diff --git a/.github/workflows/backend_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/backend_tests.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ff8b46e97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/backend_tests.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,270 @@
+name: Tests
+
+on:
+  - push
+  - pull_request
+
+jobs:
+  tests:
+    name: ${{ matrix.session }} ${{ matrix.python }} / ${{ matrix.os }} ${{ matrix.database }}
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          - { python: "3.11", os: "ubuntu-latest", session: "pre-commit" }
+          - { python: "3.11", os: "ubuntu-latest", session: "safety" }
+          - { python: "3.11", os: "ubuntu-latest", session: "mypy" }
+          - { python: "3.10", os: "ubuntu-latest", session: "mypy" }
+          - { python: "3.9", os: "ubuntu-latest", session: "mypy" }
+          - {
+              python: "3.11",
+              os: "ubuntu-latest",
+              session: "tests",
+              database: "mysql",
+            }
+          - {
+              python: "3.11",
+              os: "ubuntu-latest",
+              session: "tests",
+              database: "postgres",
+            }
+          - {
+              python: "3.11",
+              os: "ubuntu-latest",
+              session: "tests",
+              database: "sqlite",
+            }
+          - {
+              python: "3.10",
+              os: "ubuntu-latest",
+              session: "tests",
+              database: "sqlite",
+            }
+          - {
+              python: "3.9",
+              os: "ubuntu-latest",
+              session: "tests",
+              database: "sqlite",
+            }
+          - {
+              python: "3.10",
+              os: "windows-latest",
+              session: "tests",
+              database: "sqlite",
+            }
+          - {
+              python: "3.11",
+              os: "macos-latest",
+              session: "tests",
+              database: "sqlite",
+            }
+          - {
+              # typeguard 2.13.3 is broken with TypeDict in 3.11.
+              # probably the next release fixes it.
+              # https://github.com/agronholm/typeguard/issues/242
+              python: "3.11",
+              os: "ubuntu-latest",
+              session: "typeguard",
+              database: "sqlite",
+            }
+          - { python: "3.11", os: "ubuntu-latest", session: "xdoctest" }
+          - { python: "3.11", os: "ubuntu-latest", session: "docs-build" }
+
+    env:
+      NOXSESSION: ${{ matrix.session }}
+      SPIFF_DATABASE_TYPE: ${{ matrix.database }}
+      FORCE_COLOR: "1"
+      PRE_COMMIT_COLOR: "always"
+      DB_PASSWORD: password
+      FLASK_SESSION_SECRET_KEY: super_secret_key
+
+    defaults:
+      working-directory: subworkflow-backend
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Check out the repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3.0.2
+
+      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python }}
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4.2.0
+        with:
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.python }}
+
+      - name: Upgrade pip
+        run: |
+          pip install --constraint=.github/workflows/constraints.txt pip
+          pip --version
+
+      - name: Upgrade pip in virtual environments
+        shell: python
+        run: |
+          import os
+          import pip
+
+          with open(os.environ["GITHUB_ENV"], mode="a") as io:
+              print(f"VIRTUALENV_PIP={pip.__version__}", file=io)
+
+      - name: Install Poetry
+        run: |
+          pipx install --pip-args=--constraint=.github/workflows/constraints.txt poetry
+          poetry --version
+
+      - name: Install Nox
+        run: |
+          pipx install --pip-args=--constraint=.github/workflows/constraints.txt nox
+          pipx inject --pip-args=--constraint=.github/workflows/constraints.txt nox nox-poetry
+          nox --version
+
+      - name: Compute pre-commit cache key
+        if: matrix.session == 'pre-commit'
+        id: pre-commit-cache
+        shell: python
+        run: |
+          import hashlib
+          import sys
+
+          python = "py{}.{}".format(*sys.version_info[:2])
+          payload = sys.version.encode() + sys.executable.encode()
+          digest = hashlib.sha256(payload).hexdigest()
+          result = "${{ runner.os }}-{}-{}-pre-commit".format(python, digest[:8])
+
+          print("::set-output name=result::{}".format(result))
+
+      - name: Restore pre-commit cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v3.0.11
+        if: matrix.session == 'pre-commit'
+        with:
+          path: ~/.cache/pre-commit
+          key: ${{ steps.pre-commit-cache.outputs.result }}-${{ hashFiles('.pre-commit-config.yaml') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            ${{ steps.pre-commit-cache.outputs.result }}-
+      - name: Setup Mysql
+        uses: mirromutth/mysql-action@v1.1
+        with:
+          host port: 3306
+          container port: 3306
+          mysql version: "8.0"
+          mysql database: "spiffworkflow_backend_testing"
+          mysql root password: password
+        if: matrix.database == 'mysql'
+
+      - name: Setup Postgres
