What do workers do in Amazon Simple Workflow Service (SWF)?

In Amazon Simple Workflow Service (SWF), workers are primarily responsible for retrieving tasks and processing them to return results. When a workflow is initiated, SWF creates tasks which are dispatched to workers. Each worker picks up a task, performs the required operations, and then sends the results back to SWF. This architecture allows for efficient task management and enables scalability, as multiple workers can process tasks concurrently.

While defining the workflow is a critical aspect of how SWF is set up, it is primarily done by developers or operators rather than the workers themselves. Monitoring resource utilization and providing feedback on task success are also important features within SWF, but those actions aren't primarily conducted by the workers as part of their main function. Instead, they focus on the execution of the tasks they have been assigned. Consequently, the essence of a worker's role in SWF aligns directly with getting and processing tasks to deliver results effectively.