OxFlow FAQ

OxFlow Platform

• What is OxFlow?
  OxFlow is a managed service that flows an organization’s information to the right systems and people at the right time. We combine our own managed Apache-Airflow service with a Snowflake Data Mart to deliver integrations and task automations to any system with an API. Our service starts with a short discovery on ways your business… Read More »What is OxFlow?
• What systems can OxFlow connect to?
  OxFlow can connect to any system with an API.
• Does OxFlow incorporate any AI features?
  Optional AI Agent integration is available with any OxFlow subscription. We offer 3 types: If you are interested in learning more about this feature please let us know here and we can get a conversation going. See this Wikipedia entry for more details on LLMs.
• How do you connect the Airflow system to our systems?
  We ask our clients to provision a unique, non-shared user account for the Airflow Service to use on each system we are working with. Here are the high level steps:
• Is the OxFlow service a middleware product?
  Yes. It is a set of tools that approximates a middleware tool. Our service is a combination of hosted Apache-Airflow, Github code repository and a Snowflake “data mart” (see Terminology section) to deliver OxFlow task automation and data pipelines.
• What if we already have Snowflake?
  We always provision a new, isolated instance of Snowflake for our OxFlow service to ensure proper serviceability by our team and also protect any incumbent systems, structure and workflows from being impacted. Because Snowflake is a very low cost service we find that the isolated instance is far easier for clients to onboard, with less… Read More »What if we already have Snowflake?
• Does your service include a Snowflake instance?
  No. We walk the client through setup of a Snowflake account then we install our Data Mark footprint (see Terminology section). Costs for the Snowflake service typically range from $0 to $200 per month, depending on the amount of Compute (see Terminology section) you use from Snowflake. We design our automations to avoid using Snowflake… Read More »Does your service include a Snowflake instance?
• Is Apache Airflow supported actively?
  Yes. Apache Airflow is a very large open source community and is very actively supported and updated. Find more details here and here. We have worked in open source systems, both using as well as contributing, for most of our collective careers. We see open source products, when they are actively supported by the community, are longer lasting… Read More »Is Apache Airflow supported actively?
• Are your services Cloud based?
  Yes. We host our Airflow servers at a top tier virtual server service located in Northern California and Virginia.
• Does the service have a backup system?
  Yes. We have two methods for backup: Our servers house no client data, so the only things needing backup are code and log files.
• Is this service proprietary?
  Yes and no. Our methods, change management system and team are the only proprietary aspects to our service. The core Apache-Airflow server is an open-source project.
• Do you have a Service Level Agreement (SLA) and uptime commitment?
  Yes. We provide 95% uptime on the OxFlow services. We provide and four hour response time for new issues, during business hours: 8am to 5pm Pacific Time Zone. Resolution time is dependent on the nature of the issue and varies. We have a rapid response service for Level 2 clients which increases response and resolution… Read More »Do you have a Service Level Agreement (SLA) and uptime commitment?
• What if our systems do not have APIs?
  Our service does not work with systems that do not have an API.
• Messaging, Notifications and Monitoring
  The OxFlow task automation system is monitored by a combination of systems plus our support team. We provide two types of monitoring and related messaging: Here are some samples of the Airflow interface you would be able to view: Here is an example of the Slack interface:
• What are some example use cases for OxFlow?
  OxFlow task automation can take many forms, from simple to complex. Here we’ve listed a few examples:
• How frequently can an OxFlow job run?
  OxFlow tasks can happen as often as every minute. This frequency is a decision that gets made based on a few important considerations:
• What is the backstory on “OxFlow”?
  We, as a team, have worked with Salesforce clients since 2008. We did not build our own Salesforce instance until 2019 (the cobbler’s son never has shoes!) and when we built it we called it “ORG-X” (because we are nerds I suppose). We intended on using ORG-X not as a CRM, but as a client… Read More »What is the backstory on “OxFlow”?
• How are bugs handled?
  We always see bugs as one of two categories: In either case, we manage all requirements gathering and change management in our internal ticketing system and assign an Engineering Change Order (ECO) to all required actions. One of our team owns this ECO and works with internal team members and the client to bring things… Read More »How are bugs handled?
• Is there an active OxFlow community?
  Our OxFlow offering is in a pilot phase which started Q4 2025 and is expected to extend through Q1 2027. While our OxFlow service offering is young, the model and systems it is built on have been in R&D since 2014 and are well understood and proven. We have a community of clients who are… Read More »Is there an active OxFlow community?

