AWS Step Functions data processing simplified
AWS Step Functions is a powerful workflow engine that offers a lot of customization options. There is a lot of documentation available on how to use it, but I always find myself struggling to remember the finer details of the Amazon States Language, particularly when it comes to Input and Output processing. This isn’t due to a lack of documentation, but rather that the configuration of Input and Output processing can be difficult to understand and not very intuitive. I believe that AWS has recognized this, and has added multiple tools such as the Data Flow Simulator and Workflow Studio to make the process more developer-friendly. However, if you don’t use Step Functions on a daily basis, you may need to spend a few hours re-familiarizing yourself with the terminology and configuration language.
This is a one-page refresher for those who, like me, don’t have the patience to go through a lot of documentation again.
What is a Step Function?
A Step Function is a state machine made up of a chain (or directed graph) of States. There are 2 types of States that
- handle flow control (such as Choice, Wait, and Parallel)
- do work (such as Task)
Flow control state types are relatively easy to understand and use, but Task state types, which do the actual “work” in a Step Function workflow, can be more difficult to configure.
