What is the Platform?
The FLNet platform most end users interact with directly. It gives researchers and analysts a shared interface for discovering data, assembling projects, running tools, and reviewing outputs.
What the platform does
At a high level, the platform lets you:
- search metadata across participating sites
- create projects around a concrete scientific question
- run tools and workflows in a governed environment
- inspect outputs, reports, and generated artifacts
The platform is where distributed infrastructure becomes usable for real work.
What the platform does not replace
The platform does not remove local control from data holders.
Instead:
- clients still control local data and permissions
- tool execution still follows explicit contracts
- federated analysis still depends on what each participating site allows
This distinction matters. The platform makes collaboration easier, but it does not bypass governance.
Typical user journey
Most users follow a pattern like this:
- Search the network for relevant data
- Review what is available and what is permitted
- Create a project for a specific question
- Select tools or workflows
- Run the analysis and inspect the outputs
Who should read this section
This section is for:
- researchers looking for data
- analysts running tools
- project leads coordinating a federated study
- users who need to understand the UI and analysis workflow