Frequently asked questions.

How do I run Conductor with Docker?

Run docker run -p 8080:8080 conductoross/conductor:latest to start Conductor with all dependencies included. The server will be available at http://localhost:8080. For production deployments with external persistence, see the production deployment guide.

Is Conductor open source?

Yes. Conductor is a fully open source workflow engine, Apache 2.0 licensed. You can self-host it on your own infrastructure with no vendor lock-in. It supports 5 persistence backends, 6 message brokers, and runs anywhere Docker runs.

Is this the same as Netflix Conductor?

Yes. Conductor OSS is the continuation of the original Netflix Conductor repository after Netflix contributed the project to the open-source foundation.

Is this project actively maintained?

Yes. Orkes is the primary maintainer of this repository and offers an enterprise SaaS platform for Conductor across all major cloud providers.

Can Conductor scale to handle my workload?

Conductor servers and workers scale independently. Use task domains, concurrency limits, persistence configuration, and metrics to match throughput and isolation to your environment.

Does Conductor support durable execution?

Yes. Conductor persists workflow and task state, supports recovery after worker and infrastructure failure, and exposes retries, timeouts, pause, resume, and termination controls.

Can I replay a workflow after it completes or fails?

Conductor supports restart, rerun, and retry controls. Execution-history retention depends on configuration, and keepLastN intentionally removes older loop iterations.

Are workflows always asynchronous?

No. While Conductor excels at asynchronous orchestration, it also supports synchronous workflow execution when immediate results are required.

Do I need to use a Conductor-specific framework?

No. Conductor is language and framework agnostic. Use your preferred language and framework—SDKs provide native integration for Java, Python, JavaScript, Go, C#, and more.

Isn't JSON too limited for complex workflows?

JSON keeps orchestration as machine-readable data while workers and built-in tasks perform business logic and side effects. Use validated runtime definitions, dynamic tasks, and dynamic forks when the path is selected at runtime.

Is Conductor a low-code/no-code platform?

No. Conductor is designed for developers who write code. While workflows can be defined in JSON, the power comes from building workers and tasks in your preferred programming language.

Can Conductor handle complex workflows?

Conductor was specifically designed for complex orchestration. It supports advanced patterns including nested loops, dynamic branching, sub-workflows, and workflows with thousands of tasks.

Is Netflix Conductor abandoned?

No. The original Netflix repository has transitioned to Conductor OSS, which is the new home for the project. Active development and maintenance continues here.

Is Orkes Conductor compatible with Conductor OSS?

100% compatible. Orkes Conductor is built on top of Conductor OSS, ensuring full compatibility between the open-source version and the enterprise offering.

Can Conductor orchestrate AI agents and LLMs?

Yes. Conductor provides native LLM tasks, MCP tool discovery and calls, human approval, and vector workflows for RAG. See the maintained Agents & AI documentation for provider and capability details.

What does Conductor provide for adaptive agents?

Conductor combines native AI and MCP tasks with durable loops, branches, fan-out, approval, retry, cancellation, and an inspectable execution history. Start with the governed adaptive graph.

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