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Infrastructure

The eLwazi platform is being developed to provide a robust and interoperable infrastructure that supports the efficient processing, organization, and access to data across the DS-I Africa consortium. Its primary aim is to enable seamless data sharing and collaboration across research teams by leveraging global data standards and modern technologies.

A key objective of the platform is to understand the specific use cases and data needs of researchers within the consortium, and to design solutions that are both relevant and scalable. To achieve this, eLwazi will implement established data sharing and interoperability standards, such as those developed by the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH). These include:

  • Data Connect for structured data discovery,
  • DRS (Data Repository Service) for accessing distributed datasets,
  • WES (Workflow Execution Service) for executing workflows in a standardized way,
  • AAI (Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure) and Passports for managing secure and federated user access.

A diagram mapping the integration points of technologies and GA4GH standards within the platform is provided below.

Infrastructure flowchart

In addition to standards, eLwazi will also integrate tools like Dockstore to enable reproducible, containerized workflows, as well as multiple cloud platforms and computing environments to support flexible and accessible research pipelines. This integration is critical for simplifying the research flow, especially when researchers work across diverse systems and institutions.

To support local capacity and data sovereignty, GEN3 instances are being deployed for network partners who require data management and analysis environments. These local instances provide workspaces, analytical tools, and customizable apps to meet partner-specific research needs.

Beyond platform development, the eLwazi team also plays a key role in infrastructure deployment and support for training initiatives, ensuring that researchers not only have access to the tools they need, but also the skills required to use them effectively.