Channel Management

Channel management is the core of CoAI.Dev's AI service orchestration. It allows you to configure multiple AI service providers, implement intelligent routing, and ensure high availability through advanced load balancing and failover mechanisms.

What are Channels?

Channels are connections to AI service providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others. Each channel represents a configured endpoint that CoAI.Dev can route requests to based on your defined rules and priorities.

Core Features

🎯 Intelligent Routing

Smart request distribution based on multiple factors:

• Priority Levels: Higher priority channels are selected first
• Weight Distribution: Fine-tune traffic allocation within priority groups
• Health Monitoring: Automatic detection and avoidance of failed channels
• Regional Routing: Direct traffic to geographically optimal endpoints

⚖️ Load Balancing

Advanced algorithms for optimal request distribution:

• Weighted Round Robin: Distribute based on configured weights
• Least Connections: Route to channels with fewer active requests
• Response Time: Prefer faster-responding channels
• Multi-Key Support: Load balance across multiple API keys per channel

🛡️ Failover & Recovery

Automatic handling of service interruptions:

• Automatic Failover: Switch to backup channels when primary fails
• Health Checks: Continuous monitoring of channel availability
• Circuit Breaker: Temporarily disable failing channels
• Gradual Recovery: Automatically re-enable recovered channels

Channel Configuration

Supported Providers

{
  "name": "OpenAI Primary",
  "type": "openai",
  "base_url": "https://api.openai.com/v1",
  "api_key": "sk-your-api-key",
  "priority": 1,
  "weight": 100,
  "models": ["gpt-4", "gpt-3.5-turbo"],
  "enabled": true
}

Setting Up Your First Channel

Advanced Configuration

Priority and Weight System

Understanding how CoAI.Dev routes requests:

Priority 1 (Highest)     Priority 2              Priority 3 (Lowest)
┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐
│ OpenAI (w:100)  │     │ Anthropic(w:80) │     │ Google (w:50)   │
│ Azure (w:50)    │     │ Custom (w:20)   │     │ Backup (w:100)  │
└─────────────────┘     └─────────────────┘     └─────────────────┘
        ↓                       ↓                       ↓
    Try first               Try if P1 fails        Try if P1&P2 fail
  (67% OpenAI, 33% Azure)   (80% Anthropic, 20% Custom)   (100% if needed)

Multi-Key Load Balancing

Configure multiple API keys for better rate limit handling:

{
  "name": "OpenAI Multi-Key",
  "type": "openai",
  "api_keys": [
    "sk-key1-...",
    "sk-key2-...",
    "sk-key3-..."
  ],
  "key_rotation": "round_robin",
  "priority": 1,
  "weight": 100
}

Regional Routing

Configure geographically distributed channels:

{
  "name": "OpenAI US East",
  "type": "openai",
  "base_url": "https://api.openai.com/v1",
  "region": "us-east",
  "latency_preference": true,
  "priority": 1,
  "weight": 100
}

Monitoring and Analytics

Channel Health Dashboard

Monitor your channels in real-time:

• Status Indicators: Green (healthy), Yellow (degraded), Red (failed)
• Response Times: Average, P95, P99 response times
• Success Rates: Request success percentage
• Error Types: Categorized error analysis
• Traffic Distribution: Request volume per channel

Performance Metrics

Key metrics to track:

Alerting

Set up alerts for channel issues:

• Channel Down: Immediate notification when channel fails
• High Error Rate: Alert when error rate exceeds threshold
• Slow Response: Warning for increased latency
• Rate Limit: Notification when approaching limits

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

# Test connection manually
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer your-api-key" \
     https://api.openai.com/v1/models

Best Practices

Channel Strategy

• Always have backups: Configure at least 2 channels per priority level
• Regular testing: Periodically test all channels to ensure functionality
• Cost optimization: Use lower-priority channels for non-critical workloads
• Geographic distribution: Consider user locations when selecting providers

Security

• Rotate API keys: Regular key rotation for security
• Monitor usage: Watch for unusual patterns or unauthorized access
• Separate environments: Use different keys for development/production
• Audit logs: Regular review of channel access and configuration changes

Performance

• Load balancing: Distribute traffic to prevent overloading single channels
• Health checks: Implement comprehensive monitoring
• Capacity planning: Plan for peak usage and growth
• Failover testing: Regular testing of failover scenarios

Ready to configure your channels? Start with our Quick Start Guide or explore Model Management to complete your AI service setup.