Cross-Time Domain Consistency in Distributed Financial Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

In distributed financial systems, frequent modifications to the database server time lead to database failures, making it impossible to achieve time consistency between database and application servers, which hinders smooth service simulation.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that synchronize application server times to a target time, calculate and apply a time offset to database operation instructions, ensuring cross-time domain consistency without modifying the database server time, thereby enabling flexible financial service simulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the database server time is frequently modified to achieve time consistency with application servers, then time consistency is improved, but database stability deteriorates leading to database failures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime consistencyVSAvoiddatabase stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of modifying the database server time to match application servers (which causes instability), the patent inverts the approach by having application servers adjust their time perception through offset calculation. The database server time remains unchanged and stable, while application servers calculate time offsets to achieve the required time consistency for service simulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a time offset as an intermediary mechanism between the database server time and application server time. This offset acts as a mediator that allows application servers to perceive different time values without actually changing the database server time, thus maintaining database stability while achieving time consistency requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the database server time is not modified, then database stability is maintained, but time consistency between database server and application servers deteriorates, making service simulation impossible

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedatabase stabilityVSAvoidtime consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the time parameter dynamically through offset calculation. Instead of changing the actual database server time, the system calculates and applies time offsets to application server time queries, allowing the time parameter to be adjusted flexibly for service simulation while keeping the database server time stable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If application servers use their local time, then operation simplicity is maintained, but cross-time-domain consistency deteriorates, preventing proper service simulation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperation simplicityVSAvoidcross-time-domain consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary time offset calculation before service simulation executes. The system pre-calculates the required time offsets based on the target simulation time and database server time, then applies these offsets during service execution. This preliminary action ensures that application servers can maintain operational simplicity while achieving cross-time-domain consistency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3285180B1Method and device for achieving cross-time-domain consistency in distributed system
Publication Date: 2020.08.12 ADVANCED NEW TECHNOLOGIES CO LTD
  • EP3285180B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3285180B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3285180B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present application relates to the field of electronic technologies, and in particular, to a method and an apparatus for implementing cross-time domain consistency in a distributed system. The method includes: synchronizing times of application servers according to a set target time; obtaining, through calculation, a time offset between the target time and a time of a database server, and sending the time offset to the application servers; and modifying, according to the time offset, time functions in database operation instructions generated by the application servers, to implement cross-time domain consistency in the distributed system. The technical solution of the present application can carry out financial service simulation flexibly as required, and obtain a state of an account in a future period of time, to ensure information security of users and financial institutions.