Azure Durable Task Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Durable Task. Covers best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.

How to Use This Skill

IMPORTANT for Agent: Use the Category Index below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., L35-L120), use read_file with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., [security.md](security.md)), use read_file on the linked reference file

IMPORTANT for Agent: If metadata.generated_at is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If mcp_microsoftdocs tools are not available, suggest the user install it: Installation Guide

This skill requires network access to fetch documentation content:

• Preferred: Use mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch with query string from=learn-agent-skill. Returns Markdown.
• Fallback: Use fetch_webpage with query string from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown. Returns Markdown.

Category Index

Category	Lines	Description
Best Practices	L35-L43	Guidance on writing robust orchestrator code, configuring retries and error handling, using continue-as-new, handling external events, and building singleton/eternal Durable Functions.
Decision Making	L44-L49	Guidance on when to use Durable Functions vs raw Durable Task SDK, and how to compare and choose durable storage providers/backends for orchestrations.
Architecture & Design Patterns	L50-L57	Patterns for orchestrating Durable workflows: fan-out/fan-in, human approval steps, long-running monitors, and function chaining design and implementation.
Limits & Quotas	L58-L63	Configuring orchestration status size/retention limits, querying status, and monitoring Durable Task Scheduler action metrics, performance, and billing impacts.
Configuration	L64-L68	Configuring Durable Task hubs storage (connection, scaling, reliability) and using instance management APIs to query, control, and manage orchestration instances.
Integrations & Coding Patterns	L69-L73	Managing Durable Task workflow instances: starting, querying, terminating, purging, and using instance management APIs for lifecycle control and monitoring
Deployment	L74-L77	Guidance on safely deploying Durable orchestrations using versioning strategies, handling breaking changes, and managing upgrades without disrupting running workflows.

Best Practices

Topic	URL
Follow orchestrator code constraints in Durable Functions	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-code-constraints
Configure error handling and retries in Durable Functions	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-error-handling
Implement eternal orchestrations with continue-as-new	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-eternal-orchestrations
Handle external events in Durable orchestrations	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-external-events
Implement singleton orchestrators in Durable Functions	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-singletons

Decision Making

Topic	URL
Choose Durable Functions vs Durable Task SDK hosting	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/choose-orchestration-framework
Compare Durable Task storage providers and choose backends	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-storage-providers

Architecture & Design Patterns

Topic	URL
Implement fan-out/fan-in pattern in Durable Functions	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-fan-in-fan-out
Design human interaction workflows in Durable Task	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-human-interaction
Build monitor pattern workflows with Durable orchestrations	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-monitor
Use function chaining pattern in Durable workflows	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-sequence

Limits & Quotas

Topic	URL
Configure and query custom orchestration status limits	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-custom-orchestration-status
Monitor Durable Task Scheduler action metrics and billing	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-metrics

Configuration

Topic	URL
Configure and manage Durable Task hubs storage	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-hubs

Integrations & Coding Patterns

Topic	URL
Use instance management APIs for Durable Task workflows	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-instance-management

Deployment

Topic	URL
Use orchestration versioning for safe Durable deployments	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-orchestration-versioning