Timestamp Standardization via Automatic Time Offset Computation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Organizations face challenges in collecting and analyzing time-series data from remote computing environments due to the lack of time zone information, requiring manual configuration to standardize timestamps, which is inefficient and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
A system that automatically determines the time offset between a computer system and a remote system by requesting the local time, calculating the difference, and using it to standardize timestamps in time-series data, thereby converting them to a unified time standard like UTC.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual configuration is used to obtain time zone information and create system configurations for timestamp adjustment, then timestamp standardization can be achieved, but the process becomes inefficient and prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically requests local time from remote systems and computes time offsets without human intervention. The computer system sends requests, receives responses with local time information, calculates time offsets, and applies them to standardize timestamps autonomously, eliminating the need for manual time zone configuration while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively requests time information from remote systems before data collection begins. By obtaining local time and computing time offsets in advance, the system prepares the necessary time zone adjustments beforehand, enabling automatic timestamp standardization throughout the data collection process without manual intervention.
2Measurement precision
If manual time zone configuration is required for each remote computing environment, then accurate timestamp adjustment can be achieved, but the device complexity and operational burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically manages the entire time zone configuration process. It requests local time from remote systems, computes time offsets, and applies adjustments without requiring administrators to manually configure time zones for each remote environment, thereby reducing operational burden while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an automated time offset computation mechanism as an intermediary between remote systems and timestamp standardization. This intermediary automatically requests time information, calculates offsets, and applies adjustments, eliminating the need for complex manual configuration processes while ensuring accurate time zone handling.
3Productivity
If automated time offset detection is implemented, then manual intervention is reduced, but additional verification steps are required to ensure accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where it requests local time from remote systems, receives responses, verifies the received time information against expected parameters, and computes time offsets based on verified data. This feedback loop ensures accuracy while maintaining automation, as the system only proceeds with timestamp standardization after successful verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary verification of time information before applying time offset adjustments. By validating received local time data and computing offsets in advance, the system ensures accuracy is maintained throughout automated timestamp standardization without requiring complex real-time verification during data processing.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that processes data received from a remote system. During operation, the system sends, from a computer system to a remote system, a request for a local time at the remote system and records a time of transmission of the request. Next, the system obtains, from the remote system, a response to the request, wherein the response includes the local time of the remote system. The system then computes a difference between the time of transmission and the local time of the remote system to determine a time offset that accounts for a time difference between the computer system and the remote system. Finally, the system uses the time offset to standardize timestamps in time-series data received from the remote system, wherein standardizing the timestamps associated with the time-series data comprises adjusting the timestamps to conform to a time standard.