Definition
In RAG architectures and AI Agent workflows, High Availability (HA) refers to the design of system components—such as vector databases, embedding services, and LLM gateways—to ensure continuous service delivery and minimal downtime through redundancy, automatic failover, and distributed replication, often requiring a trade-off against strict data consistency (CAP theorem).
Distinguish from 'Scalability' (handling more users) by focusing on 'Resilience' (staying online during failures).
"A Multi-Engine Jet: If one engine fails mid-flight, the remaining engines provide sufficient thrust to keep the aircraft airborne and reach the destination without interruption."
- Replication Factor(Component)
- Load Balancing(Component)
- CAP Theorem(Prerequisite)
- Failover(Component)
Conceptual Overview
In RAG architectures and AI Agent workflows, High Availability (HA) refers to the design of system components—such as vector databases, embedding services, and LLM gateways—to ensure continuous service delivery and minimal downtime through redundancy, automatic failover, and distributed replication, often requiring a trade-off against strict data consistency (CAP theorem).
Disambiguation
Distinguish from 'Scalability' (handling more users) by focusing on 'Resilience' (staying online during failures).
Visual Analog
A Multi-Engine Jet: If one engine fails mid-flight, the remaining engines provide sufficient thrust to keep the aircraft airborne and reach the destination without interruption.