Snowflake CLI Nextflow Plugin

A Snowflake CLI plugin that enables running Nextflow workflows directly in Snowpark Container Services.

Overview

This plugin extends the Snowflake CLI with Nextflow workflow capabilities, allowing you to:

• Run Nextflow workflows at scale using Snowflake's compute resources
• Stream live execution logs through secure WebSocket connections
• Manage workflow execution directly from your command line
• Leverage Snowflake's security and governance for bioinformatics and data pipelines

Key Features

• 🚀 Seamless Integration: Run Nextflow workflows directly in Snowpark Container Services
• 📊 Real-time Monitoring: Stream live logs and execution status via WebSocket
• 🔒 Enterprise Security: Built-in Snowflake authentication and authorization
• 🎯 Simple CLI Interface: Familiar command-line experience for workflow management
• 📦 Flexible Configuration: Support for Nextflow profiles and custom configurations

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• All prerequisites of running snowflake-cli mentioned here
• Access to a Snowflake account with Snowpark Container Services enabled
• A Snowflake compute pool configured for container workloads

Installation

1. Install Snowflake CLI

   pip install snowflake-cli

2. Install the Nextflow plugin

   pip install snowflake-cli-nextflow

3. Configure Snowflake connection

   snow connection add

   Follow the prompts to configure your Snowflake connection

4. Enable the Nextflow plugin

   snow plugin enable nextflow

   The nextflow command should now be available in the CLI.

Quick Start

1. Prepare your Nextflow project

   Create a nextflow.config file in your project directory:

   // nextflow.config
   snowflake {
       computePool = 'YOUR_COMPUTE_POOL'
       workDirStage = 'WORKDIR_STAGE'
       stageMounts = 'INPUT:/mnt/input,OUTPUT:/mnt/output'
       driverImage = '/DB/SCHEMA/REPO/nf-snowflake:0.8.3'
   }

2. Upload nf-snowflake image into snowflake image repository

   snow nextflow image push --source ghcr.io/snowflake-labs/nf-snowflake:0.8.3 --target nf_repo

3. Run your workflow

   snow nextflow run /path/to/your/nextflow-project --profile snowflake

4. Monitor execution

   The plugin will automatically:

   • Upload your project to Snowflake
   • Submit the workflow to Snowpark Container Services
   • Stream live logs to your terminal

Configuration

Snowflake-specific Configuration

Your nextflow.config must include the following Snowflake-specific settings:

plugins { id '[email protected]' }

snowflake {
    computePool = 'YOUR_COMPUTE_POOL'
    workDirStage = 'WORKDIR_STAGE'
    stageMounts = 'INPUT:/mnt/input,OUTPUT:/mnt/output'
    driverImage = '/DB/SCHEMA/REPO/nf-snowflake:0.8.3'
}

Configuration Parameters

• computePool (Required): The name of your Snowflake compute pool where the Nextflow containers will run. This compute pool must be configured with appropriate resources and permissions for container workloads.

• workDirStage (Required): The Snowflake stage name where the plugin will upload your workflow files and store execution artifacts. This stage serves as the working directory for your Nextflow execution.

• driverImage (Required): The full path to the nf-snowflake image pushed to Snowflake registry. The version of the image should match the version specified in plugins section.

• stageMounts (Optional): A comma-separated list of stage mounts in the format STAGE_NAME:/mount/path. Each mount makes a Snowflake stage available inside the container at the specified path. Use this to provide input data and collect output results.

Usage Examples

Basic Workflow Execution

# Run with default profile
snow nextflow run ./my-workflow

# Run with specific profile
snow nextflow run ./my-workflow --profile snowflake

# Check available commands
snow nextflow --help

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Nextflow - The workflow management system
• Snowflake - The cloud data platform
• Snowpark Container Services - Container orchestration platform