In Amazon Simple Workflow Services (SWF), what is the role of a decider?

In Amazon Simple Workflow Services (SWF), the role of a decider is essential to the overall execution and management of workflows. A decider is responsible for coordinating the ordering, concurrency, and scheduling of tasks within a workflow.

This involves determining the flow of the workflow based on the current state of the tasks and the business logic defined by the developer. The decider makes decisions about which tasks to execute next, when to start them, and how to handle failures or other events that may arise during execution. It evaluates the outcomes of completed tasks and uses that information to guide the progression of the workflow.

By managing task dependencies and ensuring that tasks are executed in the correct order, the decider effectively orchestrates the entire workflow process, enabling complex applications to be built with multiple interdependent workflows. Therefore, its role is crucial in ensuring that the tasks run smoothly and efficiently in accordance with the defined business processes.