AWS Step Functions

A workflow service that chains Lambda and other processes with order and conditional branches.

AWS Step Functions is a service that connects multiple processes as workflows, executing them while managing state.

• Controlling batch processing
• Coordinating multiple Lambda functions
• Approval flows and retry control

• A workflow management service
• Define state transitions
• Integrates with Lambda and EventBridge

• Visualizes long-running or multi-step processes
• Define retries and error handling
• A candidate for asynchronous processing design

AWS Step Functions is a fully managed orchestration service that allows multiple processing steps to be defined as a workflow and executed with state management, retry control, conditional branching, and parallel execution combined. Following a definition called a state machine (written in Amazon States Language, a JSON-based DSL), it executes tasks such as Lambda functions, ECS tasks, DynamoDB operations, and SNS notifications sequentially or in parallel, tracking the success, failure, and output of each step as state. In practice, Step Functions is used for batch processing that invokes multiple Lambda functions in sequence, approval flows, ETL pipelines, and orchestration between microservices. Compared to a configuration in which Lambda functions invoke each other directly without Step Functions, the advantages include visualization of the execution history of each step in the console, declarative definition of retry and catch handling on failure, and state management of workflows lasting up to one year. Two types are offered: Express Workflow (for short-duration, high-throughput use) and Standard Workflow (for long-duration use with state history retention), to be chosen according to the requirements. Pricing is based on state transition counts for Standard, and execution time and request counts for Express, with the caveat that waiting steps are also subject to charges. A common pattern is combining Step Functions with EventBridge to enable scheduled or event-driven execution. In CLF-C02, the framing of Step Functions as a workflow orchestration service, its combination with Lambda for serverless architectures, and visualization of state transitions are frequent topics.

• What is AWS Step Functions (AWS Official Documentation)
• AWS Step Functions (AWS Official)

Last updated: 2026-06-07