Learning path · Enterprise Patterns & Governance · 87
Model Routing
Sending requests to different models by task complexity, cost tier, latency SLO, or data sensitivity.
Why it matters
- Balances frontier quality with economical small models.
- Enables graceful degradation during outages.
- Requires eval coverage on every route.
Key ideas
- Task classifiers
- Fallback chains
- Cost-aware routing
Model routers classify intents—"simple FAQ" to small model, "contract analysis" to large—and enforce data policies routing PII-heavy jobs on-prem. Implement shadow mode when introducing routes; compare win rates before cutting over. Log routing decisions for finance chargebacks and debugging quality dips. Shadow-test new routes on sampled production queries before flipping traffic; routing regressions are subtle until finance sees refunds. Validate changes on production-like eval slices before rollout. Expose routing rationale in internal traces for debugging quality complaints quickly. Expose routing rationale in internal traces for debugging quality complaints quickly.
Updated 2026-08-09 · Full learning path