What Is an LLM Control Plane? (blog.mozilla.ai)

A new solution, called an LLM control plane, has been proposed to address the common inefficiencies and risks associated with managing large language models (LLMs) in production. Currently, teams face challenges like runaway costs, lack of visibility into model usage, and inconsistent handling of requests due to the absence of standardized infrastructure. Unlike basic API gateways that only manage routing and connectivity, an LLM control plane introduces policy-driven decision-making, allowing teams to enforce budget limits before requests are sent, track expenses across users and sessions, and manage provider failover seamlessly. This innovation is significant for the AI/ML community as it streamlines the operational complexity of LLMs, reducing the need for teams to independently rebuild essential infrastructure features. The open-source project Otari exemplifies the LLM control plane concept, offering functionalities like centralized budget enforcement, policy management, and comprehensive logging of requests and responses. By providing a standardized solution, the control plane aims to enhance reliability, security, and budget management for organizations scaling their LLM applications, making it easier to innovate without the overhead of custom solutions.