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 (ONLINE or OFFLINE)
Last check timestamp
Individual check results
Detailed error messages for troubleshooting

For help resolving issues, consult your engine's configuration guide.

PreviousEngines NextOn AWS HealthOmics

Last updated 20 days ago

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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.