Log Integration Apparatus for Heterogeneous Instrument Time Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In environments where multiple autonomously operating instruments interact, integrating logs from different instruments to understand causal connections and overall behavior is challenging due to heterogeneous systems and clock synchronization issues, with existing methods failing to ensure accurate time ordering in integrated logs.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method for integrating logs that includes a log acquisition section, message ID timestamp processing, timestamp adjustment, and confirmation processing to synchronize timestamps across instruments, ensuring accurate ordering and handling heterogeneous systems with broadcast and unicast messages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If NTP protocol is applied for time synchronization, then time synchronization between instruments is improved, but time lag of approximately 10 msec remains in the logs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating time offsets between instrument pairs using broadcast messages before integrating logs. The system establishes time relationship information in advance through synchronized broadcast messages, allowing it to compensate for the 10 msec NTP lag when logs are integrated, thereby achieving more precise time alignment than NTP alone can provide.
2Device complexity
If simple log collection is used in heterogeneous environment, then device complexity is reduced, but integrated log does not work properly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by using broadcast messages as a mediator between heterogeneous instruments. The broadcast message contains time information that acts as a common reference, allowing the log integration system to align logs from different instrument types without requiring complex customization of each device. This intermediary time reference enables reliable integrated logging while keeping the framework relatively simple.
3Measurement precision
If relative time log correction is applied based on sending/receiving pairs, then time offset is calculated, but accuracy of order relation between irrelevant pairs is not ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by using broadcast messages that can serve multiple instruments simultaneously. A single broadcast message from one instrument can establish time relationships with multiple receiving instruments, creating a network of time offsets. This multi-functional approach ensures that order relations are accurate across all instrument pairs in the system, not just individual sending/receiving pairs, because all instruments reference the same broadcast time source.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an apparatus for integrating log that integrates logs in a series including a plurality of instruments each generating a log. The series includes: a log acquisition section that collects a plurality of logs from the plurality of instruments; a message ID time stamp processing section; a time stamp adjustment processing section; and a time stamp orders-of-sending-and-receiving confirmation processing section that confirms whether time reversal is present in the time stamps of the sending/receiving pair of the broadcast messages having the identical message ID in the plurality of time-base-adjusted logs. The time stamp adjustment processing section adjusts the time bases of the plurality of logs in such a manner as to resolve the time reversal in a case of presence of the time reversal in the time stamps of the sending/receiving pair of the broadcast messages.