Benchmarking External and Embedded Durable Workflows

Durable execution is a method that ensures application processes can recover and continue from their last completed state in case of interruptions, preventing data loss and avoiding costly reprocessing. This concept is explored through a comparison of two approaches: external orchestration systems, like Temporal, which require significant architectural changes and the addition of multiple services; and embedded durable execution libraries, such as DBOS, which integrate directly into existing application code with minimal modifications. Using a document indexing pipeline as a reference, the text highlights how DBOS allows for seamless integration by adding just a few lines of code without altering the application's architecture, whereas Temporal demands a more complex restructuring into separate services, increasing operational complexity. The discussion emphasizes that the library approach, by avoiding additional points of failure, is a more efficient and reliable solution for integrating durable execution into applications, particularly when the business logic is tightly interwoven with the rest of the application code.