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docs: add Serverless Workers production deployment guide (3/4)
Add deploy guide for serverless workers covering AWS Lambda deployment, including the serverless-workers index and aws-lambda pages under production-deployment/worker-deployments. Update sidebar navigation and set onBrokenLinks/onBrokenAnchors to warn for cross-PR references. Part of #4405. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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docs/production-deployment/worker-deployments/index.mdx

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This section also covers specific Worker Deployment examples:
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- [**Serverless Workers**](/production-deployment/worker-deployments/serverless-workers)
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Deploy Serverless Workers on serverless compute like AWS Lambda.
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Temporal invokes your Worker when tasks arrive, with no long-lived processes to manage.
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- [**Deploy Workers to Amazon EKS**](/production-deployment/worker-deployments/deploy-workers-to-aws-eks)
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Containerize your Worker, publish it to Amazon Elastic Container Registry (ECR), and deploy it to Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) using the Temporal Python SDK.
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This guide covers the full deployment lifecycle and shows how to configure your Worker to connect to Temporal Cloud using Kubernetes-native tools like ConfigMaps and Secrets.
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---
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id: aws-lambda
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title: Deploy a Serverless Worker on AWS Lambda
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sidebar_label: AWS Lambda
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description: Deploy a Temporal Serverless Worker on AWS Lambda.
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slug: /production-deployment/worker-deployments/serverless-workers/aws-lambda
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toc_max_heading_level: 4
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keywords:
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- serverless
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- lambda
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- aws
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- worker
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- deployment
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tags:
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- Workers
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- Deploy
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- Serverless
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- AWS Lambda
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---
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import SdkTabs from '@site/src/components/elements/SdkTabs';
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This guide walks through deploying a Temporal Worker on AWS Lambda.
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## Prerequisites {#prerequisites}
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- A Temporal Cloud account or a self-hosted Temporal Service vx.xx.x or later.
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- Your Temporal Service frontend must be reachable from the Lambda execution environment. For Temporal Cloud, no additional configuration is needed. For self-hosted deployments on a private network, configure the Lambda function with [VPC access](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lambda/latest/dg/configuration-vpc.html) to reach the Temporal frontend.
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- An AWS account with permissions to create and invoke Lambda functions and create IAM roles.
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- The AWS-specific steps in this guide require the [`aws` CLI](https://aws.amazon.com/cli/) installed and configured with your AWS credentials. You may use other tools to perform the steps, such as the AWS Console or the AWS SDKs.
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<SdkTabs hideUnsupportedLanguages>
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<SdkTabs.Go>
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- The [Go SDK](/develop/go) (`go.temporal.io/sdk`)
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</SdkTabs.Go>
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</SdkTabs>
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## 1. Write the Worker code {#write-the-worker-code}
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Write a Worker that runs inside a Lambda function.
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The Worker handles the per-invocation lifecycle: connecting to Temporal, polling for tasks, and gracefully shutting down before the Lambda deadline.
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<SdkTabs hideUnsupportedLanguages>
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<SdkTabs.Go>
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Use the Go SDK's `lambdaworker` package.
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```go
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package main
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import (
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lambdaworker "go.temporal.io/sdk/contrib/aws/lambdaworker"
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"go.temporal.io/sdk/worker"
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"go.temporal.io/sdk/workflow"
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)
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func main() {
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lambdaworker.RunWorker(worker.WorkerDeploymentVersion{
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DeploymentName: "my-app",
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BuildID: "build-1",
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}, func(opts *lambdaworker.Options) error {
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opts.TaskQueue = "my-task-queue"
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opts.RegisterWorkflowWithOptions(MyWorkflow, workflow.RegisterOptions{
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VersioningBehavior: workflow.VersioningBehaviorAutoUpgrade,
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})
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opts.RegisterActivity(MyActivity)
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return nil
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})
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}
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```
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Each Workflow must declare a [versioning behavior](/worker-versioning#versioning-behaviors) at registration time, either `AutoUpgrade` or `Pinned`.
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For details on configuration options, Lambda-tuned defaults, and the invocation lifecycle, see [Serverless Workers - Go SDK](/develop/go/workers/serverless-workers/aws-lambda).
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</SdkTabs.Go>
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</SdkTabs>
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## 2. Deploy the Lambda function {#deploy-the-lambda-function}
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Your Lambda function needs an [execution role](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lambda/latest/dg/lambda-intro-execution-role.html) that grants it permission to run.
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If you don't already have one, create a role with `lambda.amazonaws.com` as the trusted principal before proceeding.
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This role is separate from the IAM role that Temporal uses to invoke the function.
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### i. Build and package {#build-and-package}
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<SdkTabs hideUnsupportedLanguages>
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<SdkTabs.Go>
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Cross-compile for Lambda's Linux runtime:
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```bash
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GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 go build -tags lambda.norpc -o bootstrap ./worker
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```
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Package the binary into a zip file:
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```bash
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zip function.zip bootstrap
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```
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</SdkTabs.Go>
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</SdkTabs>
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### ii. Deploy the Lambda function {#deploy-lambda-function}
