Overview
Tool Name
Purpose
The airflow_tools enable direct integration between Genesis Data Agents and Apache Airflow instances. Create, deploy, trigger, monitor, and manage DAGs (Directed Acyclic Graphs) and tasks programmatically—all within your data agent conversations. Perfect for orchestrating complex data pipelines, scheduling ETL workflows, managing dependencies, and automating data operations at scale.Functions Available
airflow_action
:Core Airflow operations including DAG management, task execution, monitoring, and connection configuration.
Key Features
DAG Management
Create, list, pause, unpause, and delete DAGs with full workflow orchestration capabilities.
Task Execution
Trigger DAG runs, monitor task execution, and retrieve task logs and status in real-time.
Connection Management
Configure and manage Airflow connections for databases, APIs, and external systems.
Variable Management
Set, retrieve, and update Airflow variables for dynamic configuration and secrets.
Run Monitoring
Track DAG run history, task instances, and execution metrics for observability.
Scheduler Control
Manage scheduling, backfills, and DAG execution timing programmatically.
Input Parameters for Each Function
airflow_action
Parameters
Name | Definition | Format |
---|---|---|
action | Airflow operation to perform. Values: create_dag , list_dags , trigger_dag , get_dag_status , pause_dag , unpause_dag , delete_dag , get_dag_runs , get_task_logs , set_variable , get_variable , create_connection , test_connection , etc. | String (required) |
dag_id | Unique identifier for the DAG. Required for most DAG-specific operations. | String |
dag_code | Python code defining the DAG (for create_dag action). | String |
execution_date | Execution date for DAG runs (ISO format: YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS). | String |
conf | Configuration dictionary to pass to DAG run (JSON format). | Object |
task_id | Specific task identifier within a DAG (for task-specific operations). | String |
variable_key | Key name for Airflow variable operations. | String |
variable_value | Value to set for Airflow variable. | String |
conn_id | Connection identifier for Airflow connection operations. | String |
conn_type | Connection type (e.g., ‘postgres’, ‘http’, ‘aws’, ‘snowflake’). | String |
host | Host address for connection configuration. | String |
schema | Schema/database name for connection configuration. | String |
login | Username/login for connection authentication. | String |
password | Password for connection authentication. | String |
port | Port number for connection configuration. | Integer |
extra | Extra connection parameters as JSON string. | String |
Use dag_id consistently across operations to manage the same workflow. List available DAGs with
airflow_action(action="list_dags")
.Use Cases
- Automated Pipeline Deployment Generate Airflow DAGs from templates, deploy them automatically, and trigger initial runs without manual intervention.
- Data Pipeline Orchestration Coordinate complex ETL workflows with dependencies, scheduling multiple tasks across different systems and databases.
- Monitoring & Alerting Track DAG execution status, retrieve task logs, and set up automated alerts based on pipeline failures or SLA breaches.
- Dynamic Configuration Management Update Airflow variables and connections programmatically to adapt pipelines to changing environments or requirements.
- Backfill Operations Trigger historical DAG runs for specific date ranges to process missed data or re-run failed executions.
Workflow/How It Works
-
Step 1: Configure Airflow Connection
Set up connection to your Airflow instance:
-
Step 2: Create or Deploy DAG
Define a new DAG with tasks and dependencies:
-
Step 3: Trigger DAG Execution
Start a DAG run manually or with custom configuration:
-
Step 4: Monitor Execution
Check DAG run status and task progress:
-
Step 5: Retrieve Task Logs
Access logs for debugging or auditing:
-
Step 6: Manage Variables & Connections
Configure dynamic parameters:
Integration Relevance
- project_manager_tools to track data pipeline projects and link Airflow DAGs to missions.
- data_connector_tools to create Airflow connections for databases and data sources.
- github_connector_tools / gitlab_connector_tools to version control DAG code and sync with repositories.
- slack_tools to send notifications when DAG runs succeed or fail.
- scheduler_tools to coordinate Genesis scheduled jobs with Airflow DAG executions.
- dbt_action to trigger dbt runs within Airflow tasks for transformation workflows.
Configuration Details
- Airflow URL: Configure your Airflow webserver URL and API endpoint in Genesis settings.
- Authentication: Support for basic auth, token-based auth, or Kerberos depending on Airflow setup.
