workflow-orchestration-patterns

version	4.1.0-fractal
name	workflow-orchestration-patterns
description	Design durable workflows with Temporal for distributed systems. Covers workflow vs activity separation, saga patterns, state management, and determinism constraints. Use when building long-running processes, distributed transactions, or microservice orchestration.

Workflow Orchestration Patterns

Master workflow orchestration architecture with Temporal, covering fundamental design decisions, resilience patterns, and best practices for building reliable distributed systems.

Use this skill when

• Working on workflow orchestration patterns tasks or workflows
• Needing guidance, best practices, or checklists for workflow orchestration patterns

Do not use this skill when

• The task is unrelated to workflow orchestration patterns
• You need a different domain or tool outside this scope

Instructions

• Clarify goals, constraints, and required inputs.
• Apply relevant best practices and validate outcomes.
• Provide actionable steps and verification.
• If detailed examples are required, open resources/implementation-playbook.md.

When to Use Workflow Orchestration

🧠 Knowledge Modules (Fractal Skills)

1. Ideal Use Cases (Source: docs.temporal.io)

2. When NOT to Use

3. Workflows (Orchestration)

4. Activities (External Interactions)

5. Design Decision Framework

6. 1. Saga Pattern with Compensation

7. 2. Entity Workflows (Actor Model)

8. 3. Fan-Out/Fan-In (Parallel Execution)

9. 4. Async Callback Pattern

10. Automatic State Preservation

11. Determinism Constraints

12. Versioning Strategies

13. Retry Policies

14. Idempotency Requirements

15. Activity Heartbeats

16. Workflow Design

17. Activity Design

18. Common Pitfalls

19. Operational Considerations