How to ship customer value faster with step functions

Deliver customer value
FASTER with Step Functions
Yan Cui @theburningmonk

What is step functions?
How it works?
When to use it?
Orchestration vs Choreography
Real-world case studies
Design patterns
Agenda

@theburningmonk theburningmonk.com
Step Functions

orchestration service that allows you to
model workﬂows as state machines

design with JSON
https://states-language.net/spec.html

Step Functions OOP
class
instanceexecution
input arguments

start a state machine via..
StepFunctions
.startExecution(req)
.promise()

API Gateway
StepFunctions
.promise()

EventBridge
including cron
StepFunctions
.promise()
API Gateway

state transitions

$25 PER MILLION

$25 PER MILLION
15X LAMBDA PRICING!

https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2019/12/introducing-aws-step-functions-express-workflows

Yan Cui
http://theburningmonk.com
@theburningmonk
AWS user for 10 years

Yan Cui
@theburningmonk
Developer Advocate @

Yan Cui
@theburningmonk
Independent Consultant
advisetraining delivery

https://theburningmonk.com/courses
lambdabestpractice.com

bit.ly/complete-guide-to-aws-step-functions

theburningmonk.com/workshops
in your
company
ﬂexible datesAmsterdam, July 7-8 London, Sep 24-25 Berlin, Oct 8-9
4-week virtual workshop, May 4 - May 29

"TaskState": {
"Type": "Task",
"Resource": "arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:1234556788:function:hello-world",
"Next": "NextState",
"TimeoutSeconds": 300
}
Task
Performs a task.

"TaskState": {
"Type": "Task",
}
Task
Defaults to 60s, even if function has longer timeout
Performs a task.

"TaskState": {
"Type": "Task",
}
Task
Defaults to 60s, even if function has longer timeout
Set this to match your function’s timeout
Performs a task.

"TaskState": {
"Type": "Task",
}
Task
Doesn’t have to be Lambda function.
Performs a task.

"TaskState": {
"Type": "Task",
}
Task
Doesn’t have to be Lambda function.
Performs a task.
Activity, AWS Batch, ECS task, DynamoDB,
SNS, SQS, AWS Glue, SageMaker

{ “x”: 42, “y”: 13 }
$ =>
{
“x”: 42,
“y”: 13
}
"choose": {
"Type": "Choice",
"Choices": [
{
"And": [
{
"Variable": "$.x",
"NumericGreaterThanEquals": 42
},
{
"Variable": "$.y",
"NumericLessThan": 42
}
],
"Next": "subtract"
}
],
"Default": "add"
},

{ “x”: 42, “y”: 13 }
$ =>
{
“x”: 42,
“y”: 13
}
"subtract": {
"Type": "Task",
“Resource": "arn:aws:lambda:…",
"Next": "double",
"ResultPath": "$.n"
},

{ “x”: 42, “y”: 13 }
$ =>
{
“x”: 42,
“y”: 13
}
module.exports.handler = async (input, context) => {
return input.x - input.y
}
$.n

{ “x”: 42, “y”: 13 }
$ =>
{
“x”: 42,
“y”: 13,
“n”: 29
}

{ “x”: 42, “y”: 13 }
$ =>
{
“x”: 42,
“y”: 13,
“n”: 29
}
"double": {
“Type": "Task",
“Resource”: ”arn:aws:lambda:...",
“InputPath": "$.n",
“End": true
}

{ “x”: 42, “y”: 13 }
$ =>
{
“x”: 42,
“y”: 13,
“n”: 29
}
module.exports.handler = async (input, context) => {
return input * 2;
}
$.n
$

{ “x”: 42, “y”: 13 }
$ => 58
"double": {
“Type": "Task",
“Resource”: ”arn:aws:lambda:...",
“InputPath": "$.n",
“End": true
}

{ “x”: 42, “y”: 13 }
{ “output”: 58 }

"NoOp": {
"Type": "Pass",
"Result": {
"is": 42
},
"ResultPath": "$.the_answer_to_the_question_of_life_the_universe_and_everything",
"Next": "NextState"
}
Pass
Passes input to output without doing any work.

