August 2022 Summaries

Orkes has introduced a new feature in its cloud-hosted version of Netflix Conductor, which now allows for the secure use of secrets in workflow definitions, ensuring that sensitive information like keys and tokens are protected from exposure. This feature addresses a common issue faced by developers, who often inadvertently share sensitive data publicly, such as through platforms like GitHub. By allowing secrets to be stored securely on the Conductor server, developers can reference these values in their workflows without exposing them in outputs, thus enhancing security during interactions with third-party applications. The feature is easy to set up, requiring users to simply add their secrets through the platform's interface and reference them in workflows similarly to other variables. This update has been highly anticipated by developers and aims to make workflow development more secure and efficient, with detailed documentation available for users to explore.

The blog post explores the application of the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle to Netflix Conductor workflows, drawing an analogy with the musical structure of a minuet and trio from the classical period. By reusing tasks and implementing DO/WHILE loops, the complexity and length of workflows can be minimized while enhancing their adaptability for various tasks. Dynamic tasks further streamline the process by allowing workflows to be configured at runtime, enabling a single subworkflow to manage multiple tasks flexibly. The approach transforms a workflow initially hardcoded for specific tasks into a more versatile system capable of handling any minuet and trio arrangement, just as a musical conductor orchestrates a symphony. This orchestration within Netflix Conductor is exemplified through a workflow that can be accessed and experimented with through the Orkes Developer Edition, showcasing the integration of code efficiency and creativity akin to musical performance.

Know Your Customer (KYC) workflows are crucial for banks and financial services to comply with regulations aimed at combating money laundering and other illegal activities. These workflows involve collecting and validating extensive customer information to assign risk and customer classes and tailor services accordingly. The article explains how to implement KYC workflows using Conductor, an open-source microservice and workflow orchestration framework, and the Orkes Developer Edition for hosting workflows. By following the tutorial, users can locally build and test a KYC workflow using Docker and other tools before deploying it on AWS with the necessary backend infrastructure. Despite some initial challenges, such as the lack of persistent storage in the default setup, Conductor allows developers to automate processes across microservices effectively. The article emphasizes Conductor's capability to orchestrate complex workflows and suggests trying out its features through the Orkes Developer Edition or Orkes Cloud for a fully managed service.