Workflows

Overview

Rescale Workflows lets your team build, share, and run reusable multi-step simulation pipelines on the Rescale platform. A Workflow Template is a connected graph of nodes — representing jobs, workstations, storage devices, decision logic, and agents — that you configure once and run repeatedly with different inputs. This eliminates manual handoffs between pipeline stages and preserves your team’s simulation best practices in a format any engineer can execute.

Benefits

  • Visual template builder — Compose multi-step simulation pipelines on a drag-and-drop canvas without scripting
  • Two-persona design — Template builders configure the workflow once; runners execute it by providing only the inputs required for each run
  • Conditional logic — Use Decision nodes to route execution based on outputs from upstream steps (for example, selecting hardware based on mesh size)
  • Managed data transfer — Shared storage connects nodes so that output files from one step are automatically available to the next
  • Reusable, shareable templates — Save templates and share them across your team so your best simulation processes become organizational assets

Prerequisites

Before building or running a workflow:

  • You must have access to a Rescale account with Workflows enabled. Contact your Rescale representative to enable Workflows for your account.
  • To run a workflow, you must be the workflow template owner or ensure the workflow template is shared with you

Building a Workflow Template

A Workflow Template is the reusable foundation of every workflow run. You build a workflow template once — configuring nodes, connecting them in sequence, and defining the parameters that runners fill in at execution time. Once saved, it can be shared with your team and run as many times as needed without modification.

1. Navigate to Workflows

  1. Sign in to the Rescale platform.
  2. In the left navigation, click Workflows.
  3. Click New Workflow and + Create New Template to open the canvas for building a workflow template

2. Add Nodes to the Canvas

The canvas is a drag-and-drop workspace where you compose your pipeline from a palette of node types. To run a workflow template, you need at least one node. 

  1. In the node palette, drag a node type onto the canvas. Available node types are:
    • Job — Runs a simulation or compute task on Rescale hardware
    • Workstation — Launches an interactive workstation session for pre- or post-processing or other interactive tasks
    • Storage Device — Mounts a persistent shared storage volume accessible to all connected nodes
    • Decision — Evaluates a condition and routes execution to one of two downstream branches
    • Agent — Connects a pre-built AI agent (such as an Input Validator or Troubleshooter) into the pipeline
  2. Select the node on the canvas. Its configuration form opens in the bottom panel.
  3. Fill in the node configuration — software, hardware, commands, and other settings — the same way you would configure a standalone job or workstation on Rescale.

Tip: If your workflow passes files between steps, add a Storage Device node first and connect it to your downstream nodes. All connected nodes will share the same storage volume automatically.

3. Connect Nodes

Connections define execution order. A downstream node does not start until all nodes it depends on have completed.

  1. Hover over the edge of the node you want to run first. A connection handle appears.
  2. Click and drag from the handle to the next node in your pipeline.
  3. Release to create the connection. Repeat for each step in sequence.

To create parallel branches, connect one upstream node to multiple downstream nodes. All of those nodes start simultaneously when the upstream node completes.

Tip: To delete a previously defined connection, select the connection and use the Backspace key. 

4. Define Workflow Parameters

Workflow parameters let runners customize the workflow at execution time without modifying the template itself. Define them once; runners provide values when they submit a run.

  1. In the Parameters panel, click Add Parameter.
  2. Enter a name and choose a type:
    • String — A text value (for example, a solver flag, output directory name, or analysis label)
    • File — Prompts the runner to upload a file or select one from existing cloud storage
    • Storage Device — Prompts the runner to select a running shared storage device; Rescale automatically attaches it to all nodes in the workflow
  3. Set the parameter as Required or Optional.
  4. To use the parameter inside a node’s configuration, insert the following reference anywhere in that node’s fields — for example, in a job command or a file path:

${parameters[“<parameter name>”]}

The Workflow Builder will often populate this reference automatically or from a dropdown when you’re editing a node field.

5. Reference Upstream Node Outputs (Optional)

Dynamic value references let you pass outputs from one node directly into the configuration of a downstream node at runtime — for example, using a completed job’s resource ID as an input for the next step.

To reference the resource ID of an upstream node:

${nodes[“<node name>”].data.execution.resource_id}

Insert this reference in any node configuration field where you want to use the upstream value. It resolves automatically when the workflow runs.

