Why time breaks distributed systems
Part 1: Why timestamps lie and ordering events isn’t as simple as it looks
Mar 29, 202612 min read379
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Series
Why Time Breaks Distributed Systems
We treat timestamps as facts. In distributed systems, they’re not.
This series explores why time fails, how ordering actually works, and the tools systems use instead.
Ordering ≠ time
Part 2: If timestamps lie, what actually determines order?
Apr 5, 202613 min read139
Constructing Order Without Time
Part 3: How distributed systems track causality
Apr 18, 20269 min read70
Hybrid Logical Clocks: Having your cake and eating it, too
Part 4: How reality forces us to bring time back
May 17, 202610 min read54