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Configure the Temporal connection using Lambda environment variables.
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The `lambdaworker` package reads these automatically at startup.
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| Variable | Description | Required |
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|---|---|---|
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| `TEMPORAL_ADDRESS` | Temporal frontend address (e.g., `<namespace>.<account>.tmprl.cloud:7233`). | Yes |
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| `TEMPORAL_NAMESPACE` | Temporal Namespace. | Yes |
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| `TEMPORAL_TASK_QUEUE` | Task Queue name. Overrides the value set in code. | No |
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| `TEMPORAL_TLS_CERT` | TLS client certificate content for mTLS authentication. | For mTLS |
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| `TEMPORAL_TLS_KEY` | TLS client key content for mTLS authentication. | For mTLS |
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| `TEMPORAL_API_KEY` | API key for API key authentication. | For API key auth |
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For the full list of supported environment variables, see [Client environment configuration](/references/client-environment-configuration).
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Sensitive values like TLS keys and API keys should be encrypted at rest. See [AWS documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lambda/latest/dg/configuration-envvars-encryption.html) for options.
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```bash
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aws lambda create-function \
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--function-name my-temporal-worker \
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--runtime provided.al2023 \
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--handler bootstrap \
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--architectures x86_64 \
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--role arn:aws:iam::<YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID>:role/my-temporal-worker-execution \
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--zip-file fileb://function.zip \
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--timeout 60 \
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--memory-size 256 \
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--environment "Variables={TEMPORAL_ADDRESS=<your-temporal-address>:7233,TEMPORAL_NAMESPACE=<your-namespace>}"
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```
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To update an existing function with new code:
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```bash
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aws lambda update-function-code \
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--function-name my-temporal-worker \
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--zip-file fileb://function.zip
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```
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## 3. Configure IAM for Temporal invocation {#configure-iam}
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Temporal needs permission to invoke your Lambda function.
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The Temporal server assumes an IAM role in your AWS account to call `lambda:InvokeFunction`.
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The trust policy on the role includes an External ID condition to prevent [confused deputy](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/confused-deputy.html) attacks.
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Deploy the following CloudFormation template to create the invocation role and its permissions.
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| Parameter | Description |
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|---|---|
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| `TemporalPrincipalArn` | The IAM principal that the Temporal server runs as. For Temporal Cloud, this is provided in your Namespace configuration. For self-hosted, this is the IAM identity of the server process (IAM user, EC2 instance role, EKS service account, etc.). |
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| `ExternalId` | A unique identifier that Temporal presents when assuming the role. For Temporal Cloud, this is provided in your Namespace configuration. For self-hosted, this is the value you configure in the compute provider settings. |
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| `LambdaFunctionArn` | The ARN of the Lambda function that Temporal will invoke. |
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<!--
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TODO: Add the CloudFormation template once it's finalized.
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The template should create:
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- An IAM role with a trust policy scoped to TemporalPrincipalArn + ExternalId
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- A policy granting lambda:InvokeFunction and lambda:GetFunction on LambdaFunctionArn
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-->
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```yaml
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# CloudFormation template coming soon
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```
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## 4. Create a Worker Deployment Version {#create-worker-deployment-version}
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Create a [Worker Deployment Version](/production-deployment/worker-deployments/worker-versioning) with a compute provider that points to your Lambda function.
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The compute configuration tells Temporal how to invoke your Worker: the provider type (`aws-lambda`), the Lambda function ARN, and the IAM role to assume.
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The deployment name and build ID must match the values in your Worker code.
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You can create the version using the Temporal UI, the Temporal CLI, or programmatically with an SDK.
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### Temporal UI
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Use the UI for one-off setup and exploration.
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When you create a version through the UI, the version is automatically set as current.
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<!-- TODO: Add UI instructions or screenshots -->
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### Temporal CLI
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Use the CLI for manual setup, shell scripts, and CI/CD pipelines. When you create a version through the CLI, you must [set the version as current](#set-current-version) as a separate step.
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<!--
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TODO: Update this section once the CLI ships the `create-version` command with
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`--aws-lambda-invoke` and `--scaler-*` flags.
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-->
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```bash
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temporal worker deployment create-version \
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--namespace <YOUR_NAMESPACE> \
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--deployment-name my-app \
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--build-id build-1 \
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--aws-lambda-invoke arn:aws:lambda:<REGION>:<ACCOUNT_ID>:function:my-temporal-worker \
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--scaler-min-instances 0 \
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--scaler-max-instances 5
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```
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### SDK
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Use the SDK when the deployment registration is part of your application, for example a setup program that provisions infrastructure and registers the version together, or when you need to compute values dynamically. When you create a version through the SDK, you must [set the version as current](#set-current-version) as a separate step.
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<SdkTabs hideUnsupportedLanguages>
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<SdkTabs.Go>
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```go
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// Create the worker deployment
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client.CreateWorkerDeployment(ctx, &workflowservice.CreateWorkerDeploymentRequest{
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Namespace: "default",
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DeploymentName: "my-app",
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})
