When things happen.
WHAT TO AGREE WITH ANY PROVIDER
The time standard used in their timestamps.
WHY
Ambiguous timestamps produce records dated wrongly.
WHAT TO STORE
A single universal standard, converting at presentation.
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL WITH
Timestamps with no offset Providers using their own local time Daylight saving transitions
WHAT SCHEDULED INTEGRATIONS MUST HANDLE
Runs that overlap Runs missed because the system was down Clocks differing between systems
WHAT PREVENTS OVERLAP
A lock, released on completion.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT MISSED RUNS
Process from the last watermark, not from a fixed window.
WHY
A fixed window loses everything from the missed period.
WHAT A WATERMARK IS
The point processing reached, stored durably.
WHEN TO UPDATE IT
After successful processing.
WHAT TO ADD TO SCHEDULES
A small random offset.
WHY
It avoids every integration firing on the same second.
WHAT TO CONSIDER ABOUT PROVIDER MAINTENANCE WINDOWS
Scheduling around them.
WHAT TO MONITOR
Whether each scheduled run occurred.
WHAT TO ALERT ON
A run that did not happen.
WHY
It is more common, and less visible, than a run that failed.
