Distributed Asynchronous Document Editing for Trouble Tickets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Synchronizing edits to trouble tickets made by users in different geographic locations is challenging, as existing systems struggle to maintain a consistent and non-blocking document version across various regions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a distributed asynchronous document editing system where edits to structured documents, such as trouble tickets, are stored independently and synchronized between systems, allowing for the generation of a consistent document version by replaying edits in sorted order, regardless of the geographic location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If edits are synchronized in real-time across distributed systems, then document consistency is improved, but system complexity and blocking operations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by storing edits with timestamps immediately when they occur, without waiting for synchronization confirmation. This allows the system to maintain document consistency by replaying edits in timestamp order later, while avoiding complex real-time synchronization blocking operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating local copies of edits in each region's database and maintaining a master copy with all edits. The document can be reconstructed by copying and replaying edits in the correct timestamp order, eliminating the need for complex real-time coordination between regions.
2Productivity
If users in different geographic regions edit simultaneously, then productivity is improved, but synchronization conflicts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using timestamps on each edit to automatically determine the correct playback order. This feedback mechanism ensures that simultaneous edits from different regions are reconciled reliably by replaying them in chronological order, without requiring complex conflict resolution protocols.
3Stability of the object's composition
If edits are stored centrally for synchronization, then document consistency is improved, but access time and network dependency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the document into individual edits that can be stored and retrieved independently in each region. Each region maintains local copies of edits with timestamps, allowing fast local access while ensuring consistency through timestamp-based replay ordering when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies are disclosed herein for asynchronous distributed editing of a structured document, such as a trouble ticket. A document management service receives edits to the structured document. The edits to the structured document include data to be stored in fields of the structured document and information identifying the fields into which the data in the edits is to be stored. The edits are synchronized to other instances of the document management service. Edits to the structured document made at the other instances of the document management service are also received and stored. When a request is received for the structured document, the edits to the document made at the various instances of the document management service are sorted based upon the order in which they were created. The edits are applied in the sorted order to generate the structured document.