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AWS Durable Execution SDK Developer Guide

Note

This guide covers the AWS Durable Execution SDK, the client library you use to write durable functions in TypeScript, Python, and Java. For service-level topics including IAM permissions, service quotas, infrastructure-as-code configuration, and monitoring, see Lambda durable functions in the Lambda Developer Guide.

The AWS Durable Execution SDK lets you build reliable, long-running workflows in AWS Lambda. Your functions can pause execution, wait for external events, retry failed operations, and resume exactly where they left off, even if Lambda recycles your execution environment.

If you are new, Get started over here.

For detailed programming language reference, see SDK Reference.

Key features

  • Automatic checkpointing Workflow state is saved automatically after each operation
  • Durable steps Execute code with configurable retry strategies and at-most-once or at-least-once semantics
  • Wait operations Pause execution for seconds, minutes, or hours without blocking Lambda resources
  • Callbacks Wait for external systems to respond with results or approvals
  • Parallel execution Run multiple operations concurrently with configurable completion criteria
  • Map operations Process collections in parallel with batching and failure tolerance
  • Child contexts Isolate nested workflows for better organization and error handling
  • Structured logging Integrate with your logger to track execution flow and debug issues

Use cases

  • Order processing workflows Validate orders, charge payments, and fulfill shipments with automatic retry on failures.
  • Approval workflows Wait for human approvals or external system responses using callbacks.
  • Data processing pipelines Process large datasets in parallel with map operations and failure tolerance.
  • Multi-step integrations Coordinate calls to multiple services with proper error handling and state management.
  • Long-running tasks Execute workflows that take minutes or hours without blocking Lambda resources.
  • Saga patterns Implement distributed transactions with compensation logic for failures.

Getting help

The following topics are covered in Lambda service documentation for durable functions: