title	Singleton orchestrators - Azure Durable Functions and Durable Task SDKs
description	Learn how to implement singleton orchestrations that ensure only one instance runs at a time using Durable Functions or the Durable Task SDKs.
author	cgillum
ms.topic	how-to
ms.date	01/30/2026
ms.author	azfuncdf
reviewer	hhunter-ms
ms.service	durable-task
ms.devlang	csharp
zone_pivot_groups	azure-durable-approach

Singleton orchestrators

For background jobs, you often need to ensure that only one instance of a particular orchestrator runs at a time. You can ensure this kind of singleton behavior in Durable Functions or the Durable Task SDKs by assigning a specific instance ID to an orchestrator when creating it, and then checking if an instance with that ID is already running before starting a new one.

::: zone pivot="durable-task-sdks"

[!INCLUDE preview-sample-limitations]

::: zone-end

Singleton example

::: zone pivot="durable-functions"

The following example shows an HTTP-trigger function that creates a singleton background job orchestration. The code attempts to ensure that only one active instance exists for a specified instance ID.

C#

[Function("HttpStartSingle")]
public static async Task<HttpResponseData> RunSingle(
    [HttpTrigger(AuthorizationLevel.Function, "post", Route = "orchestrators/{functionName}/{instanceId}")] HttpRequestData req,
    [DurableClient] DurableTaskClient starter,
    string functionName,
    string instanceId,
    FunctionContext executionContext)
{
    ILogger logger = executionContext.GetLogger("HttpStartSingle");

    // Check if an instance with the specified ID already exists or an existing one stopped running(completed/failed/terminated).
    OrchestrationMetadata? existingInstance = await starter.GetInstanceAsync(instanceId, getInputsAndOutputs: false);
    if (existingInstance == null 
    || existingInstance.RuntimeStatus == OrchestrationRuntimeStatus.Completed 
    || existingInstance.RuntimeStatus == OrchestrationRuntimeStatus.Failed 
    || existingInstance.RuntimeStatus == OrchestrationRuntimeStatus.Terminated)
    {
        // An instance with the specified ID doesn't exist or an existing one stopped running, create one.
        string requestBody = await new StreamReader(req.Body).ReadToEndAsync();
        await starter.ScheduleNewOrchestrationInstanceAsync(functionName, requestBody, new StartOrchestrationOptions { InstanceId = instanceId });
        logger.LogInformation($"Started orchestration with ID = '{instanceId}'.");
        return await starter.CreateCheckStatusResponseAsync(req, instanceId);
    }
    else
    {
        // An instance with the specified ID exists or an existing one still running, don't create one.
        var response = req.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.Conflict);
        await response.WriteStringAsync($"An instance with ID '{instanceId}' already exists.");
        return response;
    }
}

Note

The previous C# code is for the isolated worker model, which is the recommended model for .NET apps. For more information about the differences between the in-process and isolated worker models, see the Durable Functions versions article.

JavaScript

Note

This JavaScript example uses the Node.js programming model v3, which uses function.json. If you're using the Node.js programming model v4, use the v4 code-first pattern instead.

function.json

{
  "bindings": [
    {
      "authLevel": "function",
      "name": "req",
      "type": "httpTrigger",
      "direction": "in",
      "route": "orchestrators/{functionName}/{instanceId}",
      "methods": ["post"]
    },
    {
      "name": "starter",
      "type": "orchestrationClient",
      "direction": "in"
    },
    {
      "name": "$return",
      "type": "http",
      "direction": "out"
    }
  ]
}

index.js

const df = require("durable-functions");

module.exports = async function(context, req) {
    const client = df.getClient(context);

    const instanceId = req.params.instanceId;
    const functionName = req.params.functionName;

    // Check if an instance with the specified ID already exists or an existing one stopped running(completed/failed/terminated).
    const existingInstance = await client.getStatus(instanceId);
    if (!existingInstance 
        || existingInstance.runtimeStatus == "Completed" 
        || existingInstance.runtimeStatus == "Failed" 
        || existingInstance.runtimeStatus == "Terminated") {
        // An instance with the specified ID doesn't exist or an existing one stopped running, create one.
        const eventData = req.body;
        await client.startNew(functionName, instanceId, eventData);
        context.log(`Started orchestration with ID = '${instanceId}'.`);
        return client.createCheckStatusResponse(req, instanceId);
    } else {
        // An instance with the specified ID exists or an existing one still running, don't create one.
        return {
            status: 409,
            body: `An instance with ID '${instanceId}' already exists.`,
        };
    }
};

