Why Vector Clocks are Easy | Basho Technologies

Why Vector Clocks are Easy | Basho Technologies

January 29, 2010 Vector clocks  are confusing the first time you're introduced to them. It's not clear what their benefits are, nor how it is you derive said benefits. Indeed, each Riak developer has had his own set of false starts in making them behave. The truth, though, is that vector clocks are actually very simple, and a couple of quick rules will get you all the power you need to use them effectively. The simple rule is: assign each of your actors an ID, then make sure you include that ID and the last vector clock you saw for a given value whenever to store a modification. The rest of this post will explain why and how to follow that simple rule. First, I'll explain how vector clocks work with a very simple example, and then show how to use them easily in Riak. Vector Clocks by Example We've all had this problem: Alice, Ben, Cathy, and Dave are planning to meet next week for dinner. The planning starts with Alice suggesting they meet on Wednesday. Later,

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