network was developed, envisaging the installation of active and passive equipment for all SANU institutes.

In 2006, the computer network project was implemented at MISANU. Cisco active equipment was installed, and in the same year the IBM HS21 cluster was procured within the framework of a scientific incentive project organised by the Ministry of Science. MISANU was among the first in the region to own this type of cluster. It was used for parallel computing and consisted of 16 IBM HS21 nodes and one IBM System x3650 management node.

Until the end of 2007, the Computing Centre was located in the SANU building at 35 Knez Mihailova Street, on the second floor (room 213). At the end of 2007, in preparation for the move to the new building, a new design for the MISANU local computer network was prepared for the building at 36 Knez Mihailova Street, covering the rooms on the third and fifth floors. The central hub of the MISANU Computing Centre was moved to the third floor of the new building (Room 301C). All active equipment was transferred and installed in the corresponding rack cabinets on the third and fifth floors. As part of the relocation, the Institute also provided a computer room (Room 304) to ensure uninterrupted scientific work for young scientists and researchers.

With the implementation of the developed networking project, MISANU received a modern network supporting speeds of up to 1 Gbps, optically connected via a Cisco Layer 3 switch to both the SANU building and the Rectorate building. The Computing Centre hall was equipped with three Mitsubishi inverter air conditioners (size 24) with advanced technology that regulates compressor speed and thus reduces electricity consumption. These air conditioners maintained a constant temperature of 22°C, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

In 2008, the DNS server was prepared for the successful transfer of the domain mi.sanu.ac.yu to mi.sanu.ac.rs. The servers were also replaced with new equipment, funded through the TEMPUS project. At the beginning of 2009, a new Red Hat EL 5 operating system was installed on the main Institute server, and a complete migration of all data was performed. During the relocation, the old telephone exchange was replaced with a new Panasonic exchange with 11 lines and one gateway, enabling each office to have its own extension (23 offices). The control panel was installed in the Computing Centre hall and connected to the active equipment cabinet.

In 2009, the Mathematical Institute became a member of the Academic and Educational Network Initiative of Serbia – AEGIS. In cooperation with the Institute of Physics, an important step in the development of a distributed research infrastructure for e-Science in Serbia was taken in April 2010, when the Linux cluster of the Mathematical Institute was integrated into the existing national AEGIS infrastructure. Bojan Marinković, Vanja Korać, and Tatjana Jakšić Krüger, with the support of SCL’s Grid operations team, reconfigured the IBM HS21 cluster as a new AEGIS11-MISAN Grid site at RC MISANU. This website consisted of 16 nodes with a total of 64 top Intel CPUs, which was available to the Serbian scientific community through the AEGIS virtual organization (https://www.scl.rs/news/576-new-aegis-grid-site-at-mi-sanu).

In 2012, due to the increasing number of servers, MISANU’s physical server infrastructure was modernised and the process of virtualisation commenced with the procurement of a new high-capacity server and storage system (EMC VNX 5300 and EMC Data Domain DD620). The Institute’s first virtualisation platform was deployed (VMware ESX), and the integration of the storage system and the Data Domain backup solution was implemented. By 2013, the number of servers at MISANU had grown to 25, of which 20 were virtualised on a new IBM x3650 M2 server with 48 GB of RAM and eight processors, integrated with a 30 TB EMC VNX storage system. This reduced the number of physical servers and electricity consumption, while increasing data security. In the same year, a more advanced IBM HS22 cluster was acquired for researchers conducting parallel computations.

In 2013, the Maxeler MPC-C500 dataflow computer was purchased, and in 2015 the system was expanded with the Maxeler MaxWorkstation DFE, which is based on the same architecture. These servers were also used in practical classes taught by Professor Veljko Milutinović for students at the University of Belgrade, as well as students from several universities in the USA. At the end of 2015, the adaptation of the computer centre was completed, including construction works and a full upgrade of the data centre power installation. An advanced system for climate control and humidity regulation was installed in the server room, featuring redundant Emerson cooling units and ensuring stable and reliable operating conditions for the critical IT infrastructure.

