vocabulary:
  title: AWS Step Functions Vocabulary
  description: Controlled vocabulary for AWS Step Functions orchestration concepts
  created: "2026-04-19"
  modified: "2026-04-19"
  terms:
    - term: State Machine
      definition: A workflow defined in Amazon States Language (ASL) that coordinates components of distributed applications.
      tags:
        - Core
        - Workflow
    - term: Execution
      definition: An instance of a state machine that processes input and produces output according to the state machine definition.
      tags:
        - Core
        - Runtime
    - term: State
      definition: A single unit of work in a state machine definition. Can be a Task, Choice, Wait, Succeed, Fail, Parallel, or Map state.
      tags:
        - Core
        - Workflow
    - term: Task State
      definition: A state that represents a single unit of work performed by a state machine, typically invoking a Lambda function or AWS service.
      tags:
        - Workflow
    - term: Amazon States Language
      definition: A JSON-based structured language used to define state machines in AWS Step Functions.
      tags:
        - Configuration
        - Core
    - term: Activity
      definition: A way to associate code running somewhere with a specific task in Step Functions.
      tags:
        - Runtime
    - term: Retry
      definition: A configuration on Task states that automatically retries failed tasks with configurable backoff.
      tags:
        - Error Handling
    - term: Catch
      definition: Error handling configuration that transitions to a fallback state when specific errors occur.
      tags:
        - Error Handling
    - term: Parallel State
      definition: A state that creates parallel branches of execution running simultaneously.
      tags:
        - Workflow
        - Concurrency
    - term: Map State
      definition: A state that iterates over an array of items and processes each item using a sub-state machine.
      tags:
        - Workflow
        - Iteration
    - term: Express Workflow
      definition: A type of state machine optimized for high-volume, short-duration workloads with at-least-once execution semantics.
      tags:
        - Configuration
        - Performance
    - term: Standard Workflow
      definition: A type of state machine for long-running workflows with exactly-once execution semantics.
      tags:
        - Configuration
    - term: Wait State
      definition: A state that pauses execution for a specified time or until a specific time.
      tags:
        - Workflow
        - Time