Retrieval and embeddings · Lesson 10 of 16 · 5 min

Diagnose empty retrieval

Empty retrieval can come from filters, missing documents or an unavailable index. Inspect those boundaries before loosening access restrictions or inventing an answer.

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learner@clairos:~ $

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Your objectives

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1
Read the case evidence
Read /opt/ai-lab/cases/aiops-retrieval-embeddings-010.json. Separate the recorded facts from your assumptions.
Hint & worked example
Empty retrieval can come from filters, missing documents or an unavailable index. Inspect those boundaries before loosening access restrictions or inventing an answer.
The complete case JSON is read successfully.
```
cat /opt/ai-lab/cases/aiops-retrieval-embeddings-010.json
```
Common mistake to avoid: Disable every tenant filter whenever retrieval is empty.
2
Isolate the deciding signal
Select the matching_documents field from the case JSON. What does it establish—and what does it not establish?
Hint & worked example
Inspect the tenant filter and source coverage without bypassing access boundaries.
A successful JSON query isolates matching_documents.
```
jq .matching_documents /opt/ai-lab/cases/aiops-retrieval-embeddings-010.json
```
Common mistake to avoid: Using a different case or an unrelated signal as the justification.
3
Record your operational decision
Choose the justified code: inspect-filter-scope, change-without-evidence, or ignore-the-signal. Save that one code followed by a newline in /home/learner/lab/aiops-retrieval-embeddings-010-decision.txt.
Hint & worked example
Inspect the tenant filter and source coverage without bypassing access boundaries.
The decision artifact contains the correct code, not just a matching command in history.
```
printf '%s\n' 'inspect-filter-scope' > /home/learner/lab/aiops-retrieval-embeddings-010-decision.txt
```
Common mistake to avoid: Disable every tenant filter whenever retrieval is empty.

Understand the pattern

Empty retrieval can come from filters, missing documents or an unavailable index. Inspect those boundaries before loosening access restrictions or inventing an answer.

Interpret the evidence

Inspect the tenant filter and source coverage without bypassing access boundaries.

A tempting mistake

Disable every tenant filter whenever retrieval is empty.

All names, measurements, prices, versions, and thresholds in this exercise are fictional training data. The evidence supports this bounded scenario, not a claim about a live provider.

Worked example and expected result

$ cat /opt/ai-lab/cases/aiops-retrieval-embeddings-010.json

{
  "fixture": "Fictional training data; not a live measurement.",
  "index_ready": true,
  "documents": 120,
  "tenant_filter": "tenant-c",
  "matching_documents": 0
}

Exit status: 0. The command completed successfully in the training fixture.

$ jq .matching_documents /opt/ai-lab/cases/aiops-retrieval-embeddings-010.json

Exit status: 0. The command completed successfully in the training fixture.

$ printf '%s\n' 'inspect-filter-scope' > /home/learner/lab/aiops-retrieval-embeddings-010-decision.txt

(no output; exit 0)

Exit status: 0. The command completed successfully in the training fixture.

Try a variation

Name the assumption that would have to change for “inspect-filter-scope” to stop being the justified action. Do not silently replace missing evidence with a guess.

Explain it

What does the evidence in “Diagnose empty retrieval” justify?Disable every tenant filter whenever retrieval is empty.Make the change now and gather the missing evidence afterward.Inspect the tenant filter and source coverage without bypassing access boundaries.

Apply it elsewhere

A colleague concludes: “Disable every tenant filter whenever retrieval is empty.” What should you do?Treat this fixture as a live measurement.Reject that conclusion; return to the case evidence and its stated limits.Accept it because the training command completed.

Keep the momentum.

Complete the lab, then explain and apply the pattern.

Next: Inspect duplicate chunks Try an incident drill

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Keep learning

Case methodology: evidence, limits, decision