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Mathematical Institute, in 2016 the MISANU website was modernised. In the same year, Milica Knežević, together with Zoran Ognjanović and Edin Mulalić, developed a “Software system for monitoring bibliometric processing of scientific journals in Serbia” (http://bibliometrija.mi.sanu.ac.rs). At the end of 2016, with the aim of advancing digitisation projects, an advanced ATOS optical 3D scanning system was acquired, equipped with two measurement heads that enable fast, precise, and high-resolution capture across different measuring volumes. At the same time, a Dell EMC VxRail hyper-converged system was introduced, providing centralised virtualisation, consolidating compute, storage, and network resources, and significantly accelerating access to and management of the digital infrastructure. Together, these key investments provide researchers with reliable support for 3D measurement, digitisation, and the analysis of complex objects, while ensuring a modern IT environment that enables faster development and application of research results.

In 2017, a FARO Focus S laser 3D scanner with a range of 150 metres was acquired for high-precision, full 360-degree scanning of spaces and structures. The scanning outputs provide authentic digital documentation that serves as a permanent record and a basis for the archiving and preservation of cultural heritage. This system significantly enhances the creation of 3D models, visualisations, and virtual tours, enabling modern methods of presenting and safeguarding valuable sites and monuments.

At the beginning of 2018, videoconferencing equipment was acquired and, in cooperation with the Slovenian organisation MediaInteractive, a platform was launched for e-learning, videoconference distribution, and the production of educational e-content (https://miteam.mi.sanu.ac.rs/) . Training of MISANU personnel for its use and administration was also carried out.

At the beginning of 2019, Cisco Wi-Fi equipment was installed throughout the Institute, and all offices were covered by a Wi-Fi signal. Due to the increased number of servers, the old Silcon UPS was replaced with three new uninterruptible power supply units (APC MGE Galaxy 3500, 40 kW / 32 kVA, 400 V).

In 2020, Nikolina Vukša (Faculty of Mathematics, Belgrade), in collaboration with Zoran Ognjanović and Milica Knežević, developed a “Repository of scientific results of MISANU associates” (http://researchrepository.mi.sanu.ac.rs/) using the DSpace-CRIS programming environment.

In 2021, the system storage was replaced with a higher-capacity unit, a new physical server was procured, and all virtual machines were migrated and consolidated onto a single virtualisation platform. The old Networker backup system was replaced with the Avamar solution, and all virtual machines are backed up according to the stipulated plan. The total number of physical and virtual servers is currently 55. All these activities have contributed to improving overall network performance and increasing the capacity for storing digital assets.

In 2023, as part of the modernisation of the network infrastructure, the old core switch was replaced with a new Cisco Catalyst C9300-24UX, introducing multi-gigabit ports of up to 10 Gbps, advanced optical uplink capabilities, and increased PoE capacity. At the same time, older-generation access switches were replaced with Cisco Catalyst C9200L models, upgrading the previous 1 Gbps copper links between the floor switches and the core to 10 Gbps optical connections. By using EtherChannel, aggregate throughput was increased to 20 Gbps, providing additional redundancy. The C2901 router was also replaced with the modern C8300 model, which now serves as the Internet gateway router, offering significantly higher throughput and advanced WAN functionality.

In 2024, the existing infrastructure of the computer centre was upgraded with the introduction of an advanced system for data protection and cyberthreat resilience. A Dell EMC Power Protect DD6400 high-performance backup appliance and a Dell EMC PowerEdge R660 server were acquired, together with the implementation of the Dell EMC Cyber Recovery solution. This system enables replication of backup data into an isolated, security-segmented environment, significantly increasing the protection and availability of critical information resources.

As part of AMRES (the Academic Network of Serbia), the Institute continuously carries out the procedures required to obtain and deploy digital certificates for its server and web services. Over the years, the certification authorities within the AMRES/TCS programme have changed—TERENA (2013–2016), DigiCert (2016–2020), Sectigo (2021–2024), and HARICA (from 2025). Each transition to a new certification authority requires re-registering the institution, aligning with updated procedures, and generating and validating new certificate requests. These processes are complex and involve a series of administrative and technical steps to ensure that the Institute’s services remain secure, reliable, and compliant with current AMRES infrastructure standards.

The multi-technological nature of the MISANU Computing Centre and its cutting-edge equipment—rarely found in other institutes in the country—have been built and sustained by the people who have overseen its development. The technology in use surpasses that available in many more developed countries in the region. We can proudly say that the Computing Centre’s successful development has continued uninterrupted, making it highly adaptable to the technological challenges ahead.