Skills, MCP, RAG and Memory: How an AI Agent Investigates a 500 Error
A post will not publish. Follow one 500 error from the server logs to a missing database update, and see how skills, MCP, RAG and memory support the investigation.
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Follow the work. Make its logic visible. Three scenarios connect a map of current operations to shared decisions, scoped Jira work and validation.
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How a system’s parts fit together, why the design matters, and how to think about the choices behind it.
ReadIf AI can build the software, what is the architect for?
A convincing portal demo leaves important decisions open. Follow a delivery-change request to see how architecture connects business rules, system ownership and recovery when AI helps build the software.
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LLMs, RAG, fine-tuning, workflows, agents, MCP and WebMCP: what each contributes, when to use it, and how to combine them in a working system.
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Where OpenAI’s Astra fits in architecture and delivery: compare models and pricing, then work through a booking-system migration as the requirements change.
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An invoice needs approval. A reviewer is away. A payment times out. Each needs a different next step. Here is how to design for those cases.
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The diagram shows a handoff. Someone still has to chase it, check it and make it happen. How to design for the human work your system depends on.
ReadWhat the spreadsheet knows that the system does not
The new system is live. Why does the team still need a spreadsheet? Look at its columns, formulas and workarounds before deciding what to replace.
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From the first light to the login screen: how power, firmware and the operating system bring a computer to life, and where startup can stop.
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Explain a software system without putting everything on one diagram. A practical guide to C4 views, examples, AI-assisted documentation and tools.
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“Make it look modern” leaves too much to guess. Give your coding agent the colours, type, spacing and component rules it needs to build consistently.
ReadKaizen, applied to software
A small daily workaround can waste hours over time. How to spot one, try a manageable improvement and check whether it actually helped.
ReadModelling the system before the code
Sales, Finance and Fulfilment may mean different things by “order”. Find those differences before they become database fields and API rules.
ReadGiving AI a job description
Before AI reads an invoice or drafts a reply, decide what it should do when it gets stuck. Define the task, the review and the fallback.
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Follow one order, invoice or client request from start to finish. The waits, decisions and workarounds tell you what the software needs to support.
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