https://github.com/francescoingv/expose-pygeoapi-platform
EXPOSE platform: for exposing and executing scientific processes via "OGC API - Processes" standard using pygeoapi plugins and external execution services
https://github.com/francescoingv/expose-pygeoapi-platform
geospatial-processing ogc-api-processes open-science processing-services pygeoapi scientific-workflows
Last synced: 3 days ago
JSON representation
EXPOSE platform: for exposing and executing scientific processes via "OGC API - Processes" standard using pygeoapi plugins and external execution services
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/francescoingv/expose-pygeoapi-platform
- Owner: francescoingv
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-03-06T16:19:46.000Z (4 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-06-12T13:54:50.000Z (20 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-06-12T15:17:19.342Z (20 days ago)
- Topics: geospatial-processing, ogc-api-processes, open-science, processing-services, pygeoapi, scientific-workflows
- Homepage:
- Size: 18.6 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- License: LICENSE
- Citation: CITATION.cff
- Zenodo: .zenodo.json
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# EXPOSE (EXecutables for OGC API PrOcesses and Scientific Environments) platform
[](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18892848)
Platform for exposing command‑line scientific programs as
**OGC API - Processes** web services using **pygeoapi** and a
remote execution architecture.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
## Overview
The **EXPOSE (EXecutables for OGC API PrOcesses and Scientific Environments) platform**
is a software architecture
designed to expose command‑line scientific programs as web services
compliant with the **OGC API - Processes** standard.
Many scientific applications are distributed as command-line programs
that require specific runtime environments, dependencies, or operating
systems. Running these programs within a single web service environment
is often difficult due to incompatible software stacks or resource
isolation requirements.
This platform provides a solution that separates:
1. **API layer** -- exposes processes through the OGC API - Processes
standard
2. **Execution layer** -- runs scientific programs in isolated
environments
The API layer is implemented using the **pygeoapi framework**, which
provides an implementation of the OGC API suite and allows extension
through plugins.
Actual execution of the scientific programs is delegated to lightweight
remote services called **generic processor providers**, which run the
programs on dedicated machines and return results via HTTP.
This architecture allows:
- isolation of execution environments
- independent deployment of processing codes
- reuse of a single API infrastructure for multiple programs
- a single entrypoint exposing all processing services
------------------------------------------------------------------------
## Design principles
The platform design follows several principles:
- **Environment isolation** -- programs can run on different machines
with independent software environments.
- **Single API entry point** -- all processes are exposed through one
OGC API.
- **Minimal execution service** -- the execution service is
lightweight and flexible.
- **Decoupled architecture** -- API infrastructure and execution
environments are independent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
## Platform architecture
The platform consists of four main layers.
### 1. pygeoapi
The **pygeoapi** framework exposes processes through APIs compliant with
the **OGC API - Processes** standard.
https://pygeoapi.io/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
### 2. pygeoapi process plugins
Repository:
https://github.com/francescoingv/expose-pygeoapi-plugins
Plugins implement the processing logic exposed through pygeoapi.
Responsibilities:
- validate input/output parameters
- forward execution requests to the execution service
- collect execution results
- format and return results according to **pygeoapi** infrastructure
------------------------------------------------------------------------
### 3. Execution service
Repository:
https://github.com/francescoingv/generic-processor-provider
Responsibilities:
- receive execution requests from plugins
- execute configured command‑line programs
- manage parameters and runtime environment
- return results via HTTP
------------------------------------------------------------------------
### 4. Scientific processing codes
Scientific codes are **not part of this repository**.
They are executed by the execution service using the configured
`command_line` parameter.
This design allows:
- independent development of scientific codes
- flexible deployment
- reuse of the same execution infrastructure
Currently supported examples:
- **pybox** – scientific processing model to simulate the dispersals
of a gravity-driven pyroclastic density currents (PDC)
Repository: https://github.com/silviagians/PyBOX-Web
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18920969
- **conduit** – scientific processing model for computing the one-dimensional,
steady, isothermal, multiphase and multicomponent flow of magma
in volcanic conduits
- **solwcad** – scientific processing model to compute the saturation surface
H₂O–CO₂ fluids in silicate melts of arbitrary composition
------------------------------------------------------------------------
## Architecture diagram
```mermaid
flowchart TD
Client["Client application"] --> API["pygeoapi (OGC API - Processes)"]
API --> Plugins["pygeoapi process plugins"]
Plugins --> Provider["generic-processor-provider"]
Provider --> Code["Scientific processing code (CLI program)"]
```
------------------------------------------------------------------------
## Logical workflow
1. A client sends a processing request to **pygeoapi**.
2. **pygeoapi** forwards the request to the appropriate plugin.
3. The **pygeoapi plugin** sends the execution request to the
**generic processor provider**.
4. The provider executes the scientific program.
5. Results are returned to the plugin.
6. **pygeoapi** exposes the result through the OGC API interface.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
## Platform components
| Component | Repository | DOI | Role |
|-----------|------------|-----|------|
| processing platform | [expose-pygeoapi-platform](https://github.com/francescoingv/expose-pygeoapi-platform) | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18892848 | platform architecture |
| pygeoapi process plugins | [expose-pygeoapi-plugins](https://github.com/francescoingv/expose-pygeoapi-plugins) | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18892819 | OGC API process implementation |
| generic processor provider | [generic-processor-provider](https://github.com/francescoingv/generic-processor-provider) | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18892842 | remote execution service |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
## Related projects
EXPOSE is built upon the pygeoapi framework, which provides the
implementation of the OGC API standards and the plugin architecture
used by this platform.
**pygeoapi**\
https://github.com/geopython/pygeoapi\
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5999665
------------------------------------------------------------------------
## Related scientific software
Examples of scientific processing codes exposed through this platform:
- **PyBOX-Web**
Repository: https://github.com/silviagians/PyBOX-Web
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18920969
------------------------------------------------------------------------
## Citation
If you use this platform in scientific work, please cite it as:
Martinelli, F. (2026).
*EXPOSE (EXecutables for OGC API PrOcesses and Scientific Environments) platform*.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18892848
------------------------------------------------------------------------
## License
This project is distributed under the MIT License.
See the LICENSE file for details.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
## Author
Francesco Martinelli
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
Pisa, Italy
------------------------------------------------------------------------
## Acknowledgements
Developed at the **Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia
(INGV)**.