- DAG Folder: DAGs created through Genesis are typically deployed to Airflow’s
dags/
folder. - Executor Type: Works with all Airflow executors (SequentialExecutor, LocalExecutor, CeleryExecutor, KubernetesExecutor).
- API Version: Compatible with Airflow 2.x REST API (Stable API).
- Time Zones: All timestamps should use UTC or explicit timezone specification.
- Connection Extras: Use JSON format for provider-specific connection parameters.
Airflow connections may contain sensitive credentials. Use Airflow’s secrets backend (e.g., AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault) for production environments instead of storing passwords directly.
Limitations or Notes
- Airflow Version: Requires Apache Airflow 2.0+ with REST API enabled. Airflow 1.x not supported.
- DAG Deployment: DAGs must be in the Airflow DAGs folder and parsed by the scheduler before they appear.
- DAG Parsing: Complex DAGs may take time to parse; allow 30-60 seconds after creation before triggering.
- API Authentication: Requires proper Airflow API authentication configured in Genesis.
- Task Logs: Log retrieval depends on Airflow’s log storage configuration (local filesystem, S3, GCS, etc.).
- Concurrency Limits: Airflow’s concurrency settings may limit simultaneous DAG/task executions.
- Network Access: Requires network connectivity to Airflow webserver/API endpoint.
- DAG Code Validation: Invalid DAG code will fail at parse time; test locally before deploying.
Supported Actions
✅ create_dag - Create and deploy new DAG✅ list_dags - List all available DAGs
✅ get_dag_status - Get current DAG state
✅ trigger_dag - Start DAG run manually
✅ pause_dag - Pause DAG scheduling
✅ unpause_dag - Resume DAG scheduling
✅ delete_dag - Remove DAG from Airflow
✅ get_dag_runs - List DAG run history
✅ get_task_logs - Retrieve task execution logs
✅ get_task_instances - List task instances
✅ set_variable - Create/update Airflow variable
✅ get_variable - Retrieve Airflow variable
✅ delete_variable - Remove Airflow variable
✅ list_variables - List all variables
✅ create_connection - Create Airflow connection
✅ get_connection - Retrieve connection details
✅ test_connection - Test connection validity
✅ delete_connection - Remove connection
✅ list_connections - List all connections
Not Supported
❌ Airflow 1.x API (legacy CLI-based operations)❌ Direct modification of Airflow configuration files
❌ Pool management (may be added in future)
❌ SLA miss callbacks direct configuration
❌ Custom XCom operations
❌ Direct scheduler/worker process management
❌ Plugin installation or management
❌ User/role management (use Airflow UI)
❌ Chart/graph visualization generation
Output
- create_dag: Confirmation with DAG ID and deployment status.
- list_dags: Table of DAGs with ID, schedule interval, owner, and active status.
- trigger_dag: DAG run ID, execution date, and trigger confirmation.
- get_dag_status: Current state (running, success, failed), last run time, next run time.
- get_dag_runs: List of run instances with execution date, state, duration, and start/end times.
- get_task_logs: Task execution logs with timestamps and log level.
- set_variable: Confirmation of variable creation/update.
- create_connection: Confirmation with connection ID and type.
- test_connection: Connection test result (success/failure) with error details if applicable.
- Errors: Detailed error messages with Airflow API response codes and resolution guidance.
Best Practices
DAG Design
Keep DAGs simple and focused. Use SubDAGs or TaskGroups for complex workflows with many tasks.
Idempotency
Design tasks to be idempotent—safe to re-run multiple times with the same result.
Error Handling
Set appropriate retries, retry_delay, and on_failure_callback for resilient pipelines.
Resource Management
Use pools and priority weights to manage resource allocation across concurrent tasks.
Monitoring
Set up SLAs and alerting. Monitor DAG run duration and task failure rates.
Variables & Connections
Use Airflow Variables for configuration, Connections for credentials. Never hardcode secrets.
