Durable workflow design handles intermittent errors without failure
infoWell-designed durable workflows handle intermittent infrastructure errors and code bugs through retry mechanisms without failing, as long as retry policies and timeouts are properly configured. The expectation is that workflow failures should be rare and unexpected when following durable design principles.
Workflows experience intermittent errors (temporary infrastructure issues, transient bugs) but continue executing through automatic retries. Proper retry policies, timeouts, and error handling allow workflows to complete successfully despite temporary failures. Frequent workflow failures may indicate inadequate retry configuration or missing error handling.
1. Design workflows with durability in mind: expect and handle intermittent failures through retries rather than allowing failures. 2. Configure appropriate activity retry policies: set maxAttempt, initial interval, backoff coefficient, and maximum interval based on expected transient error patterns. 3. Monitor workflow failure rates: high failure rates may indicate insufficient retry configuration or systematic issues requiring code changes. 4. Implement explicit error handling for business logic errors: catch activity errors and handle them appropriately rather than propagating as workflow failures. 5. Review activity and workflow timeout configurations: ensure timeouts account for retry attempts and expected execution patterns. 6. For systematic errors causing repeated failures: investigate root causes (infrastructure instability, code bugs, configuration issues) rather than just increasing retry limits. 7. Document expected error handling behavior for each workflow type to ensure consistent implementation across the team.