Workflow orchestration based on idempotent activities and read-only activities

Abstract

A method includes: receiving an initial input message from a caller to a processing system configured to receive input messages and to generate output messages in response to the input message and a persistent store; identifying a workflow associated with the initial input message, the workflow including activities, each activity being separately classified as an idempotent read-write activity, an idempotent read-only activity, or a non-idempotent read-only activity associated with a corresponding service of the processing system; and executing the workflow by supplying the initial input message to the workflow and, for each activity: in response to determining that an input message to the activity includes non-reproducible data, storing the non-reproducible data in the persistent store only if the input message includes non-reproducible data and the activity is a read-write activity or a return to the caller; and providing the input message to a service corresponding to the activity.