Airavata Programming API

Apache Airavata's Programming API is the API which is exposed to the Gateway Developers. Gateway Developers can use this API to execute and monitor workflows. The API user should keep in mind that a user can not compose an Airavata workflow (.xwf) using the API. Inorder to do that a user can use the XBaya User Interface. Therefore, other than creation of the workflow; Client API supports all other workflow related operations.

The main motivation behind, having a Client API is that to expose the user to an API that will let him/her to a the persistent information stored in the Registry. The information persisted in the Registry can be;

• Descriptors
• Workflow information
• Workflow provenance information
• Airavata configuration

Following are the high level usecases which uses Airavata Client API.

Client API Usecases

1. Registry Operations 
   • Retrieve registry information
   • Access registry information
   • Update registry information
   • Delete registry information
   • Search registry information
2. Execute workflow
   • Run workflow
   • Set inputs
   • Set workflow node IDs 
3. Monitoring
4. Provenance
5. User Management (This is not yet implemented. It's currently in our Road Map and this is added as a place holder.)
   • User roles
   • Administration

Client API Components

The Client API consists of 5 main components.

1. Airavata API
   • It is an Aggregator API which contains all the base methods for Airavata API.
2. Airavata Manager
   • This exposes config related information on Airavata. This currently contains Service URLs only.
3. Application Manager
   • This will handle operations related to descriptors. Namely;
     1. Host description
     2. Service description
     3. Application description
4. Execution Manager
   • This can be used to run and monitor workflows.
5. Provenance Manger
   • This provides API to manage provenance related information. ie. Keeps track of inputs, outputs, etc related to a workflow.
6. User Manger
   • User management related API is exposed through this. Currently, Airavata does not support User management but it is in Airavata roadmap.
7. Workflow manager
   • Every operation related to workflows is exposed through this. ie:
     1. saving workflow
     2. deleting workflow
     3. retrieving workflow