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Integration
Message Routing
Process Manager
Central coordinator for multi-step business processes — tracks state and drives each step.
Intent & Description
Real-world Use Case
E-commerce order fulfillment — Process Manager receives OrderPlaced, sends ReserveInventory command, waits for InventoryReserved event, sends ChargePayment command, waits for PaymentCharged event, sends CreateShipment command. Clear state machine, full auditability, central error handling.
Source
📌 TL;DR
Process Manager = orchestrator for complex multi-step flows. Tracks state, drives each step, handles failures. You give up decentralization in exchange for full visibility and control.
Advantages
- Full visibility into multi-step process state
- Centralizes error handling, retries, and compensating transactions
- Explicit state machine makes the business process inspectable and debuggable
- Easier to monitor and alert on stuck or failed processes
Disadvantages
- Process Manager is a central bottleneck — must be HA
- State persistence adds complexity and storage requirements
- Harder to scale than decentralized choreography
- Tight coupling between Process Manager and all participant services