Transaction Path Reconstruction in Distributed Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

In distributed enterprise technology landscapes, the complexity of transaction processing across multiple applications and technological boundaries limits visibility into transaction execution paths, making it difficult to monitor transactions, detect bottlenecks, and optimize business performance.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for monitoring transactions in a distributed network by recording message data at nodes, reconstructing transactions into directed graphs, and calculating connectivity matrices to identify transaction paths and parameters, with alerts issued for threshold exceedances.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If distributed enterprise technology landscape with multiple applications and interfaces is used, then functionality and versatility are improved, but transaction visibility and monitoring capability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidtransaction visibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a transaction monitoring system as an intermediary component that sits between the distributed applications and the monitoring point. This mediator captures transaction data from multiple applications through standardized interfaces, reconstructs transaction paths, and presents unified visibility without requiring changes to the underlying distributed system architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If distributed enterprise technology landscape with multiple applications and interfaces is used, then functionality and versatility are improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the complexity of transaction path reconstruction and analysis from the distributed applications themselves and consolidates it into a dedicated monitoring system. This separates the core application functionality from the monitoring complexity, allowing each to be optimized independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of manufacture

If traditional monitoring approaches are used in distributed environments, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but transaction path reconstruction accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimplementation simplicityVSAvoidtransaction path reconstruction accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by capturing and recording transaction data at the source before transactions complete their journey through the distributed system. Transaction identifiers, timestamps, and path information are recorded upfront, enabling accurate reconstruction without requiring complex post-processing or inference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2486698B1Method and system for reconstructing transactions in a communication network
Publication Date: 2013.06.12 CORRELIX
  • EP2486698B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2486698B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2486698B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

In a distributed information network, a method and system for assembling messages in an input set of messages into one or more message assemblies. The method involves constructing an initial directed graph of the set of messages, wherein the directed graph consists of pairs of a first vertex and a second vertex, wherein, for each message in the set of messages, a first vertex is an the out node of the message and the second vertex is the in node of the message. A connectivity matrix is defined on the initial directed graph that is modified in an iterative process. A final directed graph is produced that is partitioned into disjoint subgraphs, each subgraph being an assembly of messages from the input message set.