What is the circuit breaker pattern in software design?

What is the circuit breaker pattern in software design?

The circuit breaker pattern is a design pattern used to detect failures and prevent the system from making repeated requests that are likely to fail. It helps to improve system stability and resilience.

How does it work in practice?

In practice, the circuit breaker monitors the success and failure of requests. If failures exceed a certain threshold, the circuit breaker 'trips' and prevents further requests for a specified time, allowing the system to recover.

Can you give an example of where it's used?

Sure! It's commonly used in microservices architectures, where a service might call another service. If the called service is down, the circuit breaker prevents further calls, allowing the system to handle the failure gracefully.

What are the benefits of using this pattern?

The benefits include improved system reliability, reduced downtime, and better user experience by avoiding cascading failures.