Adding and Updating an Engine
Workbench requires at least one configured engine before you can submit workflow runs. This guide explains how to add and manage your engines.
Adding a New Engine
Navigate to the Engines page in Workbench
Click "Add Engine" in the top right corner
Select your engine type:
Choosing the Right Engine
There is no single "right" engine choice - your selection should align with your project needs and available resources. When selecting an engine, consider:
Supported Regions
Different engines have different regional availability. Ensure your chosen engine is available in regions that meet both your compliance and data locality requirements.
Data Movement and Costs
Since data can exist in different regions and cloud environments, consider potential costs of data movement. Choose an engine that can access your data without incurring unnecessary egress costs.
WDL Support
Engines vary in their WDL version support:
Cromwell supports WDL 1.0
miniWDL and HealthOmics support up to WDL 1.2
Required Configuration
Each engine needs the following metadata:
Name and ID
Choose a meaningful name for easy identification
Engine IDs must contain only letters, numbers, underscores, and dashes
IDs are auto-generated from names but can be customized
You'll use the ID for CLI and API references
Provider and Configuration
The specific configuration options depend on your engine type. For example:
AWS engines need access and secret keys
GCP engines require a service account key
After completing configuration, click "Save." Workbench will validate your settings and perform connectivity checks.
Updating an Engine
Navigate to the Engines page and select the engine you want to modify. You can update the name and configuration, but engine type and ID cannot be changed after creation.
Engine State
Workbench displays engine status on the state card, showing:
Overall state (
ONLINEorOFFLINE)Last check timestamp
Individual check results
Detailed error messages for troubleshooting
Last updated
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