Exponential backoff doubles wait time between retries, preventing overload of recovering services.
Basic formula:
wait = min(base × 2^attempt, max_wait)
Example (base=ms, max=s):
- Retry : ms
- Retry : ms
- Retry : ms
- Retry : ms
- Retry : s
Why it works:
Gives service time to recover. Spreads retry load over time instead of immediate retry storm. Essential for any distributed system.