Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - Advanced serverless workflow patterns and best practices (API401)

Summary

Ben Smith, an AWS advocate, discusses serverless workflow patterns and best practices.
Focuses on AWS Step Functions, including standard and express workflows.
Emphasizes cost reduction strategies for serverless applications using Step Functions.
Highlights the importance of extensibility and the ability to easily extend applications.
Demonstrates patterns for failure management, high scalability, and simplification of complex workflows.
Discusses the pyramid of managed services, with serverless services like Lambda, AppRunner, Step Functions, and API Gateway at the top.
Explains how Step Functions orchestrate AWS services and provide a visual workflow.
Introduces the Amazon States Language (ASL) for defining workflows and integrating with infrastructure as code.
Compares building serverless applications with and without Step Functions, showcasing the simplicity and efficiency of using Step Functions.
Presents patterns like REST CRUD API with API Gateway and Step Functions, and the use of Step Functions for cost-effective and scalable solutions.
Introduces new features like intrinsic functions for data manipulation without Lambda, distributed map state for parallel processing, and the ability to test individual tasks.
Announces new launches, including the HTTP state, test API, and integration of Workflow Studio in IDE through App Composer.

Step Functions are a central piece of AWS's serverless offerings, providing a way to manage and visualize workflows.
The express workflow mode is a cost-effective option for workloads that complete within five minutes, while standard workflows are necessary for longer or exactly-once execution requirements.
The use of intrinsic functions can reduce the reliance on Lambda functions for simple data transformations, leading to cost savings and less code management.
The distributed map state feature allows for high levels of parallelism, enabling the processing of thousands of items simultaneously.
The new HTTP state and test API features enhance Step Functions' capabilities, allowing for direct API calls from workflows and the ability to test tasks individually.
The integration of Workflow Studio in IDEs through App Composer suggests a move towards a more developer-friendly serverless environment, where workflows can be managed directly from the development environment.
The session emphasizes the importance of understanding and utilizing the full range of Step Functions features to build efficient, scalable, and cost-effective serverless applications.