ELIXIR_containers_nextflow

ELIXIR VIB-CRG courses on containers (Docker + Singularity) and Nextflow.

Webpage https://biocorecrg.github.io/ELIXIR_containers_nextflow/

When & Where

26 & 27 Oct 2020 - online

Schedule:

• 9:30 - 11:00 - session
• 11:00 - 11:15 - break
• 11:15 - 12:45 - session
• 12:45 - 13:45 - lunch
• 13:45 - 15:15 - session
• 15:15 - 15:30 - break
• 15:30 - 17:00 - session

Target audience

Bioinformaticians with no or little knowledge of containers.

Requirements

If trainees bring their own laptop, they should install:

• VNC viewer

• Discord / Zoom / GoTo meeting

Format

2 full days:

• Day 1: Containers
  • Introduction to containers
    • History of containers
    • What are containers? Why to use them?
    • Containers vs. virtual machines
  • Docker
    • Installation
    • Images and containers
    • Docker architecture
    • Docker files, Docker image layers, Docker caching
    • Docker hub: get images from and load images to: push, pull
    • Build and run Docker image from existing recipe:
      • Build and from recipe build, run
      • Use Docker image interactively run -it
      • Checking running containers, stopping a starting containers: ps, rm
      • Remove images: rmi
      • Exporting containers into tar files and importing them back
      • Tagging an image: tag
    • Docker “recipes”:
      • Understand the main sections: FROM, RUN, ADD, ENV, CP
      • Write basic recipe: e.g. Ubuntu base layer + ncbi-blast
      • Build and run.
    • Working with volumes: docker run -v …
    • Working with ports
  • Singularity
    • Installation ?
    • Differences between Singularity and Docker: why and when to use one or the other. Pros and cons.
    • Building a basic Singularity image
      • Pull and run an image with Singularity, from Docker hub or local Docker daemon
      • Singularity “recipes”
    • Use Singularity image interactively: singularity shell
    • Volumes in Singularity
    • Instances
• Day 2: Nextflow
  • Installation, update and versioning
  • Simple Nextflow pipeline given as an example:
    • Run pipeline
    • Going into detail
      • understand config and pipeline (.nf) files
      • work job directory structure
      • PID and log files
    • Pipeline modification and resume
  • Basic concepts
  • processes
    • input
    • output
    • script
    • when
    • directives: tag, publishDir, etc.
  • channels
  • operators
  • Write and run a simple Nextflow pipeline (e.g. print text, process a simple calculation)
  • Executors
    • local vs queue vs cloud systems
    • memory, time and CPU allocation
  • Including Docker and Singularity containers in Nextflow pipelines
  • Additional functions
    • Tracing, charts
    • Workflow
    • Mail notification
    • Web monitoring: tower.nf

Learning objectives

• Learn the concept of containers: what is a container, what is an image ?
• Understand the difference between Docker and Singularity
• Understand a container’s “recipe”
• Learn about Docker hub
• Understand Nextflow’s basic concepts: processes, channels, …
• Learn how to write and run a Nextflow pipeline

Learning outcomes

• Docker images and containers: run, push, pull, remove
• Write Docker recipe
• Build and run Docker image
• Pull and push Docker container to / from Docker hub
• Pull Docker container as Singularity image
• Write and run a simple Nextflow pipeline
• Write and run a simple Nextflow pipeline using a Singularity container

Instructors

Luca Cozzuto	Toni Hermoso

from the CRG Bioinformatics core facility in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Prerequisites

Familiarity with the Linux command line

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