Glossary¶

Quick Lookup¶

Common terms used in this module:

• System Monitoring - observing system behavior using operational metrics
• Signal - a derived metric designed to summarize system behavior
• Anomaly - a value that falls outside expected limits
• System State - an overall interpretation of system health
• Operational Decision - an action taken in response to system behavior

System Monitoring¶

The practice of observing system behavior using measurements. Monitoring systems help detect issues early and maintain reliability. Examples:

• request volume
• error rates
• response times

Signal¶

A signal is a derived metric that helps summarize system behavior. Signals help analysts understand how a system is performing. Signals are often easier to interpret than raw measurements. Examples:

• error rate
• average latency
• throughput

Anomaly¶

An anomaly is a value that falls outside the expected range. Anomalies may indicate problems or unusual system conditions. Examples:

• unusually high error rate
• unusually slow response time
• unexpected drop in requests

System State¶

A summary description of the system’s overall condition. System state helps translate monitoring data into operational insight. Examples include:

• STABLE
• DEGRADED
• FAILURE

Operational Decision¶

An action taken in response to monitoring information. Examples include:

• investigating system errors
• scaling infrastructure
• rolling back a deployment

Continuous intelligence systems support operational decisions by providing timely information about system behavior.