Network Terminal Data Switching for Offline Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In network systems where a terminal and a server communicate through a network, there is a need to handle situations where the terminal and server cannot communicate with each other, and existing technologies fail to ensure seamless process execution and data synchronization in such scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A network system comprising a server connected to a global network, a terminal that communicates with the server through the global network, and a control device connected through a local area network, allowing the terminal to execute processes using server-side data when connected and control device-side data when disconnected, with mechanisms for determining the control device's status and synchronizing data between the server and control device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the terminal communicates with the server through the global network, then the terminal can execute processes using server-side data, but the terminal and server may not be able to communicate with each other at times
Solution Approach 1:
The control device serves as an intermediary between the terminal and server. When the terminal cannot communicate with the server through the global network, it can still access the control device through the local area network to execute processes using locally stored data, thus maintaining process execution continuity despite communication failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device preliminarily stores copies of server-side data locally before communication failures occur. This preliminary data storage enables the terminal to continue executing processes using the pre-stored data when server communication is unavailable, ensuring business continuity.
2Productivity
If the terminal switches to using control device-side data when server communication fails, then process execution can continue, but data synchronization between server-side data and control device-side data becomes necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The control device implements a feedback mechanism by periodically sending change request commands to the server to check for data updates. When changes are detected, the control device automatically synchronizes its local data with the updated server-side data, ensuring data consistency without requiring complex manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device performs data synchronization periodically by sending change request commands at regular intervals. This periodic action ensures that local data remains updated with server data while maintaining simple and predictable synchronization timing, avoiding complex real-time synchronization mechanisms.
3Measurement precision
If the terminal intermittently sends response request commands to determine control device status, then the terminal can detect when the control device is not on, but this adds communication overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal sends response request commands intermittently at periodic intervals rather than continuously. This periodic checking approach achieves adequate status detection accuracy while minimizing communication overhead and time loss, finding an optimal balance between monitoring precision and resource consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
When able to communicate with a control server 15, the tablet terminal 13 of a transaction processing system 1 communicates with the control server 15 and executes a process using server-side data stored by the control server 15. When unable to communicate with the control server 15, the tablet terminal 13 communicates with a recording control device 16, and executes a process using control device-side data stored by the recording control device 16. If the recording control device 16 is not on, the tablet terminal 13 sends to the recording control device 16 a start command causing the recording control device 16 to start.