Python

function_app.py

import logging
import azure.functions as func
import azure.durable_functions as df

app = df.DFApp(http_auth_level=func.AuthLevel.FUNCTION)

@app.route(route="orchestrators/{functionName}/{instanceId}", methods=["POST"])
@app.durable_client_input(client_name="client")
async def http_start_single(req: func.HttpRequest, client):
        instance_id = req.route_params["instanceId"]
        function_name = req.route_params["functionName"]

    existing_instance = await client.get_status(instance_id)

        if not existing_instance or existing_instance.runtime_status in [
                df.OrchestrationRuntimeStatus.Completed,
                df.OrchestrationRuntimeStatus.Failed,
                df.OrchestrationRuntimeStatus.Terminated,
        ]:
        event_data = req.get_body()
                instance_id = await client.start_new(function_name, instance_id, event_data)
        logging.info(f"Started orchestration with ID = '{instance_id}'.")
        return client.create_check_status_response(req, instance_id)

        return func.HttpResponse(
                body=f"An instance with ID '{instance_id}' already exists.",
                status_code=409,
        )

PowerShell

using namespace System.Net

param($Request, $TriggerMetadata)

$FunctionName = $Request.Params.FunctionName
$InstanceId = $Request.Params.InstanceId

# Check if an instance with the specified ID already exists
$existingInstance = Get-DurableStatus -InstanceId $InstanceId

if (-not $existingInstance -or 
    $existingInstance.RuntimeStatus -eq "Completed" -or 
    $existingInstance.RuntimeStatus -eq "Failed" -or 
    $existingInstance.RuntimeStatus -eq "Terminated") {
    
    # An instance with the specified ID doesn't exist or stopped running, create one
    $InstanceId = Start-DurableOrchestration -FunctionName $FunctionName -InstanceId $InstanceId -Input $Request.Body
    Write-Host "Started orchestration with ID = '$InstanceId'."
    
    $Response = New-DurableOrchestrationCheckStatusResponse -Request $Request -InstanceId $InstanceId
    Push-OutputBinding -Name Response -Value $Response
}
else {
    # An instance with the specified ID exists or still running
    Push-OutputBinding -Name Response -Value ([HttpResponseContext]@{
        StatusCode = [HttpStatusCode]::Conflict
        Body = "An instance with ID '$InstanceId' already exists."
    })
}

Java

@FunctionName("HttpStartSingle")
public HttpResponseMessage runSingle(
        @HttpTrigger(name = "req") HttpRequestMessage<?> req,
        @DurableClientInput(name = "durableContext") DurableClientContext durableContext) {

    String instanceID = "StaticID";
    DurableTaskClient client = durableContext.getClient();

    // Check to see if an instance with this ID is already running
    OrchestrationMetadata metadata = client.getInstanceMetadata(instanceID, false);
    if (metadata.isRunning()) {
        return req.createResponseBuilder(HttpStatus.CONFLICT)
                .body("An instance with ID '" + instanceID + "' already exists.")
                .build();
    }

    // No such instance exists - create a new one. De-dupe is handled automatically
    // in the storage layer if another function tries to also use this instance ID.
    client.scheduleNewOrchestrationInstance("MyOrchestration", null, instanceID);
    return durableContext.createCheckStatusResponse(req, instanceID);
}

::: zone-end

::: zone pivot="durable-task-sdks"

The following example shows how to create a singleton orchestration using the Durable Task SDKs. The code attempts to ensure that only one active instance exists for a specified instance ID.

