What Are AWS Step Functions?
AWS Step Functions enable creating serverless workflows with a state machine. You can design workflows where the output of one step is the input to another. You can also create conditional steps that execute based on the result of a previous step.
Using AWS Step Functions, you can coordinate multiple AWS services. Step Functions allow you to create a visual workflow so you can see at which step there is currently a process occuring and its outcome. Essentially, you can chain AWS Lambda Functions together by using Step Functions.
How To Start Using Step Functions?
If you are using .NET, you can begin using AWS Step Functions by getting the AWS .NET Toolkit. This will add other project templates to Visual Studio that enable creating a Step Function project.
When you create a project using Step Functions, you get a state-machine.json file. The file tells the Step Function at which step to start at (using its name), which step to run next and if that step is the end of the series of steps to take.
Deploying AWS Step Functions
You can deploy AWS Step Functions using Visual Studio and also the command line. For any real-world application, the command line will be the way to deploy it. Run the following commands from the root directory of the AWS Step Function project.
Additional Resources
- Blog detailing sample project: AWS : Step functions | Sacha's Blog
- GitHub project with examples: AWS Simple and More Real World examples