Pass
Passes input to output without doing any work.
{ }
{
“the_answer_to_the_question_of_life_the_universe_and_everything”: {
“is”: 42
}
}

"WaitTenSeconds" : {
"Type" : "Wait",
"Seconds" : 10,
"Next": "NextState"
}
Wait
Wait before transitioning to next state.
"Type" : "Wait",
“Timestamp": "2018-08-08T01:59:00Z",
"Next": "NextState"
}

"Type" : "Wait",
"SecondsPath" : "$.waitTime",
"Next": "NextState"
}
Wait
Wait before transitioning to next state.
"Type" : "Wait",
“TimestampPath": “$.waitUntil”,
"Next": "NextState"
}

"ChoiceState": {
"Type" : "Choice",
"Choices": [
   {
      "Variable": "$.name",
     "StringEquals": "Neo"
     "Next": "RedPill"
   }
],
"Default": "BluePill"
}
Choice
Adds branching logic to the state machine.

"ChoiceState": {
"Type" : "Choice",
"Choices": [
   {
     "StringEquals": "Neo"
     "Next": "RedPill"
   }
],
"Default": "BluePill"
}
Choice
Adds branching logic to the state machine.
{
“And”: [
{
      "StringEquals": “Cypher"
    },
{
      "Variable": "$.afterNeoIsRescued",
      "BooleanEquals": true
    },
],
  "Next": "BluePill"
}

"FunWithMath": {
"Type": "Parallel",
"Branches": [
   {
     "StartAt": "Add",
     "States": {
       "Add": {
         "Type": "Task",
         "Resource": "arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:1234556788:function:add",
         "End": true
       }
     }
   },
   …
],
"Next": "NextState"
}
Parallel
Performs tasks in parallel.

"FunWithMath": {
"Type": "Map",
"Iterator": [
   {
     "StartAt": "DoSomething",
     "States": {
       "Add": {
         "Type": "Task",
         "Resource": “arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:1234556788:function:doSomething",
         "End": true
       }
     }
   },
   …
],
"Next": "NextState"
}
Map
Dynamic parallelism!

"FunWithMath": {
"Type": "Map",
"Iterator": [
   {
     "StartAt": "DoSomething",
     "States": {
       "Add": {
         "Type": "Task",
         "Resource": "arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:1234556788:function:doSomething",
         "End": true
       }
     }
   },
   …
],
"Next": "NextState"
}
Map
Dynamic parallelism!
e.g. [ { … }, { … }, { … } ]

"SuccessState" : {
"Type" : "Succeed"
}
Succeed
Terminates the state machine successfully.

"FailState" : {
"Type" : “Fail",
"Error" : "TypeA",
"Cause" : "Kaiju Attack",
}
Fail
Terminates the state machine and mark it as failure.

https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2019/08/aws-step-function-adds-support-for-nested-workflows

another moving part to manage

what’s the return-on-investment?

Pros Cons
$$$

Pros Cons
visual
$$$

Great for collaboration with team
members who are not engineers

Makes it easy for anyone to identify
and debug application errors.

Pros Cons
visual
$$$
error handling

Makes deciding on timeout setting for Lambda
functions easier when you don’t have to consider
retry and exponential backoff, etc.

Surfaces error handling for everyone to see, makes it
easy for others to see without digging into the code.

Pros Cons
visual
$$$
error handling
audit

business critical workflows
what: stuff that makes money, e.g. payment and
subscription ﬂows.
why: more robust error handling worth the premium.

complex workflows
what: complex workﬂows that involves many states,
branching logic, etc.
why: visual workﬂow is a powerful design (for product)
and diagnostic tool (for customer support).

long running workflows
what: workﬂows that cannot complete in 15 minutes
(Lambda limit).
why: AWS discourages recursive Lambda functions,
Step Functions gives you explicit branching checks,
and can timeout at workﬂow level.

