What is exponential backoff and how does it work?

What is exponential backoff and how does it work?

Exponential backoff is a strategy used in network communications to manage retries after a failure. It involves increasing the wait time between retries exponentially.

Can you give me an example of how it works?

Sure! If a request fails, the first retry might wait 1 second, the second retry 2 seconds, the third 4 seconds, and so on.

Why is it better than a fixed retry interval?

Exponential backoff reduces network congestion by allowing more time between retries, which can help avoid overwhelming the server.

Is this method used in any specific protocols?

Yes, it's commonly used in protocols like TCP and in APIs to handle rate limiting.