Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) is a technique that enhances the capabilities of large language models (LLMs) by allowing them to access up-to-date, relevant information from internal or external sources, overcoming the limitations of LLMs which can be outdated and inaccurate. The RAG architecture consists of multiple components, including data sources and knowledge bases, document preprocessing, embeddings and vector databases, retrieval mechanisms, context processing, and LLMs, all working together to generate accurate and relevant responses to user prompts. By leveraging these components, RAG can provide more effective and efficient results, and its applications can be further optimized through caching, evaluation, and feedback loops, ultimately enabling the deployment of complex architectures like RAG in production environments. Merge, an integration platform, can support the deployment of RAG systems by providing a Unified API, observability features, security features, and strategic support, allowing businesses to access normalized data across hundreds of customers' applications and power best-in-class RAG pipelines.