Why Unreliable Clocks Threaten Distributed Systems—and How to Fix Them

This article examines the unreliability of physical clocks in distributed systems, compares synchronous and asynchronous network timing, explains the roles of wall and monotonic clocks, and explores logical clocks, snapshot isolation, and practical solutions such as Google Spanner's TrueTime to ensure data consistency.

Data ConsistencyDistributed SystemsLogical Clock

0 likes · 11 min read

Why Unreliable Clocks Threaten Distributed Systems—and How to Fix Them

Xiaokun's Architecture Exploration Notes

May 4, 2025 · Fundamentals

Why Unreliable Clocks Threaten Distributed Systems—and How to Fix Them

This article examines how unreliable physical clocks—both wall and monotonic—affect distributed systems, compares synchronous and asynchronous network timing, illustrates conflicts caused by timestamp drift, and presents logical clocks and Google’s TrueTime as robust solutions for achieving consistent ordering and data reliability.

Distributed SystemsLogical ClockTrueTime

0 likes · 11 min read

Aikesheng Open Source Community

Oct 29, 2021 · Databases

Impact of Adjusting System Time on MySQL Runtime Behavior

The article investigates how changing the operating system clock while MySQL is running influences functions such as SLEEP, metadata lock (MDL) wait calculations, and other timing‑related mechanisms, demonstrating that forward or backward adjustments can cause premature exits or inaccurate wait measurements.

Database Performancelock_wait_timeoutmetadata lock

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Impact of Adjusting System Time on MySQL Runtime Behavior