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/step-functions/latest/dg/concepts-standard-vs-express.html

use Express Workﬂows for high-throughput,
short-lived workﬂows (OLTP)

Orchestration Choreography

orchestration within a bounded-context
choreography between bounded-contexts
Rule of Thumb

bounded context
ﬁts within my head
high cohesion
same ownership

bounded context
the workﬂow doesn’t exist
as a standalone concept,
but as the sum of a series of
loosely connected parts
Lambda
Lambda
Lambda
SQS
SQS
API Gateway

bounded context A bounded context B bounded context C
EventBridge SNS

https://lumigo.io/blog/5-reasons-why-you-should-use-eventbridge-instead-of-sns

don’t forget to
emit events from
the workﬂow

Backend system was slow and had
timing issue, so they needed to add a
90s delay before processing payment.
Step Functions was the most cost-
efﬁcient and scalable way to
implement this wait.

Update nutritional info on over 100
brands to comply with FDA regulations.
Reduced processing time from 36 hours
to 10 seconds.

Transcode video segments in parallel.
Reduced processing time from ~20 mins
to ~2 mins.

Manages their food delivery experience.

Automates subscription fulﬁlments with
Step Functions.

Automates subscription billing system
with Step Functions.

Implements payment processing, and
subscription fulﬁllment systems with Step
Functions, and many more.

sagas

managing failures in a distributed transaction

Success path!

Failure paths…

"BookFlight": {
"Type": “Task",
"Resource": “arn:aws:lambda:…”,
"Catch": [
{
"ErrorEquals": [ “States.ALL" ],
"ResultPath": "$.BookFlightError",
"Next": “CancelFlight"
}
],
"ResultPath": "$.BookFlightResult",
"Next": "BookRental"
},

"CancelFlight": {
"Type": “Task",
"Resource": “arn:aws:lambda:…”,
"Catch": [
{
"ErrorEquals": [ “States.ALL" ],
"ResultPath": "$.CancelFlightError",
"Next": “CancelFlight"
}
],
"ResultPath": "$.CancelFlightResult",
"Next": “CancelHotel"
},

https://github.com/theburningmonk/lambda-saga-pattern

callbacks

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/step-functions/latest/dg/connect-to-resource.html#connect-wait-token

TaskToken

TaskToken
?

?

sendTaskSuccess(TaskToken)
?

"Publish SQS message": {
"Type": "Task",
"Resource": "arn:aws:states:::sqs:sendMessage.waitForTaskToken",
"Parameters": {
"QueueUrl": !Ref MyQueue,
"MessageBody": {
"Token.$": "$$.Task.Token"
}
},
"Next": "NextState"
}

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/step-functions/latest/dg/input-output-contextobject.html

"Publish SQS message": {
"Type": "Task",
"Resource": "arn:aws:states:::sqs:sendMessage.waitForTaskToken",
"Parameters": {
"QueueUrl": !Ref MyQueue,
"MessageBody": {
"Token.$": "$$.Task.Token",
"ExecutionId.$": "$$.Execution.Id",
"StateMachineId.$": "$$.StateMachine.Id"
}
},
"Next": "NextState"
}

sendTaskSuccess(TaskToken)
?
needs access to
Step Functions

HTTP POST
?
sendTaskSuccess

https://go.aws/38KynD1

map-reduce

Map

Map
…

Map
…
{ … }
{ … }
{ … }
{ … }
{ … }

Map
…
{ … }
{ … }
{ … }
{ … }
{ … }
[{ … }, { … } … ]

Map
…
{ … }
{ … }
{ … }
{ … }
{ … }
[{ … }, { … } … ] Reduce

https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-step-functions-developer-guide/blob/master/doc_source/limits.md

https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-step-functions-developer-guide/blob/master/doc_source/limits.md
use S3 to store
large payloads

https://theburningmonk.com/hire-me
AdviseTraining Delivery
“Fundamentally, Yan has improved our team by increasing our
ability to derive value from AWS and Lambda in particular.”
Nick Blair
Tech Lead

Production-Ready Serverless

in your
company
ﬂexible datesAmsterdam, July 7-8 London, Sep 24-25 Berlin, Oct 8-9
MON4-week virtual workshop, May 4 - May 29
theburningmonk.com/workshops
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lambdabestpractice.com bit.ly/complete-guide-to-aws-step-functions
serverless-dusseldorf-2020
20% off my courses

@theburningmonk
theburningmonk.com
github.com/theburningmonk

How to ship customer value faster with step functions

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