Enhanced Usability of Managing Workflows in an Industrial Data Gateway

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new integrated web-based workflow editor for gUSE, enhancing usability for managing industrial data workflows and improving user experience in distributed computing environments.

Contribution

It presents the first integrated web-based workflow editor for gUSE, addressing non-intuitive workflow management and providing initial user feedback on its utility.

Findings

Improved workflow creation usability based on user feedback.

Enhanced user experience for industrial data workflows.

Potential benefits for big data applications and research infrastructures.

Abstract

The Grid and Cloud User Support Environment (gUSE) enables users convenient and easy access to grid and cloud infrastructures by providing a general purpose, workflow-oriented graphical user interface to create and run workflows on various Distributed Computing Infrastructures (DCIs). Its arrangements for creating and modifying existing workflows are, however, non-intuitive and cumbersome due to the technologies and architecture employed by gUSE. In this paper, we outline the first integrated web-based workflow editor for gUSE with the aim of improving the user experience for those with industrial data workflows and the wider gUSE community. We report initial assessments of the editor's utility based on users' feedback. We argue that combining access to diverse scalable resources with improved workflow creation tools is important for all big data applications and research infrastructures.