Advanced Retrieval Strategies for RAG: From Query Transformation to Multi-Stage Pipelines

Introduction: Retrieval is the foundation of RAG systems. Poor retrieval means irrelevant context, which leads to hallucinations and wrong answers regardless of how capable your LLM is. Yet many RAG implementations use naive approaches—single-stage vector search with default settings. This guide covers advanced retrieval strategies: query transformation techniques, hybrid search combining dense and sparse methods,… Continue reading

LLM Application Monitoring: Metrics, Tracing, and Alerting for Production AI Systems

Introduction: LLM applications fail in ways traditional software doesn’t. A model might return syntactically correct but factually wrong responses. Latency can spike unpredictably. Costs can explode without warning. Token usage varies wildly based on input. Traditional APM tools miss these LLM-specific failure modes. This guide covers comprehensive monitoring for LLM applications: tracking latency, tokens, and… Continue reading

Prompt Injection Defense: Protecting LLM Applications from Adversarial Inputs

Introduction: Prompt injection is the SQL injection of the AI era. Attackers craft inputs that manipulate your LLM into ignoring instructions, leaking system prompts, or performing unauthorized actions. As LLMs gain access to tools, databases, and APIs, the attack surface expands dramatically. A successful injection could exfiltrate data, execute malicious code, or compromise your entire… Continue reading

LLM Model Selection: Choosing the Right Model for Every Task

Introduction: Choosing the right LLM for your task is one of the most impactful decisions you’ll make. Use a model that’s too small and you’ll get poor quality. Use one that’s too large and you’ll burn through budget while waiting for slow responses. The landscape changes constantly—new models launch monthly, pricing shifts, and capabilities evolve.… Continue reading

LLM Testing Strategies: Unit Tests, Evaluation Metrics, and Regression Testing

Introduction: Testing LLM applications is fundamentally different from testing traditional software. Outputs are non-deterministic, quality is subjective, and edge cases are infinite. You can’t simply assert that output equals expected—you need to evaluate whether outputs are good enough across multiple dimensions. Yet many teams skip testing entirely or rely solely on manual spot-checking. This guide… Continue reading

Agent Memory Patterns: Building Persistent Context for AI Agents

Introduction: Memory is what transforms a stateless LLM into a persistent, context-aware agent. Without memory, every interaction starts from scratch—the agent forgets previous conversations, learned preferences, and accumulated knowledge. But implementing memory for agents is more complex than simply storing chat history. You need short-term memory for the current task, long-term memory for persistent knowledge,… Continue reading