IPython1 EngineAPI?

Hi,

In the document of IPython1 Task system,

"It is important to note that assignment of values to the properties
dict is done entirely by the user, either locally (in the engin) using
the EngineAPI, or remotely...."

Where's this EngineAPI? How can I set the properties of an engine locally?

I was trying to use write a task with depend specified to a function,
that function should check the dependency (seems it only check
properties which is the only argument, according to the document) for
the task to be run. I would also like this depend checking function to
do something that makes the engine able to run the task, and set the
properties for that engine. To achieve that we really need an engine
API from which the engine id, engine namespace etc etc can be checked.

TIA,
-yichun