CloudFlow:Overview

Integration types

When CloudFlow is integrated with other Alibaba Cloud services, the integration types include normal integration and optimized integration.

• Normal integration

  Normal integration: CloudFlow calls API operations of other cloud services that are not packaged or optimized. Up to tens of thousands of API operations can be called by CloudFlow in OpenAPI.

• Optimized integration

  Optimized integration: Frequently used API operations of other cloud services are packaged and optimized before CloudFlow calls the API operations in OpenAPI. This simplifies the invocation of the API operations and the service integration. CloudFlow cannot be directly integrated with specific cloud services or tools in OpenAPI. You can use SDKs or public clients of the cloud services to perform optimized integration. This helps you use the capabilities that are provided by the cloud services or tools in flows.

If a cloud service supports both the preceding integration types, we recommend that you use optimized integration. The Workflow Studio page in the CloudFlow console provides options for optimized integration. For more information, see Interface overview.

CloudFlow provides optimized integration for the following service integration. You can use flow definition languages(FDLs) to configure task-type states and then use the capabilities that are provided by the cloud services in task-type states.

Integration modes

CloudFlow supports the following integration modes. For more information, see Service integration modes.

• RequestComplete

  This is the default integration mode of CloudFlow. CloudFlow initiates a task invocation, uses the return value of the initiated task as the execution result, and continues subsequent flow steps.

• WaitForSystemCallback

  After the task invocation is initiated, the flow enters the suspended state and waits for an asynchronous callback. The system automatically initiates the callback.

• WaitForCustomCallback

  After the task invocation is initiated, the flow enters the suspended state and waits for an asynchronous callback. You initiate the callback.

Both the standard workflow mode and express workflow mode support normal integration and optimized integration, but the standard workflow mode and express workflow mode support different integration modes. The standard workflow mode supports all service integration modes. The express workflow mode supports only the RequestComplete service integration mode. For more information, see Mode comparisons.

The following table lists the service integration modes that are supported by normal integration and optimized integration. In the following table, a tick () indicates that the service integration mode is supported. A cross () indicates that the service integration mode is not supported.