+        run: docker run --name postgres-spiff -p 5432:5432 -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=spiffworkflow_backend -e POSTGRES_USER=spiffworkflow_backend -e POSTGRES_DB=spiffworkflow_backend_testing -d postgres
+        if: matrix.database == 'postgres'
+
+      - name: Run Nox
+        run: |
+          nox --force-color --python=${{ matrix.python }}
+
+      - name: Upload coverage data
+        # pin to upload coverage from only one matrix entry, otherwise coverage gets confused later
+        if: always() && matrix.session == 'tests' && matrix.python == '3.11' && matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest'
+        uses: "actions/upload-artifact@v3.0.0"
+        with:
+          name: coverage-data
+          path: ".coverage.*"
+
+      - name: Upload documentation
+        if: matrix.session == 'docs-build'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3.0.0
+        with:
+          name: docs
+          path: docs/_build
+
+      - name: Upload logs
+        if: failure() && matrix.session == 'tests'
+        uses: "actions/upload-artifact@v3.0.0"
+        with:
+          name: logs-${{matrix.python}}-${{matrix.os}}-${{matrix.database}}
+          path: "./log/*.log"
+
+  check_docker_start_script:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Check out the repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3.0.2
+        with:
+          # Disabling shallow clone is recommended for improving relevancy of reporting in sonarcloud
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - name: start_backend
+        run: ./bin/build_and_run_with_docker_compose
+        timeout-minutes: 20
+        env:
+          SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_LOAD_FIXTURE_DATA: "true"
+      - name: wait_for_backend
+        run: ./bin/wait_for_server_to_be_up 5
+
+  coverage:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: tests
+    steps:
+      - name: Check out the repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3.0.2
+        with:
+          # Disabling shallow clone is recommended for improving relevancy of reporting in sonarcloud
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4.2.0
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.11"
+
+      - name: Upgrade pip
+        run: |
+          pip install --constraint=.github/workflows/constraints.txt pip
+          pip --version
+
+      - name: Install Poetry
+        run: |
+          pipx install --pip-args=--constraint=.github/workflows/constraints.txt poetry
+          poetry --version
+
+      - name: Install Nox
+        run: |
+          pipx install --pip-args=--constraint=.github/workflows/constraints.txt nox
+          pipx inject --pip-args=--constraint=.github/workflows/constraints.txt nox nox-poetry
+          nox --version
+
+      - name: Download coverage data
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3.0.1
+        with:
+          name: coverage-data
+
+      - name: Combine coverage data and display human readable report
+        run: |
+          find . -name \*.pyc -delete
+          nox --force-color --session=coverage
+
+      - name: Create coverage report
+        run: |
+          nox --force-color --session=coverage -- xml
+
+      - name: Upload coverage report
+        uses: codecov/codecov-action@v3.1.0
+
+      - name: SonarCloud Scan
+        uses: sonarsource/sonarcloud-github-action@master
+        # thought about just skipping dependabot
+        # if: ${{ github.actor != 'dependabot[bot]' }}
+        # but figured all pull requests seems better, since none of them will have access to sonarcloud.
+        # however, with just skipping pull requests, the build associated with "Triggered via push" is also associated with the pull request and also fails hitting sonarcloud
+        # if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
+        # so just skip everything but main
+        if: github.ref_name == 'main'
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          SONAR_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SONAR_TOKEN }}
+      # part about saving PR number and then using it from auto-merge-dependabot-prs from:
+      # https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/events-that-trigger-workflows#workflow_run
+      - name: Save PR number
+        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' }}
+        env:
+          PR_NUMBER: ${{ github.event.number }}
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p ./pr
+          echo "$PR_NUMBER" > ./pr/pr_number
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: pr_number
+          path: pr/
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release2.yml b/.github/workflows/release2.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..60e832a5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+name: Tests
+
+on: [push]
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        python-version: ["3.10", "3.11"]
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+      - name: cache poetry install
+        uses: actions/cache@v3
+        with:
+          path: ~/.local
+          key: poetry-1.2.1
+      - uses: snok/install-poetry@v1
+        with:
+          version: 1.2.1
+          virtualenvs-create: true
+          virtualenvs-in-project: true
+      - run: poetry install --no-interaction
+      - run: poetry run pytest