At IQOQI, my work combines system administration, software development, and the ongoing improvement of the institute’s technical infrastructure.
I’m involved in a wide range of tasks, from maintaining servers and backend systems to frontend work with HTML and CSS. Over the years, I have helped modernise existing structures, improve reliability, and introduce practical solutions that support daily work across the institute.
One area I focused on was the restructuring of meeting room technology and the introduction of collaboration tools such as Mattermost. I generally try to find solutions that are sustainable, cost-effective, and based on open-source technologies whenever that makes sense.
Another important part of my role is staying up to date with new developments, especially in IT security. I’m interested not only in what is technically possible, but also in what is actually useful in practice. In addition, I serve as a GDPR contact, helping ensure that technical processes are aligned with data protection requirements.
My work also includes server planning and installation, from hardware procurement and rack setup to backend development, data source maintenance, and the technical foundation needed to keep services running reliably.
Establishing the IVA
One of the larger projects I was responsible for was establishing the IVA as a central platform for managing data across both administration and research.
The IVA provides tools that support everyday processes and includes libraries for handling data related to scientific publications and events. A large part of this information is also connected to the institute’s public website. To make that possible, I developed custom Joomla components and modules and used SOAP-based interfaces to connect the systems reliably.
Technical Foundation
To support the IVA, I developed APM (Advanced PHP Managed), a LAMP-based framework tailored to our specific needs.
While I appreciate the strengths of newer technologies, I still value PHP in the right context because it is reliable, fast, portable, and comparatively easy to maintain. The framework includes LDAP authentication, database access, caching, and error handling, along with application-level objects for reports and AJAX-based requests.
For me, the goal was not to follow trends for their own sake, but to build a solid technical foundation that works well, remains maintainable, and can grow over time.
Server Management
When I joined the institute, the website was hosted externally on a fairly complex third-party setup. I pushed for a move toward self-hosting and helped lead the transition to a new architecture, which initially started with a single LAMP server.
Over time, I integrated LDAP authentication, introduced dedicated servers, and set up backup solutions to improve both performance and reliability.
Debian Linux has been my preferred operating system throughout, and I still rely on it today. Experiences such as power outages also led us to rethink the overall architecture. As a result, the infrastructure was later virtualised, and we now run multiple virtual server instances externally, giving us greater stability and better scalability for future requirements.
AI-Supported Workflows
In addition to infrastructure and software development, another area that has become increasingly relevant in recent years is the practical use of AI in existing workflows.
I’m interested in where AI can genuinely save time, improve access to information, or support repetitive tasks without creating unnecessary dependency or overhead. That means looking beyond the hype, testing tools critically, and focusing on solutions that are reliable, understandable, and actually useful in day-to-day work.
In an institutional setting, that also includes questions of privacy, data protection, long-term maintainability, and whether a tool fits into the broader technical environment.