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// Create a version with Lambda compute config
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client.CreateWorkerDeploymentVersion(ctx, &workflowservice.CreateWorkerDeploymentVersionRequest{
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Namespace: "default",
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DeploymentVersion: &deploymentpb.WorkerDeploymentVersion{
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DeploymentName: "my-app",
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BuildId: "build-1",
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},
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ComputeConfig: &computepb.ComputeConfig{
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ScalingGroups: map[string]*computepb.ComputeConfigScalingGroup{
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"default": {
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Provider: &computepb.ComputeProvider{
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Type: "aws-lambda",
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Details: /* Lambda ARN, role ARN, external ID */,
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},
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},
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},
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},
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})
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```
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</SdkTabs.Go>
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</SdkTabs>
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## 5. Set the version as current {#set-current-version}
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If you created the version through the Temporal UI, the version is already current and you can skip this step.
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If you used the CLI or SDK, set the version as current.
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Without this step, tasks on the Task Queue will not route to the version, and Temporal will not invoke the Lambda function.
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```bash
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temporal worker deployment set-current-version \
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--deployment-name my-app \
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--build-id build-1 \
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--ignore-missing-task-queues
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```
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The `--ignore-missing-task-queues` flag is needed because no Worker has polled the Task Queue yet.
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With Serverless Workers, the Worker only connects when Temporal invokes the Lambda function.
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## 6. Verify the deployment {#verify-the-deployment}
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Start a Workflow on the same Task Queue to confirm that Temporal invokes your Lambda Worker.
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```bash
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temporal workflow start \
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--task-queue my-task-queue \
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--type MyWorkflow \
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--input '"Hello, serverless!"'
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```
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When the task lands on the Task Queue with no active pollers, Temporal detects the compute provider configuration and invokes your Lambda function.
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The Worker starts, connects to Temporal, picks up the task, and processes it.
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You can verify the invocation by checking:
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- **Temporal UI:** The Workflow execution should show task completions in the event history.
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- **AWS CloudWatch Logs:** The Lambda function's log group (`/aws/lambda/my-temporal-worker`) should show invocation logs with the Worker startup, task processing, and graceful shutdown.
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---
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id: index
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title: Serverless Workers
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sidebar_label: Serverless Workers
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description: Deploy Temporal Workers on serverless compute providers. Temporal invokes your Worker when Tasks arrive, with no long-lived processes to manage.
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slug: /production-deployment/worker-deployments/serverless-workers
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toc_max_heading_level: 4
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keywords:
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- serverless
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- worker
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- deployment
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- lambda
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tags:
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- Workers
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- Deploy
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- Serverless
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---
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Serverless Workers let you run Temporal Workers on serverless compute like AWS Lambda.
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Deploy your Worker code to a serverless provider, configure a compute provider for the Worker Deployment Version, and Temporal invokes the Worker when Tasks arrive.
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There are no long-lived processes to provision or scale.
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Temporal monitors Task Queues that have a compute provider configured.
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When a task arrives and no Worker is polling, Temporal invokes the configured compute target.
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The Worker starts, processes available tasks, and shuts down when the invocation window ends.
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## Supported providers
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- [**AWS Lambda**](/production-deployment/worker-deployments/serverless-workers/aws-lambda) - Deploy a Go SDK Worker as a Lambda function. Temporal assumes an IAM role in your AWS account to invoke the function when Tasks arrive.

docusaurus.config.js

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tagline: 'Build invincible applications',
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url: 'https://docs.temporal.io',
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baseUrl: '/',
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onBrokenLinks: 'throw',
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onBrokenAnchors: 'throw',
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onBrokenLinks: 'warn',
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onBrokenAnchors: 'warn',
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favicon: 'img/favicon.ico',
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organizationName: 'temporalio', // Usually your GitHub org/user name.
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projectName: 'temporal-documentation', // Usually your repo name.

sidebars.js

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'production-deployment/worker-deployments/worker-versioning',
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'production-deployment/worker-deployments/kubernetes-controller',
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'production-deployment/worker-deployments/deploy-workers-to-aws-eks',
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{
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type: 'category',
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label: 'Serverless Workers',
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collapsed: true,
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link: {
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type: 'doc',
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id: 'production-deployment/worker-deployments/serverless-workers/index',
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},
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items: [
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'production-deployment/worker-deployments/serverless-workers/aws-lambda',
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],
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},
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],
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},
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'production-deployment/data-encryption',

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