Questions to ask before choosing architecture
Words made simple
A few useful meanings before you read the explanation.
- Retrieval
- Finding and fetching information that is useful for the current question.
- Agent
- An application that uses a model to choose its next action within defined limits. It can use tools and continue through several steps.
- Deterministic
- Following steps or rules defined by code. The model does not decide which step should run next in a deterministic workflow.
More words from this lesson
- Durable
- Able to retain progress and recover across interruptions. Durable workflows require appropriate storage and retry behavior.
- What successful outcome does the client need, and can ordinary code provide it?
- What language/media uncertainty needs a model?
- Which source is authoritative, current, and permitted?
- Do I need retrieval, live tools, or both?
- Are next steps variable enough to justify an agent?
- Which process must remain deterministic and durable?
- Which exact action needs human approval?
- How do I stop unauthorized access, injection-driven action, and data leakage?
- How do I prove answer quality and actual task completion?
- How do I inspect failures and audit effects?
- What does one successful task cost, including retries and review?
- How do load, quotas, updates, outages, and restarts change the design?
Can you explain it without the notes?
Questions to ask before choosing architecture
Use your own words. Explain an example and one limitation before checking the explanation.
Check your explanation
What successful outcome does the client need, and can ordinary code provide it?
Turn this concept into a clear answer.
Practice this conceptAdapted from 13_AI.MD · “Questions to ask before choosing architecture”. Examples are study fragments; framework behavior can depend on your version.