# Apps and Workflows Glossary

On the DNAnexus Platform, the following terms are used when discussing apps and workflows:

* **Execution:** An analysis or job.
  * **Root execution**: The initial analysis or job that's created when a user makes an API call to run a workflow, app, or applet. Analyses and jobs created from a job via an `/executable-xxxx/run` API call with the `detach` flag set to `true` are also root executions.
  * **Execution tree**: The set of all jobs and/or analyses that are created because of running a root execution.
* **Analysis**: An analysis is created when a workflow is run. It consists of some number of stages, each of which consists of either another analysis (if running a workflow) or a job (if running an app or applet).
  * **Parent analysis**: Each analysis is the parent analysis to each of the jobs that are created to run its stages.
* **Job**: A job is a unit of execution that is run on a worker in the cloud. A job is created when an app or applet is run, or when a job spawns another job.
  * **Origin job**: The job created when an app or applet is run by either a user or an analysis. An origin job always executes the "[main](/developer/api/running-analyses/applets-and-entry-points.md#running-entry-points)" entry point.
  * **Master job**: The job created when an app or applet is run by a user, job, or analysis. A master job always executes the "main" entry point. All origin jobs are also master jobs.
  * **Parent job**: A job that creates another job or analysis via an `/executable-xxxx/run` or `/job/new` API call.
  * **Child job**: A job created from a parent job via an `/app[let]-xxxx/run` or `/job/new` API call.
  * **Subjob**: A job created from a job via a `/job/new` API call. A subjob runs the same executable as its parent, and executes the entry point specified in the API call that created it.
  * **Job tree**: A set of all jobs that share the same origin job.
* **Job-based object reference**: A hash containing a job ID and an output field name. This hash is given in the input or output of a job. Once the specified job has transitioned to the "done" state, it is replaced with the specified job's output field.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://documentation.dnanexus.com/user/running-apps-and-workflows/apps-and-workflows-glossary.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.