System Time Synchronization via Timestamp Averaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computer systems with interconnected data storage and host processors face challenges in synchronizing system times across different systems, particularly due to network latency and service time variations, which can lead to desynchronization and affect data consistency and event timestamp accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A method is implemented where a first system sends a request to a second system to obtain its current time, records and averages the request and response timestamps, and calculates a difference to determine if it exceeds an endurance value. If it does, this difference is used to convert remote system times to equivalent local system times, ensuring synchronization by adjusting timestamps based on this calculated difference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If system times are obtained from remote systems, then data consistency and event timestamp accuracy can be maintained, but network latency and service time variations cause time desynchronization
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary time synchronization by calculating the average of request and response timestamps before using the remote system time. This preliminary action compensates for network latency and service time variations, ensuring that the time difference remains within an acceptable endurance value before the actual data consistency operation occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the time request-response cycle to adjust and synchronize system times. By calculating the time difference between the average timestamp and the remote system time, the system can determine whether synchronization is needed and apply corrections to maintain data consistency across distributed systems.
2Measurement precision
If time synchronization is performed frequently to maintain accuracy, then timestamp conversion accuracy improves, but system complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of time difference threshold (endurance value) to determine when synchronization is needed. Instead of continuous synchronization, the system only performs synchronization when the calculated time difference exceeds the endurance value, reducing processing overhead while maintaining acceptable timestamp conversion accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-synchronization by automatically calculating time differences and applying corrections without external intervention. The first system autonomously determines when synchronization is needed and executes the necessary time conversions, reducing the need for complex external synchronization mechanisms.
3Reliability
If time differences are converted to maintain synchronization, then data consistency is ensured, but processing time and computational resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the time conversion calculation in advance by pre-calculating the average of request and response timestamps and determining the time difference before actual data processing occurs. This preliminary action ensures that when data consistency operations are performed, the time synchronization is already established, reducing processing time during critical operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses parameter thresholding by comparing the calculated time difference against the endurance value. Only when the time difference exceeds this threshold does the system proceed with conversion operations, avoiding unnecessary computational resources and processing time for minor time variations that do not affect data consistency.
Data Source
AI summary
Described are techniques for synchronizing system times. A request is sent from a first system to a second system to obtain a current remote system time. A first time value denotes a time when the request is sent. A response, including the current remote system time, is received from the second system. A second time value denotes a time when the response is received by the first system. An average of the first time value and the second time value is determined A difference between the current remote system time and the average is determined. It is determined whether the difference is more than an endurance value. Responsive to determining the difference is more than the endurance value, the difference is used to convert a remote system time of the second system to an equivalent local system time of the first system.