Example: Complete ETL Pipeline Workflow
Advanced Features
Backfill Operations
Run DAG for historical dates:Dynamic DAG Generation
Create DAGs from templates:Conditional Execution
Trigger DAGs based on conditions:Monitoring & Alerting
Track Pipeline Health
Troubleshooting
DAG Not Appearing in Airflow UI
DAG Not Appearing in Airflow UI
- Check DAG code for syntax errors
- Verify DAG file is in Airflow’s dags_folder
- Check scheduler logs for parsing errors
- Allow 30-60 seconds for scheduler to parse new DAGs
- Use
airflow dags list
CLI to verify DAG registration
Connection Failed
Connection Failed
- Verify Airflow API endpoint is accessible
- Check authentication credentials
- Ensure Airflow webserver is running
- Verify network connectivity and firewall rules
- Check Airflow API is enabled (auth_backend configured)
DAG Trigger Failed
DAG Trigger Failed
- Verify DAG is unpaused (use unpause_dag action)
- Check DAG is not already running (max_active_runs limit)
- Ensure execution_date is valid
- Check scheduler is running and healthy
- Review DAG configuration for errors
Task Logs Not Available
Task Logs Not Available
- Verify task has executed (not in queued state)
- Check Airflow’s log storage configuration
- For remote logs (S3/GCS), verify access permissions
- Allow time for logs to be written and synced
- Check log_fetch_timeout_sec setting
Variable/Connection Not Found
Variable/Connection Not Found
- Verify exact key/conn_id (case-sensitive)
- Check variable/connection was created successfully
- For connections, ensure type and parameters are correct
- Review Airflow metadata database for entry
- Check for typos in variable/connection names
DAG Run Stuck in Running State
DAG Run Stuck in Running State
- Check if all tasks completed
- Look for zombie tasks or stalled processes
- Verify executor has available resources
- Check worker health (for CeleryExecutor/KubernetesExecutor)
- Review task_instance table in metadata database
Performance Issues
Performance Issues
- Reduce DAG parsing frequency (min_file_process_interval)
- Optimize DAG code (avoid heavy imports at module level)
- Use connection pooling for database operations
- Increase parallelism settings if resources available
- Consider using KubernetesExecutor for scaling
Airflow Architecture Overview
Understanding Airflow components helps with effective usage:Key Components
- Webserver: Provides UI and REST API for interaction
- Scheduler: Monitors DAGs, schedules tasks, triggers execution
- Executor: Determines how tasks are executed (local, Celery, Kubernetes)
- Workers: Execute tasks (for distributed executors)
- Metadata Database: Stores DAG definitions, runs, connections, variables
- DAG Folder: File system location where DAG Python files are stored
Security Best Practices
Secrets Management
Use Airflow’s secrets backend (AWS Secrets Manager, Vault) instead of storing passwords in connections.
RBAC
Configure Airflow’s Role-Based Access Control to limit DAG operations by user role.
API Authentication
Always use authentication for Airflow API. Avoid exposing API endpoint publicly without auth.
Audit Logging
Enable Airflow audit logs to track all API operations and DAG modifications.
Performance Optimization
For High-Volume Pipelines: Consider using KubernetesExecutor or CeleryExecutor with autoscaling to handle dynamic workloads efficiently. Use Airflow pools to prevent resource exhaustion.
Best Practices for Scale
- Limit DAG Complexity: Keep individual DAGs under 50 tasks; use SubDAGs or dynamic task mapping
- Optimize Parsing: Minimize top-level code execution in DAG files
- Use Pools: Define resource pools to control concurrent task execution
- Task Retries: Set appropriate retry logic to handle transient failures
- XCom Size: Keep XCom payloads small; use external storage for large data
- Database Tuning: Optimize metadata database for high-volume task instances
Comparison: Airflow vs Other Orchestrators
Feature | Apache Airflow | Prefect | Dagster |
---|---|---|---|
Scheduling | ✅ Cron-based, flexible | ✅ Hybrid (cron + event) | ✅ Cron-based |
Dynamic Pipelines | ✅ Python-based DAGs | ✅ Python native | ✅ Python native |
UI/Monitoring | ✅ Mature web UI | ✅ Modern cloud UI | ✅ Modern web UI |
Backfills | ✅ Built-in | ⚠️ Manual | ✅ Built-in |
Community | ✅ Large, mature | ⚠️ Growing | ⚠️ Growing |
Self-Hosted | ✅ Fully open source | ⚠️ Hybrid (cloud-first) | ✅ Fully open source |
Learning Curve | ⚠️ Moderate | ✅ Lower | ⚠️ Moderate |
Apache Airflow excels at scheduling-based workflows with complex dependencies. For event-driven or data-centric pipelines, consider Prefect or Dagster. Genesis supports multiple orchestrators—choose based on your use case.