OxFlow Services

• Do you offer any guidance for design and change management of automations?
  Yes. Onboarding of a new client involves 10 or more hours of listening to the business needs, assessing the technical requirements, and also guiding clients on how to setup a “Data Team” to enable their business to collaborate with our service team. We work with our clients’ internal Change Management methods and procedures and aim… Read More »Do you offer any guidance for design and change management of automations?
• How is this service billed?
  We charge a fixed annual flat fee for the core automation service (billed at sign-up) which includes an initial 5 hour design/build engagement and gets you started with some automations. Snowflake costs are the only variable costs in our service model and often are $0 because we design automations to use our Compute (see terminology… Read More »How is this service billed?
• What happens to our code if we cancel the service?
  We give it all to you. We maintain all DAG code in a Github repository. When you cancel the service we add you to your specific Github repos as read only, and then you are free to fork the code and own it.
• How are changes to APIs handled?
  Vendors control their APIs. Most vendors publish a “Version Life Cycle” (here is Airflow’s) which gives you visibility into which release versions will be live and maintained, then sunsetted when, etc. The various systems and their APIs all are in a constant state of change. Our operations team monitors all these changes and as we… Read More »How are changes to APIs handled?
• How are new automation needs handled?
  We charge a flat rate of $1,500 for any new automation. That flat fee includes up to 10 hours of consulting to define and implement the automation. If your requirements appear to need more time, we will work with clients to scope the automation work as a custom job.
• What if our data is not ready or clean enough?
  Data is never clean enough. We work with our clients to identify actionable incremental steps to take and always keep in mind that there is a larger, unfolding and evolving, data curation and standards story afoot with which we can help you navigate. Bringing in automation systems will, indeed, press on governance and standards. We… Read More »What if our data is not ready or clean enough?
• How do we get support on the OxFlow service?
  OxFlow clients have three methods for getting support on the service or for changes and new features: We also offer a general admission monthly Zoom “Office Hours”, which is an open agenda model.
• Do you offer any training?
  All new clients go through an initial orientation on OxFlow messaging. Our service is fully managed so there is no Airflow nor Snowflake specific skills needed. We can make direct access to the Airflow reporting available in a read-only mode, and we can also make the Snowflake system available for direct access and/or access via… Read More »Do you offer any training?
• What do we need to know about your business and systems at the start?
  Typical questions from the OxFlow team include:
• What are the onboarding steps for getting the OxFlow service?
  Setting up a new OxFlow client follows these five steps:
• What will change when the pilot program is over?
  Pilot program participants will be guaranteed pricing at no more than a 3% annual increase. As this is a pilot program, we are looking to learn from this pilot group what is working and not working, then adjust the offering to improve results. We predict service features will change based on this pilot program and… Read More »What will change when the pilot program is over?

Why Open-Issue

• Experienced Team
  We have been in business for 20+ years and have seen many data system consolidations, conversions, integrations and automations. We’ve worked with most middleware systems and have found Airflow to be the most flexible and performant tool out there.
• High Touch
  As a business and a technical team, we are all dedicated to providing very high quality service at a great price. We do this by being very focused on one thing – OxFlow task automation with Airflow. Our ongoing support includes:
• Managed Technology
  We do the following for you, so you and your technical team do not have to: Run and maintain multiple Airflow serversManage code and CI/CD for change, managementWork with your systems’ APIs and build and maintain automations, Guide your technical team on how to continually enhance and optimize automations
• Competitive Pricing
  Our business values service delivery and operational efficiencies. Most of our clients, in the last 15 years, don’t need constant changes and enhancements to their integration and automations; They need things to be done well and continue to work. We are offering OxFlow as a white glove service without a direct development interface because most… Read More »Competitive Pricing
• Social Good
  The Open-Issue team has always had a pro-bono practice and we actively seek out groups that need help where we have capacity to do so at no cost. Generosity and kindness are core values for our team and we truly enjoy helping others, especially if it involves data, systems and automation! We hope that these… Read More »Social Good

OxFlow Terminology

• Airflow
  Apache Airflow is an open-source workflow management platform for data engineering pipelines. It started at Airbnb in October 2014 as a solution to manage the company’s increasingly complex workflows. Creating Airflow allowed Airbnb to programmatically author and schedule their workflows and monitor them via the built-in Airflow user interface. Airflow uses directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to manage workflow orchestration. Tasks and dependencies… Read More »Airflow
• API
  An application programming interface (API) is a connection between computers or between computer programs. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how to build such a connection or interface is called an API specification. A computer system that meets this standard is said to implement or expose an API.… Read More »API
• Compute
  Compute is a generic term used for when costs are incurred for use of a CPU or processor you have “rented” via your Cloud service provider. Different providers measure “Compute Cost” in different ways (by the hour, by the minute, etc). Part of our OxFlow service is a way to centralize “Compute” cost on our… Read More »Compute
• Data Mart
  We use this term to describe how we employ the Snowflake component of our service offering. Often we need to index, modify and possibly transform data for reporting purposes so we employ Snowflake, a lightweight low cost secure database “in the sky,” to maintain certain indexes and tables, allowing our OxFlow task automation service to… Read More »Data Mart
• DAG
  Directed Acyclic Graph; a series of linear tasks being executed by Airflow. Geek answer: In mathematics, particularly graph theory, and computer science, a directed acyclic graph (DAG) is a directed graph with no directed cycles. That is, it consists of vertices and edges (also called arcs), with each edge directed from one vertex to another, such that following those directions will never form a closed loop. A… Read More »DAG
• Endpoint
  This is the term we use to identify a specific system to which we connect via API. For example, if you have five systems we are “talking to” with Airflow, we’d say you have five endpoints. Please check out this Wikipedia entry for more details.
• OxBot
  OxFlow is a task automation service, so people want to know “is it running” and “when did it run”. We deliver ongoing status and activity information to our clients via Slack or Teams, and we call that “OxBot”. OxBot is mostly a “Push” concept (we push you updates), but OxBot also has “Pull” features allowing… Read More »OxBot
• Snowflake
  Snowflake Inc. is an American cloud-based data storage company. It operates a platform that allows for data analysis and simultaneous access of data sets with minimal latency. It operates on Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform. As of November 2024, the company had 10,618 customers, including more than 800 members of the Forbes Global 2000,… Read More »Snowflake
• Task
  When we refer to a “Task”, we are describing an Airflow DAG Task – or step in a series of steps (See DAG in terminology, above). Because Airflow allows for running of Python, SQL or external actions using connectors and operators, an Airflow Task could include things like: