Orchestra Platform Architecture

Domain Structure

The Orchestra Platform uses a hierarchical domain structure built around orchestraplatform.org to provide a comprehensive bioinformatics and data science learning environment.

See Domain Structure for details on subdomains and workshop URLs.

Core Platform Subdomains

Subdomain	Purpose	Repository
app.orchestraplatform.org	Main application dashboard and frontend where users create and manage workshops	orchestra-frontend
api.orchestraplatform.org	REST API endpoints for the platform	orchestra-api
docs.orchestraplatform.org	Documentation site (user guides, API docs, tutorials)	orchestra-docs

Workshop Subdomains

Each workshop instance gets a unique hostname following the pattern:

{workshop-id}.orchestraplatform.org

Examples:

• genomics-101-abc123.orchestraplatform.org
• rnaseq-analysis-2025jan-a1b2c3.orchestraplatform.org
• proteomics-intro-cohort5-x9y8z7.orchestraplatform.org

Additional Service Subdomains

Subdomain	Purpose
status.orchestraplatform.org	System status page and uptime monitoring
admin.orchestraplatform.org	Administrative interface for platform operators
staging.orchestraplatform.org	Staging environment for testing

Workshop ID Strategy

Workshop IDs follow the pattern: {course-name}-{session-id}-{random}

• course-name: Descriptive identifier for the workshop type
• session-id: Time-based or cohort identifier
• random: Short random string for uniqueness

This provides readable URLs while maintaining uniqueness and reasonable length.

DNS Configuration

Wildcard DNS Setup

A wildcard DNS record *.orchestraplatform.org points to the Kubernetes ingress controller, which handles routing individual workshop subdomains to the correct pods.

SSL/TLS

All subdomains use HTTPS with automatic certificate management through cert-manager and Let’s Encrypt.

Platform Components

1. Orchestra Operator (orchestra-operator)

• Purpose: Kubernetes operator that manages workshop lifecycle
• Technology: Python, Kopf framework
• Responsibilities:
  • Creates/deletes workshop resources (Deployments, Services, Ingresses, PVCs)
  • Manages workshop expiration and cleanup
  • Handles Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs)

2. Orchestra API (orchestra-api)

• Purpose: REST API for workshop management
• Technology: Python, FastAPI
• Responsibilities:
  • Workshop CRUD operations
  • Integration with Kubernetes operator
  • Authentication and authorization
  • Workshop status monitoring

3. Orchestra Frontend (orchestra-frontend)

• Purpose: Web application for users to manage workshops
• Technology: React, TypeScript, Vite
• Responsibilities:
  • Workshop creation and management UI
  • User dashboard
  • Workshop status display
  • Integration with API backend

4. Orchestra Docs (orchestra-docs)

• Purpose: Platform documentation
• Technology: Astro, Starlight
• Content:
  • User guides and tutorials
  • API documentation
  • Architecture documentation
  • Developer guides

Workshop Lifecycle

1. Creation: User requests workshop through frontend
2. API Processing: Frontend calls API to create workshop
3. Operator Handling: API creates Kubernetes Custom Resource
4. Resource Deployment: Operator creates all necessary Kubernetes resources
5. URL Generation: Unique subdomain is assigned and ingress configured
6. Ready State: Workshop becomes accessible via unique URL
7. Expiration: Workshop automatically expires after configured duration
8. Cleanup: Operator removes all associated resources

Security Architecture

Network Security

• All traffic encrypted with TLS 1.2+
• Workshop pods isolated in separate namespaces
• Network policies restrict inter-workshop communication

Access Control

• OAuth/OIDC integration for user authentication
• Role-based access control (RBAC) for Kubernetes resources
• Workshop-level access controls

Data Protection

• Persistent volumes for workshop data
• Configurable data retention policies
• Secure secret management

Scalability Design

Horizontal Scaling

• Multiple operator instances with leader election
• API server horizontal pod autoscaling
• Frontend served via CDN

Resource Management

• Configurable resource limits per workshop
• Automatic resource cleanup on expiration
• Monitoring and alerting for resource usage

Development Workflow

Repository Structure

orchestra-operator/     # Kubernetes operator
orchestra-api/         # REST API backend
orchestra-frontend/    # React frontend
orchestra-docs/        # Documentation site

Deployment Pipeline

1. Code changes trigger CI/CD pipeline
2. Automated testing and building
3. Container image creation and registry push
4. Kubernetes deployment updates
5. Health checks and monitoring

Future Considerations

Multi-Cloud Support

• Abstract cloud-specific resources
• Support for AWS EKS, Google GKE, Azure AKS

Advanced Features

• Workshop templates and marketplace
• Collaborative workshop sessions
• Integration with learning management systems
• Advanced analytics and usage reporting