DELWPs

DELWPs, short for Distributed Extensible Lightweight Workflow Packages, refer to a class of modular software artifacts designed to orchestrate and execute workflows across distributed computing environments. Each DELWP is a self-contained package that packages task definitions, resource bindings, and execution logic in a portable, parameterizable form. They are intended to enable teams to deploy complex workflows on heterogeneous infrastructures, including cloud, on-premises clusters, and edge devices, with reduced coupling to a specific scheduler or runtime.

A typical DELWP comprises a descriptor that defines tasks, dependencies, and inputs/outputs; an execution engine or adapter that can run tasks on various compute resources; and a binding layer that integrates with resource managers, data stores, and messaging systems. They often support dynamic composition, fault tolerance, and provenance capture, allowing workflows to adapt at runtime and to reproduce results across environments. Descriptors are commonly expressed in human-readable formats such as JSON or YAML, while the underlying runtime may rely on containerization or serverless primitives to ensure portability.

DELWPs are used to manage data processing pipelines, scientific workflows, and IoT or edge computing scenarios where resources are distributed and heterogeneous. They aim to improve modularity, reusability, and reproducibility by isolating workflow logic from deployment details. Challenges include ensuring interoperability across different platforms, maintaining consistent versioning of DELWPs, and addressing security and governance concerns in multi-tenant environments.

See also: workflow management systems, DAG-based coordinators, container orchestration, reproducible research.