6. Save the Workflow Template

Click Save. Your template appears in the Workflows list and is ready to run or share.

7. Share the Template (Optional)

  1. Open the workflow template from the Workflows list.
  2. Click Share.
  3. Search for and select the recipients you want to add.

Recipients can view and submit the workflow, but cannot edit the template. Workflow runs they create are owned by them.

Running a Workflow

Running a workflow uses a saved template. You provide the required inputs; the platform handles execution, sequencing, and data transfer automatically.

1. Open a Workflow Template

  1. In the left navigation, click Workflows.
  2. Click New Workflow, find the template you want to run — your own, or one shared with you — and click Use Template.

Tip: To organize workflow runs into folders, click New Workflow from the folder in which you would like to create the workflow run, from the Workflows tab of Workspace Folders.

2. Submit the Workflow Run

  1. In the submission form, provide values for all required parameters:
    • For String parameters, enter the value in the text field.
    • For File parameters, upload a file or select one from your existing cloud storage.
    • For Storage Device parameters, select a running storage device from the dropdown.
  2. Review your inputs, then click Run Workflow.

Rescale creates a workflow run and begins executing nodes in the order defined by the template.

3. Monitor the Workflow Run

  1. In the left navigation, click Workflows, then select Workflow Runs. 
  2. Click the name of your run to open the run view.
  3. Alternatively, from the Workflows tab of Workspace Folders, click the name of your run to open the run view. 

The run view shows the same canvas as the template, updated with the live status of each node:

StatusMeaning
PendingWaiting for an upstream dependency to complete
RunningCurrently executing
CompletedFinished successfully
FailedEncountered an error
  1. To inspect a specific node, click it on the canvas. The Execution Details panel shows its current status and a direct link to the underlying resource — the job, workstation, or storage device — where you can view logs and outputs.

Common Use Cases

Rescale Workflows covers the most common multi-step simulation pipeline patterns.

Pre- and Post-Processing Pipelines

Chain pre-processing, solver, and post-processing steps in a single template:

  • A Workstation or Job node generates the mesh or input files
  • One or more Job nodes run the solver — in parallel across parameter variations if needed
  • A final Job node aggregates and formats results

File transfers between steps are handled automatically through a shared Storage Device node. No manual data movement is needed between stages.

Conditional Hardware Selection

Use a Decision node to route execution based on outputs from an upstream step. For example:

  • A pre-processing Job generates a mesh and outputs mesh size information
  • A Decision node evaluates mesh size information
  • Based on the evaluation, the workflow routes automatically to a smaller or larger hardware configuration for the solver Job

Multi-Program Template Management

Build a single template that routes to different job or workstation nodes based on a run-time parameter value. For example, a methods developer or simulation expert controls best practices for many different types of simulations. The runner simply selects the type of simulation they want to perform, and the workflow handles the rest. This enforces consistency across users without maintaining separate templates for each configuration or type of simulation. 

FAQs

Can I run jobs in parallel within a workflow?
Yes. Connect one upstream node to multiple downstream nodes to run them in parallel. All parallel branches start when the upstream node completes, and any node downstream of all of them waits until every branch has finished.

What happens if a node fails during a workflow run?
By default, if a node fails, its dependent downstream nodes will not start. If your workflow has “continue on node failure” enabled, execution continues — and any Decision node that depends on the failed node will route to the false branch.

What is the difference between a Workflow Template and a Workflow Run?
A Workflow Template is the saved configuration — the node structure, connections, and parameters. A Workflow Run is an active instance created when someone submits the template with specific parameter values. Each run is independent and does not modify the underlying template.

Can I edit a workflow template after sharing it?
Yes. You can edit your own template at any time. If you share a template with someone else, they can run and view it, but they cannot edit it. Changes to the template do not affect runs that are already in progress.

Can I reuse files or storage across multiple workflow runs?
Yes. If you use a Storage Device parameter, runners can select the same shared storage device across multiple runs — allowing them to build on results from previous runs or share data across campaigns.

Who can see my workflow runs?
Each workflow run is owned by the user who submitted it. If you share a template with a teammate and they submit a run, that run belongs to them and does not appear in your Workflow Runs list.

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