Systems and methods for throttling transaction processing based on constrained sub-systems

• US 10,019,756 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Atkins, Michael Clay
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jordan, Kimberly L
• Application Number:
  US14/231,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20150277964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3433 for load management allocation of a server based on load conditions G06F9/505; load rebalancing G06F9/5083; redistributing the load in a network by a load balancer H04L67/1029
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/624 Altering the ordering of packets in an individual queue
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A computer-based method for throttling payment card transaction processing is provided. The method uses a computer device including a processor and a memory. The method includes identifying, in the memory, a first threshold level. The method also includes transmitting a first plurality of transaction requests to a sub-processing system. The method further includes computing, by the processor, an average response time of the sub-processing system for processing the first plurality of transaction requests. The method also includes receiving a second plurality of transaction requests. The method further includes identifying one or more of the second plurality of transaction requests as failure candidates based at least in part on the average response time and the first threshold level. The method also includes failing one or more of the failure candidates.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for throttling transaction processing, the method using a computer device including a processor and a memory, said method comprising:

identifying, in the memory, a first threshold level for transaction processing in compliance with a service level agreement (SLA) time;

receiving a first plurality of transaction requests;

determining that a first set of the first plurality of transaction requests requires biometric authentication by a sub-processing system including determining that the first set of the first plurality of transaction requests includes biometric data of cardholders initiating said transaction requests, the biometric data used for authenticating the cardholders;

transmitting the first set of the first plurality of transaction requests to the sub-processing system;

computing, by the processor, an average response time of the sub-processing system for processing the first set of the first plurality of transaction requests;

determining a delta value equaling a difference between the first threshold level and the average response time;

receiving a second plurality of transaction requests;

determining that a second set of the second plurality of transaction requests requires biometric authentication by the sub-processing system;

determining a throttle level by which to reduce transmission of the second set of the second plurality of transaction requests to the sub-processing system based, at least in part, on the delta value;

identifying one or more of the second set of the second plurality of transaction requests as failure candidates based at least in part on the throttle level, the average response time and the first threshold level;

prioritizing failure of the failure candidates based at least in part on a plurality of factors associated with each failure candidate of the failure candidates, wherein the plurality of factors includes at least one of a merchant bank and an issuer; and

failing one or more of the failure candidates based on the prioritization, wherein the one or more failure candidates are maintained in a queue of pending requests, and wherein each pending request includes an indicator of an amount of remaining processing time associated with that request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein computing an average response time further includes computing a decaying weighted average response time over a window of time, and wherein at least one transaction request of the first plurality of transaction requests and at least one other transaction request of the second plurality of transaction requests do not require biometric authentication by the sub-processing system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold level is based at least in part on one or more of a demand for transaction processing and the throttle level for transactions sent to the sub-processing system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold level is based at least in part on one or more of the average response time and the service level agreement (SLA) time, and wherein the plurality of factors includes a type of transaction, a class of a payment card, a merchant type, the merchant bank, and the issuer.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein determining the throttle level further comprises:

determining a ratio of (i) a transaction duration for a predicted demand and (ii) the decaying weighted average response time for at least one past window of time; and

determining a product of the ratio and a maximum demand capable of being processed within the SLA time.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising altering the throttle level based at least in part on the average response time.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising comparing a demand for transaction processing and the throttle level, wherein altering the throttle level is further based at least in part on the comparing.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising comparing the average response time and a service level agreement (SLA) time, wherein altering the throttle level is further based at least in part on the comparing.

9. A computing device for throttling transaction processing, said computing device comprising a processor communicatively coupled to a memory, said computing device programmed to:

identify a first threshold level for transaction processing in compliance with a service level agreement (SLA) time;

receive a first plurality of transaction requests;

determine that a first set of the first plurality of transaction requests requires biometric authentication by a sub-processing system including determining that the first set of the first plurality of transaction requests includes biometric data of cardholders initiating said transaction requests, the biometric data used for authenticating the cardholders;

transmit the first set of the first plurality of transaction requests to the sub-processing system;

compute an average response time of the sub-processing system for processing the first set of the first plurality of transaction requests;

determine a delta value equaling a difference between the first threshold level and the average response time;

receive a second plurality of transaction requests, wherein the second plurality of transaction requests exceeds the first threshold level;

