Maintaining data consistency across distributed elements using XML/XSLT
Bing Leng, Randall K. Hands, Manoj K. Mahapatra, James R. Stuhlmacher · Bell Labs Technical Journal · 2005
This paper describes an approach to resolving data inconsistencies in a distributed system environment. Data inconsistency is a common problem in any system, but it poses special problems in a distributed system because of the need to distribute data in duplicated and transformed form across various elements within the network. It is necessary to ensure the consistency of the data across these elements if the system is to function. Therefore, for operators and service providers pursuing a multi-vendor strategy, data consistency is a key component of system integration. Our solution to the problem of data inconsistency uses Extensible Markup Language (XML) to specify data relationships and an Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT)-based engine to audit the data and to align it across the elements. The solution is applicable to network, service, and business management systems.