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Taverna: lessons in creating a workflow environment for the life sciences
Author(s) -
Oinn Tom,
Greenwood Mark,
Addis Matthew,
Alpdemir M. Nedim,
Ferris Justin,
Glover Kevin,
Goble Carole,
Goderis Antoon,
Hull Duncan,
Marvin Darren,
Li Peter,
Lord Phillip,
Pocock Matthew R.,
Senger Martin,
Stevens Robert,
Wipat Anil,
Wroe Chris
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
concurrency and computation: practice and experience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.309
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1532-0634
pISSN - 1532-0626
DOI - 10.1002/cpe.993
Subject(s) - workflow , workbench , context (archaeology) , computer science , data science , grid , world wide web , grid computing , software engineering , knowledge management , database , visualization , artificial intelligence , paleontology , geometry , mathematics , biology
Abstract Life sciences research is based on individuals, often with diverse skills, assembled into research groups. These groups use their specialist expertise to address scientific problems. The in silico experiments undertaken by these research groups can be represented as workflows involving the co‐ordinated use of analysis programs and information repositories that may be globally distributed. With regards to Grid computing, the requirements relate to the sharing of analysis and information resources rather than sharing computational power. The my Grid project has developed the Taverna Workbench for the composition and execution of workflows for the life sciences community. This experience paper describes lessons learnt during the development of Taverna. A common theme is the importance of understanding how workflows fit into the scientists' experimental context. The lessons reflect an evolving understanding of life scientists' requirements on a workflow environment, which is relevant to other areas of data intensive and exploratory science. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.