C#

using Microsoft.DurableTask.Client;

// Check if an instance with the specified ID already exists
string instanceId = "singleton-job";
OrchestrationMetadata? existingInstance = await client.GetInstanceAsync(instanceId, getInputsAndOutputs: false);

if (existingInstance == null ||
    existingInstance.RuntimeStatus == OrchestrationRuntimeStatus.Completed ||
    existingInstance.RuntimeStatus == OrchestrationRuntimeStatus.Failed ||
    existingInstance.RuntimeStatus == OrchestrationRuntimeStatus.Terminated)
{
    // An instance with the specified ID doesn't exist or an existing one stopped running, create one.
    await client.ScheduleNewOrchestrationInstanceAsync("MyOrchestration", input, new StartOrchestrationOptions(instanceId));
    Console.WriteLine($"Started orchestration with ID = '{instanceId}'.");
}
else
{
    // An instance with the specified ID exists or an existing one still running.
    Console.WriteLine($"An instance with ID '{instanceId}' already exists.");
}

Python

from durabletask.azuremanaged.client import DurableTaskSchedulerClient

instance_id = "singleton-job"

# Check if an instance with the specified ID already exists
existing_instance = client.get_orchestration_state(instance_id)

if (existing_instance is None or
    existing_instance.runtime_status in ['COMPLETED', 'FAILED', 'TERMINATED']):
    # An instance with the specified ID doesn't exist or an existing one stopped running, create one.
    client.schedule_new_orchestration(my_orchestration, input=input_data, instance_id=instance_id)
    print(f"Started orchestration with ID = '{instance_id}'.")
else:
    # An instance with the specified ID exists or an existing one still running.
    print(f"An instance with ID '{instance_id}' already exists.")

Java

import com.microsoft.durabletask.DurableTaskClient;
import com.microsoft.durabletask.OrchestrationMetadata;

String instanceId = "singleton-job";

// Check to see if an instance with this ID is already running
OrchestrationMetadata existingInstance = client.getInstanceMetadata(instanceId, false);

if (existingInstance == null || !existingInstance.isRunning()) {
    // An instance doesn't exist or finished - create one
    client.scheduleNewOrchestrationInstance("MyOrchestration", input, instanceId);
    System.out.println("Started orchestration with ID = '" + instanceId + "'.");
} else {
    // An instance with the specified ID exists and is still running
    System.out.println("An instance with ID '" + instanceId + "' already exists.");
}

JavaScript

import { createAzureManagedClient } from "@microsoft/durabletask-js-azuremanaged";
import { OrchestrationStatus } from "@microsoft/durabletask-js";

const client = createAzureManagedClient(connectionString);

const instanceId = "singleton-job";

// Check if an instance with the specified ID already exists
const existingInstance = await client.getOrchestrationState(instanceId, false);

if (!existingInstance ||
    existingInstance.runtimeStatus === OrchestrationStatus.COMPLETED ||
    existingInstance.runtimeStatus === OrchestrationStatus.FAILED ||
    existingInstance.runtimeStatus === OrchestrationStatus.TERMINATED) {
    // An instance with the specified ID doesn't exist or an existing one stopped running, create one.
    await client.scheduleNewOrchestration("MyOrchestration", input, instanceId);
    console.log(`Started orchestration with ID = '${instanceId}'.`);
} else {
    // An instance with the specified ID exists or an existing one still running.
    console.log(`An instance with ID '${instanceId}' already exists.`);
}

PowerShell

The Durable Task SDK is not available for PowerShell. Use Durable Functions instead.

::: zone-end

By default, instance IDs are randomly generated GUIDs. In the previous example, however, a specific instance ID is used. The code then fetches the orchestration instance metadata to check if an instance having the specified ID is already running. If no such instance is running, a new instance is created with that ID.

Note

There is a potential race condition in this sample. If two instances execute concurrently, both calls might report success, but only one orchestration instance will actually start. Depending on your requirements, this may have undesirable side effects.

The implementation details of the orchestrator function don't actually matter. It could be a regular orchestrator function that starts and completes, or it could be one that runs forever (that is, an Eternal Orchestration). The important point is that there is only ever one instance running at a time.

Next steps

::: zone pivot="durable-functions"

[!div class="nextstepaction"] Learn about the native HTTP features of orchestrations ::: zone-end

::: zone pivot="durable-task-sdks"

[!div class="nextstepaction"] Get started with Durable Task SDKs ::: zone-end

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