[documentation] Document how to record metadata / provenance with ecflow workflows/suites

[kinow]

Hi,

I know there is some work happening on a new project documentation home for ecflow, in ReadTheDocs. I noticed most of the old content was being first ported to the new format, but I think a follow up task will be to start updating the documentation.

One good improvement, IMO, would be to document more about provenance, metadata, FAIRness. For instance, show how users of ecFlow can record and trace changes in workflow configuration, record provenance information ¹, add extra metadata to this provenance info if possible (e.g. software version used ²), archive and share it.

Happy to help reviewing or discussing any improvements on this, as I am probably going to work on a similar task for other workflow managers.

Thank you!
Bruno

Footnotes

1. possibly using an open standard, like W3 Prov-O, BagIt, Research Objects/RO-Crate, etc., for modelling/archiving/serializing ↩

2. for an example, CWL contains a software requirements feature where workflow developers can include metadata about the software used/required for running the workflow. CWL implementations can choose how to use this info, like failing to run if a version is not installed, recording it in workflow logs, etc. ↩