Vector Clock
A logical-clock structure that tracks causal histories across participants and can identify whether distributed events are ordered or concurrent.
Distributed-Systems Context
A vector clock records logical progress for multiple participants. If one vector dominates another, the associated events can be causally ordered; if neither dominates, the histories are concurrent. This makes vector clocks useful for causal consistency and conflict detection.
Metadata Boundary
Vector size grows with the participant set. Systems with dynamic or large membership often need compact variants, dotted version vectors, or another causality representation.
Related Distributed-Systems Concepts
- Lamport Clock
- Causality
- Conflict Resolution
- Eventual Consistency