Methods and apparatuses for improving the utilization of state machines in a distributed system

A system for providing throughput in a distributed transaction processing system, the system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more memories storing processor-executable instructions, that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
• receiving information regarding a change in state of a particular transaction recorded by the distributed transaction processing system;
• updating, based on the received information, a state of a primary state machine associated with the particular transaction by:
• transitioning the state of the primary state machine based on the received information regarding the change in state of the particular transaction;
• incrementing a version number of the primary state machine;
• and
• causing transmission of a secondary state machine transition message to a secondary state machine, wherein the secondary state machine transition message includes an indication of the incremented version number of the primary state machine;
• prior to updating a state of the secondary state machine in response to the secondary state machine transition message, determining that the incremented version number of the primary state machine is older than a current version of the secondary state machine, wherein the version number of the primary state machine corresponds to an instance of locking the primary state machine using a first lock protocol, and wherein the current version of the secondary state machine corresponds to an instance of locking the secondary state machine using a second lock protocol, the second lock protocol being less restrictive than the first lock protocol;
• and
• in response to the determining that the incremented version number of the primary state machine is older than the current version of the secondary state machine, preventing the state of the secondary state machine from being updated.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media for providing throughput in a distributed transaction processing system, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

• receiving information regarding a change in state of a particular transaction recorded by the distributed transaction processing system;
• updating, based on the received information, a state of a primary state machine associated with the particular transaction by:
• transitioning the state of the primary state machine based on the received information regarding the change in state of the particular transaction;
• incrementing a version number of the primary state machine;
• and
• causing transmission of a secondary state machine transition message to a secondary state machine, wherein the secondary state machine transition message includes an indication of the incremented version number of the primary state machine;
• prior to updating a state of the secondary state machine in response to the secondary state machine transition message, determining that the incremented version number of the primary state machine is older than a current version of the secondary state machine, wherein the version number of the primary state machine corresponds to an instance of locking the primary state machine using a first lock protocol, and wherein the current version of the secondary state machine corresponds to an instance of locking the secondary state machine using a second lock protocol, the second lock protocol being less restrictive than the first lock protocol;
• and
• in response to the determining that the incremented version number of the primary state machine is older than the current version of the secondary state machine, preventing the state of the secondary state machine from being updated.