Workflow Types
Applies to: SharePoint Foundation 2010
Windows Workflow Foundation supports two fundamental workflow styles. You can create workflows of either type for Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010.
Sequential Workflows
A sequential workflow represents a workflow as a procession of steps that execute in order until the last activity completes. However, sequential workflows are not purely sequential in their execution. Because they can receive external events, and include parallel logic flows, the exact order of activity execution can vary somewhat.
State Machine Workflows
A state machine workflow represents a set of states, transitions, and actions. One state is denoted as the start state, and then, based on an event, a transition can be made to another state. The state machine can have a final state that determines the end of the workflow.