Queue Processing
Comparable to: BullMQ, Celery, SQS
Key Concepts
Use the concepts below when they fit the task. Not every queue setup needs all of them.
- Named queues are declared in
iii-config.yamlunderqueue_configs - Standard queues process jobs concurrently; FIFO queues preserve ordering
TriggerAction.Enqueue({queue})dispatches a job to a named queue- Failed jobs auto-retry with exponential backoff up to
max_retries - Jobs that exhaust retries land in a dead letter queue for inspection
- Each consumer function receives the job payload and a
messageReceiptId - Fan-out is achieved by having one producer trigger multiple distinct consumer functions via separate enqueue calls
Architecture
Producer function
→ TriggerAction.Enqueue({ queue: 'task-queue' })
→ Named Queue (standard or FIFO)
→ Consumer registerFunction handler
→ success / retry with backoff
→ Dead Letter Queue (after max_retries)iii Primitives Used
| Primitive | Purpose |
|---|---|
registerFunction | Define the consumer that processes jobs |
trigger({..., action: TriggerAction.Enqueue({queue})}) | Dispatch a job to a named queue |
messageReceiptId | Acknowledge or track individual job processing |
queue_configs in iii-config.yaml | Declare queues with concurrency and retries |
Reference Implementation
See ../references/queue-processing.js for the full working example — a producer that enqueues jobs and a consumer that processes them with retry logic.
Also available in Python: ../references/queue-processing.py
Also available in Rust: ../references/queue-processing.rs
Common Patterns
Code using this pattern commonly includes, when relevant:
registerWorker(url, {workerName})— worker initializationregisterFunction(id, handler)— define the consumertrigger({function_id, payload, action: TriggerAction.Enqueue({queue})})— enqueue a jobpayload.messageReceiptId— track or acknowledge the jobtrigger({function_id: 'state::set', payload})— persist results after processingconst logger = new Logger()— structured logging per job
Adapting This Pattern
Use the adaptations below when they apply to the task.
- Choose FIFO queues when job ordering matters (e.g. sequential pipeline steps)
- Set
max_retriesandconcurrencyin queue config to match your workload - Chain multiple queues for multi-stage pipelines (queue A consumer enqueues to queue B)
- For idempotency, check state before processing to avoid duplicate work on retries
- Use fan-out by enqueuing to multiple consumer functions when a single event requires parallel processing (e.g. payment + notification + audit)
Engine Configuration
Named queues are declared in iii-config.yaml under queue_configs with per-queue max_retries, concurrency, type, and backoff_ms. Fan-out is a pattern (one producer triggers multiple consumer functions), not a queue config key. See ../references/iii-config.yaml for the full annotated config reference.
Pattern Boundaries
- If the task only needs fire-and-forget without retries or ordering, prefer
iii-trigger-actionswithTriggerAction.Void(). - If failed jobs need special handling or alerting, prefer
iii-dead-letter-queuesfor the DLQ consumer. - If the task is step-by-step orchestration with branching, prefer
iii-workflow-orchestration. - Stay with
iii-queue-processingwhen the primary need is reliable async job execution with retries.
When to Use
- Use this skill when the task is primarily about
iii-queue-processingin the iii engine. - Triggers when the request directly asks for this pattern or an equivalent implementation.
Boundaries
- Never use this skill as a generic fallback for unrelated tasks.
- You must not apply this skill when a more specific iii skill is a better fit.
- Always verify environment and safety constraints before applying examples from this skill.