Method for obtaining repeatable and predictable output results in a continuous processing system

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for obtaining predicable and repeatable output results in a continuous processing system. The method involves processing messages and primitives in accordance with the following rules: (1) Messages are processed in accordance with timestamps, where messages are divided up into 'time slices'; (2) message order within a data stream is preserved among messages with the same time stamp; (3) subject to rule #, for each time slice, a primitive is executed when either the messages within such time slice show up in the input stream for such primitive or the state of the window immediately preceding such primitive changes due to messages within such time slice; and (4) for each time slice, primitives that are dependent on one or more upstream primitives are not executed until such upstream primitives have finished executing messages in such time slice that are queued for processing. If such rules are insufficient to determine the order in which primitives are processed, a deterministic 'tie-breaking' rule is then applied.