Durable Functions orchestration patterns in Azure - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the main purpose of Durable Functions orchestration?

Durable Functions orchestration manages and coordinates long-running workflows in Azure Functions, allowing reliable execution of complex processes that can pause and resume without losing state.

beginner

Explain the 'Function Chaining' pattern in Durable Functions.

Function Chaining runs functions one after another in a sequence. Each function waits for the previous one to finish before starting, like following steps in a recipe.

intermediate

What does the 'Fan-out/Fan-in' pattern do in Durable Functions?

Fan-out/Fan-in runs many functions at the same time (fan-out) and then waits for all to finish before continuing (fan-in), similar to sending many letters and waiting for all replies.

intermediate

Describe the 'Async HTTP APIs' pattern in Durable Functions.

Async HTTP APIs let clients start a long process and check back later for results. The orchestration runs in the background, so the client doesn’t have to wait.

advanced

How does the 'Human Interaction' pattern work in Durable Functions?

Human Interaction pauses the workflow to wait for a human to provide input or approval before continuing, like waiting for a signature on a form.

Which Durable Functions pattern runs tasks one after another in a fixed order?

A Async HTTP APIs

B Function Chaining

C Fan-out/Fan-in

D Human Interaction

Function Chaining runs functions sequentially, one after the other.

What pattern should you use to run many tasks in parallel and then wait for all to complete?

A Function Chaining

B Human Interaction

C Fan-out/Fan-in

D Async HTTP APIs

Fan-out/Fan-in runs tasks in parallel and waits for all to finish before continuing.

Which pattern allows a client to start a long process and check back later for the result?

A Async HTTP APIs

B Function Chaining

C Fan-out/Fan-in

D Human Interaction

Async HTTP APIs let clients start processes asynchronously and poll for results.

In Durable Functions, how is human input handled in workflows?

A Human Interaction

B Fan-out/Fan-in

C Async HTTP APIs

D Function Chaining

Human Interaction pattern pauses the workflow to wait for human input before continuing.

What is a key benefit of using Durable Functions orchestration?

A Only works with HTTP triggers

B Runs only short tasks

C Requires manual state management

D Manages state for long-running workflows

Durable Functions automatically manages state for long-running workflows.

Describe the Fan-out/Fan-in pattern and give a real-life example.

Think about doing many things at once and then gathering all results.

Explain how Durable Functions handle human interaction in workflows.

Imagine waiting for a signature before continuing a process.