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Run a workflow

Choose an available workflow in the AntFlow web interface, run it, and retrieve its results. AntFlow presents an available workflow as a process. Each run creates a job, which lets you follow its progress and find its results. The information you enter and the results you receive depend on the workflow.

Before you start

You need:

  • The address of your AntFlow website and an account you can use to sign in.
  • Access to a GitLab project containing a workflow discovered by AntFlow.
  • The input data and any passwords or access tokens required by the workflow.

You do not need to deploy the platform or create a launcher if the instance already provides a suitable one.

1. Find a process

  1. Open your AntFlow website and sign in.
  2. Open the Projects page and select a project you can access.
  3. Select the workflow version recommended by its author. GitLab versions are selected using a branch, tag, or commit.
  4. Open the process and review its description, inputs, and outputs.

If a project is missing, check sign-in and GitLab access. If you sign in with Keycloak, start with the GitLab token setup in your profile. If you can access the project but its workflow is missing, ask its author to check the workflow discovery requirements.

2. Supply inputs and select a launcher

Fill in the execution form using the process's input descriptions. Required inputs must be supplied; values must match their expected types.

Select a launcher from the available choices. It determines where the workflow runs, such as on a shared computing cluster. Ask your administrator which one to use if you are unsure. If you need to set up your own computing resources, see launcher registration and deployment.

The workflow must be able to read your input files

A file path on your computer is not automatically available to a remote

launcher. Use the file locations accepted by the workflow and accessible from the computers where it runs. Ask the workflow author which locations to use if the input description does not specify them.

Workflow secrets

If your instance supports workflow secrets, a secret input can offer names from your vault, the encrypted secret store in your profile. Select the appropriate name rather than entering the password or token in an ordinary input field.

User secrets can also override matching project environment variables. This is separate from selecting a secret input. Ask your administrator if the required vault entry or profile editor is unavailable.

See Manage workflow secrets to create a vault entry and select its name for execution.

Do not put credentials in reusable input files or include them in screenshots.

3. Submit and monitor the job

Review the inputs and launcher selection, then submit the job. AntFlow creates a job for this execution. Open its details to follow the status and inspect available logs, which record what happened during processing.

A queued job has not necessarily started executing. If it remains queued, ask your administrator to check launcher availability and execution capabilities. If the job fails, inspect its logs and input values before submitting another run.

4. Retrieve results

When the job finishes successfully, open its results from the job details page. Follow the result links to retrieve the files or inspect the available visualizations. The available files and any catalog entries depend on the workflow and how the platform stores results; see Results and publication.

Keep your AntFlow session active when accessing protected results. Ask your administrator how long results are kept; a result link does not guarantee permanent storage.

Reuse inputs from a previous job

Download a completed job's inputs from its details page to use as a template for another execution. In the execution form, select Import inputs, choose the JSON file, and review the populated values and launcher before submitting.

The UI import/export format contains an execution_content object:

{
  "execution_content": {
    "input_name_1": "value1",
    "input_name_2": 42,
    "input_array": ["item1", "item2"],
    "antflow_config:launcher": "my-launcher"
  }
}

This is an illustrative template. Replace the names and values with inputs declared by your process; input names are case-sensitive. The file must be valid JSON, and each value must match the input's expected type.

UI input files are not API execution requests

The UI uses execution_content for importing and exporting inputs. The project execution API accepts a flat input object; standard OGC requests use inputs. These formats are not interchangeable. See Submit a project job.

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