SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STREAMING EVENTS IN A TRANSACTION-BASED SYSTEM

• US 20140279841A1
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Varada, Gautham
• Granted Patent: US 9,904,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/607
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

A system is provided that permits events to be propagated between systems in near real time for the purpose of ensuring consistency in a transaction-based environment. In one implementation, transactions are streamed between systems using a lightweight protocol shortly after they are processed, rather than being communicated in a one-way batch mode as is typically done in conventional retail store systems.

Claims

1. A distributed system comprising:

one or more distributed systems, each of the distributed systems including an event generator, the event generator being adapted to stream transaction events occurring in real time; and

a central manager comprising an event receiver, the event receiver being adapted to receive one or more streams of transactions from the one or more distributed systems and commit the streams of transactions to one or more databases wherein the event generator of at least one of the one more distributed systems comprises an event emitter that creates one or more events based on one or more transactions that occur at a location associated with the at least one distributed system.

2. The distributed system according to claim 1, wherein the event generator further comprises a plurality of event sources that receive the created one or more events and generates a stream of transaction events.

3. The distributed system according to claim 2, wherein the stream of transaction events are communicated to the event receiver of the central manager.

4. The distributed system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of event sources comprises a UDP event source that is capable of transmitting UDP events to a UDP event receiver of the central manager.

5. The distributed system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of event sources comprises a TCP event source that is capable of transmitting TCP events to a TCP event receiver of the central manager.

6. The distributed system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of event sources comprises a file event source that is capable of transmitting file events to a file event receiver of the central manager.

7. The distributed system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of event sources comprises a database event source that is capable of transmitting database events to a database event receiver of the central manager.

8. The distributed system according to claim 1, wherein the event generator is adapted to receive a locally-committed event and stream the locally-committed event to the central manager in real time.

9. The distributed system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more distributed systems are located in one or more commercial store locations, and wherein the one or more distributed systems are adapted to process events associated with transactions occurring at the one or more commercial store locations.

10. The distributed system according to claim 9, wherein the central manager is adapted to communicate information associated with the one or more streams of transactions to one or more external systems.

11. The distributed system according to claim 10, wherein the central manager is adapted to receive transactions from the one or more external systems.

12. The distributed system according to claim 9, wherein the central manager is adapted to update a website with real-time information associated with the one or more commercial store locations.

13. A method for processing events in a distributed system, the method comprising acts of:

generating, by an event generator of at least one system in a distributed system network, a stream of transaction events occurring in real time;

receiving, by an event receiver of a central manager, one or more streams of transactions from the one or more distributed systems and committing the streams of transactions to one or more databases; and

creating, by an event emitter of the at least one system in the distributed system one or more events based on one or more transactions that occur at a location associated with the at least one distributed system.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising an act of receiving, by a plurality of event sources, the created one or more events and generating a stream of transaction events.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising communicating the stream of transaction events to the event receiver of the central manager.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of event sources comprises a UDP event source, and wherein the method further comprises an act of transmitting UDP events by the UDP event source to a UDP event receiver of the central manager.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of event sources comprises a TCP event source, and wherein the method further comprises an act of transmitting TCP events by the TCP event source to a TCP event receiver of the central manager.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of event sources comprises a file event source, and wherein the method further comprises an act of transmitting file events by the file event source to a file event receiver of the central manager.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of event sources comprises a database event source, and wherein the method further comprises an act of transmitting database events by the database event source to a database event receiver of the central manager.

20. The method according to claim 13, further comprising an act of receiving, by the event generator, a locally-committed event and streaming the locally-committed event to the central manager in real time.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein the one or more distributed systems are located in one or more commercial store locations, and wherein the method further comprises an act of processing, by the one or more distributed systems, events associated with transactions occurring at the one or more commercial store locations.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising an act of communicating, by the central manager, information associated with the one or more streams of transactions to one or more external systems.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising an act of receiving, by the central manager, transactions from the one or more external systems.

24. The method according to claim 21, further comprising an act of updating, by the central manager, a website with real-time information associated with the one or more commercial store locations.