Silent Failure
A system failure mode in which a service reports no errors and throws no exceptions, while latency and throughput metrics remain normal, yet the output itself is incorrect. Because conventional monitoring systems rely on error signals and performance indicators, silent failures are difficult to detect through standard observability practices.
Timeline (last 90 days)
A silent failure is a system failure mode in which the service does not report errors, does not throw exceptions, and latency and throughput metrics are all normal, but the output content itself is wrong.
Monitoring typically covers only availability and performance metrics (such as HTTP 5xx, P99 latency, error logs), so it is difficult to catch silent failures.
Model quality degradation is a silent failure that does not trigger alert thresholds, yet can continuously damage business metrics for hours or even days
All Facts (3)
A silent failure is a system failure mode in which the service does not report errors, does not throw exceptions, and latency and throughput metrics are all normal, but the output content itself is wrong.
50%UnverifiedMonitoring typically covers only availability and performance metrics (such as HTTP 5xx, P99 latency, error logs), so it is difficult to catch silent failures.
50%UnverifiedModel quality degradation is a silent failure that does not trigger alert thresholds, yet can continuously damage business metrics for hours or even days
50%