> Term
feedback loop
The cycle in which a system's output becomes input for future operations, shaping its stability over time.
Detailed Explanation
The cycle where the consequences of a system's current behavior are fed back into the system to influence its future behavior.
Positive feedback loops amplify effects (like auto-scaling triggering more load on a database), while negative feedback loops stabilize systems (like rate-limiting dropping traffic to prevent a crash).
Why It Matters
Unmanaged positive feedback loops cause catastrophic cascading failures, while healthy negative feedback loops are essential for system resilience.
Common Failure Mode
Practical Example
Production Manifestation
Circuit breakers, auto-scaling triggers, monitoring alerts, and retry mechanisms with exponential backoff.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is feedback loop in short?
The cycle in which a system's output becomes input for future operations, shaping its stability over time.
What is the most common failure mode?
A service fails, so clients immediately retry without delay. The retry storm acts as a positive feedback loop, DDoS-ing the recovering service and taking it down again.
AI Summary
The cycle in which a system's output becomes input for future operations, shaping its stability over time. Unmanaged positive feedback loops cause catastrophic cascading failures, while healthy negative feedback loops are essential for system resilience.