@Marvin In Prefect 3.0, background tasks were added. Are background tasks currently supported using the Prefect kubernetes integration? As far as I am aware, Prefect enqueues kubernetes batch jobs to run flows. Each flow runs in it's own container. However, when I attempt to run a background task via

delay

or

apply_async

the task is never picked up. I assume this is because I am not running a dedicated worker that is litening for the background task. I am using the official helm chart and deployment using prefect.yaml. How can I run delayed tasks as a kubernetes batch job similar to how flows are mapped to batch jobs? The documentation only mentions running background jobs using the serve method from prefect worker. I would like to avoid running a dedicated worker just for background tasks and instead have both flows and delayed tasks run as kubernetes batch jobs.

Running background tasks in Prefect, especially with Kubernetes integration, involves some nuances. Here's a summary based on the current Prefect 3.x capabilities: 1. Background Tasks in Prefect: Prefect allows you to run background tasks using methods like

delay()

or

apply_async()

. These tasks are meant to be executed in a background process, typically on a task worker. However, this requires a worker to be actively listening for these tasks, which seems to be your current bottleneck. 2. Kubernetes Integration: Prefect's Kubernetes integration typically uses Kubernetes batch jobs to run flows, each in its own container. The official documentation and examples mostly describe how to run flows rather than background tasks directly as Kubernetes jobs. This is likely why your background tasks aren't being picked up—they require a worker to be listening for them. 3. Current Limitations: The Prefect documentation and examples do not currently provide a direct method to run background tasks as Kubernetes batch jobs without a dedicated worker. Background tasks are designed to be picked up by task workers, which might not align with your current Kubernetes batch job setup. 4. Possible Workaround: If you want to avoid running a dedicated worker, consider designing your flows to encapsulate the background tasks and trigger them as part of the flow execution. This way, the entire process runs as a Kubernetes job. For more detailed exploration, you can refer to the Prefect Kubernetes documentation and the Prefect Background Task Examples. If you have specific use cases or need further assistance, feel free to ask!