Dedicated vector store or existing database?
Practice this question- I first test the existing database's vector capability against filtered recall, latency, lifecycle, security, and cost needs.
- A dedicated store is justified when it solves measured limitations enough to offset another operational dependency.
Adapted from 13_AI.MD · “29.5 Vector databases”. Code examples are study fragments. Difficulty and core labels are editorial estimates; version-specific behavior should be checked against your project.