Computer Replay System for Instant Historical Data Snapshots
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data systems lack the ability to rapidly provide historical information about transactions and data states at specific points in time, making it difficult to efficiently replay historical data records.
Innovation Solution
A computer replay system that includes a transactional database for storing transactions and a historical database for maintaining the state of records, allowing users to request and receive snapshots of data at specific moments and replay subsequent transactions in real-time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional data systems store only current transactional data without historical snapshots, then storage space is conserved and system simplicity is maintained, but the ability to rapidly retrieve and replay historical data states is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing and storing snapshots of data states at specific moments in time as transactions occur. These snapshots are pre-computed and stored in historical databases, enabling rapid retrieval without requiring complex parsing of transaction records later. This resolves the contradiction by preserving historical information while maintaining system simplicity through structured advance preparation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates copies of data states at specific moments through snapshots. Instead of storing all raw transaction records and reconstructing historical states, the system maintains simplified copies representing data states at key moments. These copies enable fast historical queries without requiring complex reconstruction logic, thus preserving information while avoiding excessive complexity.
2Loss of information
If all transaction records are stored and parsed to retrieve historical data states, then complete historical information is available, but retrieval speed becomes slow and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary computation by pre-calculating and storing snapshots of data states at specific moments. When historical queries are made, the system retrieves these pre-computed snapshots directly rather than parsing transaction records in real-time. This eliminates time loss while preserving complete historical information through the snapshot sequence.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates simplified copies of historical data states through snapshots stored in dedicated historical databases. These copies contain only the essential state information needed for historical queries, eliminating the need to parse complete transaction records. This resolves the contradiction by making historical information instantly accessible without time loss.
3Measurement precision
If detailed transaction records are parsed to reconstruct historical data states, then accuracy of historical information is improved, but system complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates accurate copies of historical data states through snapshots that capture the exact state of data at specific moments. These snapshots preserve measurement precision by directly recording state values without requiring complex parsing and reconstruction operations. The copy mechanism maintains accuracy while eliminating parsing complexity.
4Loss of information
If historical snapshots are captured at every transaction moment, then complete historical replay capability is achieved, but storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential state information needed for historical replay at each snapshot moment, rather than storing complete transaction records. By taking out only the necessary data elements that represent the state at specific moments, the system achieves complete historical replay capability while minimizing storage volume through selective extraction of critical information.
Data Source
AI summary
A method including: receiving one or more first transactions at the computer replay system from one or more data sources; storing the one or more first transactions in a transactional database; updating a current state of one or more first records in a historical database based on the one or more first transactions; receiving a request from a first user for a replay of the data starting at a first moment; determining a state of the one or more first records in the historical database at the first moment; providing the state of the one or more first records at the first moment to the first user; determining one or more second transactions in the transactional database that occurred after the first moment; and providing sequentially the one or more second transactions to the first user. Other embodiments are provided.