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Workflows

A workflow is a sequence of tasks with a defined order and execution. Each workflow encapsulates a specific process, such as:

  • Classifying documents
  • Ordering from a self-checkout service
  • Upgrading cloud infrastructure
  • Transcoding videos
  • Approving expenses

In Conductor, workflows can be defined and then executed. Learn more about the two distinct but related concepts, workflow definition and workflow execution, below.

Workflow definition

The workflow definition describes the flow and behavior of your business logic. Think of it as a blueprint specifying how it should execute at runtime until it reaches a terminal state. The workflow definition includes:

  • The workflow’s input/output keys.
  • A collection of task configurations that specify the task conditions, sequence, and data flow until the workflow is completed.
  • The workflow's runtime behavior, such as the timeout policy and compensation flow.

Workflow execution

A workflow execution is the execution instance of a workflow definition.

Whenever a workflow definition is invoked with a given input, a new workflow execution with a unique ID is created. The workflow is governed by a defined state (like RUNNING or COMPLETED), which makes it intuitive to track the workflow.