Actions8
Overview
This node interacts with the AWS Step Functions service, allowing workflows to manage and monitor state machine executions. Specifically, the "Send Task Heartbeat" operation reports to AWS Step Functions that a task identified by a given task token is still in progress. This prevents the task from being considered timed out or failed.
Common scenarios for this node include:
- Long-running tasks within a Step Functions workflow where periodic heartbeats are needed to signal ongoing progress.
- Worker processes that poll for tasks and need to keep the Step Functions execution alive while processing.
- Integrations where external systems report task status back to Step Functions to maintain workflow state.
Example: A worker receives a task token from a Step Functions task state and periodically calls this node with the token to send heartbeats until the task completes.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Task Token | The token representing the specific task assigned by AWS Step Functions. It is used to identify which task's heartbeat is being sent. |
Output
The output JSON contains the response from the AWS Step Functions API after sending the heartbeat. Typically, this response is empty or minimal, indicating the heartbeat was successfully received. No binary data is produced.
Example output structure (may be empty):
{}
Dependencies
- Requires valid AWS credentials with permissions to interact with AWS Step Functions.
- The node uses the AWS SDK internally to call the
sendTaskHeartbeatAPI. - AWS region must be specified in the credentials configuration.
Troubleshooting
- Invalid or expired task token: If the task token is incorrect or expired, the API call will fail. Ensure the token is current and correctly passed.
- Insufficient AWS permissions: The AWS credentials must have permission to call
SendTaskHeartbeat. Check IAM policies if authorization errors occur. - Network or connectivity issues: Failures to reach AWS endpoints can cause errors; verify network access.
- Timeouts: If heartbeats are not sent frequently enough, Step Functions may consider the task failed due to timeout.
Error messages typically come directly from AWS SDK and indicate issues such as invalid tokens, unauthorized access, or throttling.