Service Overview
AWS Step Functions is a serverless workflow orchestration service that helps developers coordinate multiple AWS services into automated workflows. It allows you to design complex processes using visual state machines, making application logic easier to build, manage, and debug.
Key Features
Visual Workflow Designer – Create workflows using state diagrams
Service Integration – Works with Lambda, ECS, EC2, DynamoDB, SNS, and more
Error Handling & Retry Logic – Built-in failure management
Serverless Architecture – No infrastructure to manage
Long-Running Workflows – Supports workflows running for days or months
Monitoring & Logging – Integrated with Amazon CloudWatch
AWS Category / Cloud Domain
Category: Application Integration
Cloud Domain: Serverless & Workflow Orchestration
Where It Fits in Cloud / DevOps Lifecycle
AWS Step Functions fits mainly in the orchestration and automation stage of the Cloud/DevOps lifecycle:
Automates CI/CD workflows
Coordinates microservices communication
Manages data processing pipelines
Handles business process automation
Improves reliability in production deployments
Programming Language / Access Methods
AWS Step Functions can be accessed using:
AWS Management Console (Visual Editor)
Amazon States Language (JSON-based)
AWS SDKs with languages like:
Python
Java
JavaScript
C#
Go
AWS CLI and CloudFormation
Pricing Model
AWS Step Functions uses a pay-per-use pricing model:
Charged based on state transitions
Two workflow types:
Standard Workflows – Pay per state transition
Express Workflows – Pay based on execution time and number of executions
Free Tier includes limited workflow executions per month
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