What is the difference between a circuit breaker and a timeout?

What is the difference between a circuit breaker and a timeout?

A circuit breaker prevents a system from trying to execute an operation that is likely to fail, while a timeout sets a limit on how long an operation can take before it is aborted.

Can you give me an example of when to use a circuit breaker?

Sure! Use a circuit breaker when calling an external service that may fail, to avoid overwhelming your system with repeated requests.

And when should I use a timeout instead?

Use a timeout when you want to ensure that a process doesn't hang indefinitely, like waiting for a response from a database query.

Are there scenarios where I would use both?

Yes, you can use both together: a circuit breaker to prevent calls to a failing service and a timeout to limit how long you wait for a response.