CloudFlow is a fully managed cloud service that coordinates distributed tasks. You define a workflow once and run it with different inputs as many times as needed.
CloudFlow supports two workflow modes: standard mode and express mode.
How it works
A workflow is a series of sequential steps that define your business logic. Each step performs a specific action, and CloudFlow runs them in the order and conditions you specify.
For example, an order management workflow might include these steps:
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Create an order.
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Process a payment.
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Reserve a resource.
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Notify the user.
Each time the workflow runs, it processes different input data -- in this case, different order information. The same workflow definition handles every order, while the input varies per run.
Control primitives
CloudFlow provides the following control primitives for complex business logic:
| Primitive | Description |
|---|---|
| Sequential execution | Run steps one after another in a defined order |
| Parallel execution | Run multiple steps at the same time |
| Selective execution | Choose which steps to run based on conditions |
| Parallel data processing | Process a set of data by running a series of steps in parallel |
For more information about control primitives and workflow structure, see Flow definition.
Key concepts
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Workflow | A series of sequential steps that define business logic and execution order |
| Workflow definition | A specification that defines the steps, sequence, and rules of a workflow |
| Execution | A single run of a workflow with a specific set of inputs |
| Step | An individual unit within a workflow that performs a specific action |
| Flow Definition Language (FDL) | A YAML-based language that defines workflow structure as state machines |
Create and manage workflows
To get started with CloudFlow, create a workflow definition. You can manage workflow definitions by using any of the following tools:
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| CloudFlow console | Visual interface for creating and monitoring workflows |
| CloudFlow SDK | Programmatic access for integrating workflow management into applications |
| Alibaba Cloud CLI | Command-line tool for scripting and automation |
For details on writing workflow definitions, see Flow definition.
Run a workflow
After you create a workflow definition, you can trigger an execution by using the CloudFlow console, CloudFlow SDK, or Alibaba Cloud CLI. CloudFlow then:
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Runs each step based on the defined sequence and rules.
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Returns the execution results in JSON format.
For a practical example of workflow orchestration, see Reliably process distributed multi-step transactions.
Related topics
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Flow definition -- Learn the Flow Definition Language (FDL) used to describe workflows.
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Reliably process distributed multi-step transactions -- See how CloudFlow handles complex business scenarios.