determine that a second set of the second plurality of transaction requests requires biometric authentication by the sub-processing system;

determine a throttle level by which to reduce transmission of the second plurality of transaction requests to the sub-processing system based, at least in part, on the delta value;

identify one or more of the second set of the second plurality of transaction requests as failure candidates based at least in part on the throttle level, the average response time and the first threshold level;

prioritize failure of the failure candidates based at least in part on a plurality of factors associated with each failure candidate of the failure candidates, wherein the plurality of factors includes at least one of a merchant bank and an issuer; and

fail one or more of the failure candidates based on the prioritization, wherein the one or more failure candidates are maintained in a queue of pending requests, and wherein each pending request includes an indicator of an amount of remaining processing time associated with that request.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein computing an average response time further includes computing a decaying weighted average response time over a window of time, and wherein at least one transaction request of the first plurality of transaction requests and at least one other transaction request of the second plurality of transaction requests do not require biometric authentication by the sub-processing system.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the first threshold level is based at least in part on one or more of a demand for transaction processing and the throttle level for transactions sent to the sub-processing system.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the first threshold level is based at least in part on one or more of the average response time and the service level agreement (SLA) time, and wherein the plurality of factors includes a type of transaction, a class of a payment card, a merchant type, the merchant bank, and the issuer.

13. The computing device of claim 10, wherein, to determine the throttle level, the processor is further programmed to:

determine a ratio of (i) a transaction duration for a predicted demand and (ii) the decaying weighted average response time for at least one past window of time; and

determine a product of the ratio and a maximum demand capable of being processed within the SLA time.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further programmed to alter the throttle level based at least in part on the average response time.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further programmed to compare a demand for transaction processing and the throttle level, wherein altering the throttle level is further based at least in part on the comparing.

16. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further programmed to compare the average response time and a service level agreement (SLA) time, wherein altering the throttle level is further based at least in part on the comparing.

17. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

identify a first threshold level for transaction processing in compliance with a service level agreement (SLA) time;

receive a first plurality of transaction requests;

determine that a first set of the first plurality of transaction requests requires biometric authentication by a sub-processing system including determining that the first set of the first plurality of transaction requests includes biometric data of cardholders initiating said transaction requests, the biometric data used for authenticating the cardholders;

transmit the first set of the first plurality of transaction requests to the sub-processing system;

compute an average response time of the sub-processing system for processing the first set of the first plurality of transaction requests;

determine a delta value equaling a difference between the first threshold level and the average response time;

receive a second plurality of transaction requests;

determine that a second set of the second plurality of transaction requests requires biometric authentication by the sub-processing system;

determine a throttle level by which to reduce transmission of the second set of the second plurality of transaction requests to the sub-processing system based, at least in part, on the delta value;

identify one or more of the second set of the second plurality of transaction requests as failure candidates based at least in part on the throttle level, the average response time and the first threshold level;

prioritize failure of the failure candidates based at least in part on a plurality of factors associated with each failure candidate of the failure candidates, wherein the plurality of factors includes a merchant bank and an issuer; and

fail one or more of the failure candidates based on the prioritization, wherein the one or more failure candidates are maintained in a queue of pending requests, and wherein each pending request includes an indicator of an amount of remaining processing time associated with that request.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein computing an average response time further includes computing a decaying weighted average response time over a window of time, and wherein at least one transaction request of the first plurality of transaction requests and at least one other transaction request of the second plurality of transaction requests do not require biometric authentication by the sub-processing system.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the first threshold level is based at least in part on one or more of a demand for transaction processing and the throttle level for transactions sent to the sub-processing system.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the first threshold level is based at least in part on one or more of the average response time and the service level agreement (SLA) time, and wherein the plurality of factors includes a type of transaction, a class of a payment card, a merchant type, the merchant bank, and the issuer.

21. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

determine a ratio of (i) a transaction duration for a predicted demand and (ii) the decaying weighted average response time for at least one past window of time; and

determine a product of the ratio and a maximum demand capable of being processed within the SLA time.

22. The computer-readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to alter the throttle level based at least in part on the average response time.

23. The computer-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to compare a demand for transaction processing and the throttle level, wherein altering the throttle level is further based at least in part on the comparing.

24. The computer-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to compare average response time and a service level agreement (SLA) time, wherein altering the throttle level is further based at least in part on the comparing.