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-L41	Guidance on writing reliable orchestrator code, handling failures and retries, and designing singleton orchestrations in Azure Durable Task/Functions.
Decision Making	L42-L47	Guidance on choosing Durable Functions vs. raw Durable Task hosting and comparing storage providers/backends (e.g., Azure Storage, SQL, Netherite) for durability, scale, and reliability.
Architecture & Design Patterns	L48-L57	Patterns for orchestrating complex workflows in Durable Task: long-running/eternal orchestrations, external events, fan-out/fan-in, human approvals, monitoring loops, and function chaining.
Limits & Quotas	L58-L63	Configuring limits for custom orchestration status data, querying status payloads, and monitoring Durable Task Scheduler action metrics, usage, and billing.
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 orchestration 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, handling breaking changes, and managing upgrades without disrupting running workflows.

Best Practices

Topic	URL
Apply orchestrator code constraints in Durable Task	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-code-constraints
Handle errors and retries in Durable orchestrations	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-error-handling
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 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 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
Use fan-out/fan-in pattern in Durable Functions	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-fan-in-fan-out
Implement 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 Task	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/durable-task/common/durable-task-monitor
Implement function chaining with Durable Task	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 orchestrations	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