Punctuation controlled temporal reference data lookup

1. A method for joining an event stream with reference data, the method being implemented by a compute processor in an event stream processing system, the method comprising:

sending a request to a reference data manager;

receiving a punctuation event from the reference data manager in response to the request, wherein the punctuation event comprises a punctuation event timestamp, wherein the reference data manager determines the punctuation event timestamp by selecting a highest timestamp out of a plurality of timestamps associated with a plurality of reference data snapshots in a cache, and wherein the reference data manager causes at least one new reference data snapshot to be added to the cache when a difference between the highest timestamp out of the plurality of timestamps associated with the plurality of reference data snapshots in the cache and a timestamp that is associated with a most recent data request sent by the compute processor is less than a predefined threshold value;

providing a logical barrier that restricts a flow of data events in the event stream to a cache lookup operation based on the punctuation event;

performing a first cache lookup operation with respect to a first data event in the event stream, the first data event having a first timestamp that is earlier than the punctuation event timestamp; and

delaying a second cache lookup operation from being performed with respect to a second data event in the event stream, the second data event having a second timestamp that is later than the punctuation event timestamp.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the logical barrier comprises performing a temporal union between the punctuation event and the event stream.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each data event in the event stream having a timestamp that is less than or equal to the punctuation event timestamp is permitted to cross the logical barrier.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each data event in the event stream having a timestamp that is greater than the punctuation event timestamp is prevented from crossing the logical barrier.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising dynamically updating contents of the cache based on processing of data events in the event stream.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

a plurality of punctuation events are supplied to the compute processor by the reference data manager in response to a plurality of data requests sent by the compute processor; and

the method further comprises determining whether to add one or more new reference data snapshots to the cache based at least in part on the plurality of data requests.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether to delete one or more older reference data snapshots from the cache based at least in part on lookup requests that the compute processor sends to the reference data manager as part of the cache lookup operation.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a reference data snapshot is deleted from the cache when a difference between a timestamp that is included in a most recent lookup request that the compute processor sends to the reference data manager and an end time of a valid time range associated with the reference data snapshot is greater than a predefined threshold value.

9. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that are executable by a compute processor in an event processing system to:

send a request to a reference data manager;

receive a punctuation event from the reference data manager in response to the request, wherein the punctuation event comprises a punctuation event timestamp, wherein the reference data manager determines the punctuation event timestamp by selecting a highest timestamp out of a plurality of timestamps associated with a plurality of reference data snapshots in a cache, and wherein the reference data manager causes at least one new reference data snapshot to be added to the cache when a difference between the highest timestamp out of the plurality of timestamps associated with the plurality of reference data snapshots in the cache and a timestamp that is associated with a most recent data request sent by the compute processor is less than a predefined threshold value;

provide a logical barrier that restricts a flow of data events in an event stream to a cache lookup operation based on the punctuation event;

perform a first cache lookup operation with respect to a first data event in the event stream, the first data event having a first timestamp that is earlier than the punctuation event timestamp; and

delay a second cache lookup operation from being performed with respect to a second data event in the event stream, the second data event having a second timestamp that is later than the punctuation event timestamp.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions that are executable by the compute processor to provide the logical barrier comprise instructions that are executable by the compute processor to perform a temporal union between the punctuation event and the event stream.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein each data event in the event stream having a timestamp that is less than or equal to the punctuation event timestamp is permitted to cross the logical barrier.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein each data event in the event stream having a timestamp that is greater than the punctuation event timestamp is prevented from crossing the logical barrier.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising additional instructions that are executable by the compute processor to dynamically update contents of the cache based on processing of data events in the event stream.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein:

a plurality of punctuation events are supplied to the compute processor by the reference data manager in response to a plurality of data requests sent by the compute processor; and

the computer-readable medium further comprises additional instructions that are executable by the compute processor to determine whether to add one or more new reference data snapshots to the cache based at least in part on the plurality of data requests.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising additional instructions that are executable by the compute processor to determine whether to delete one or more older reference data snapshots from the cache based at least in part on lookup requests that the compute processor sends to the reference data manager as part of the cache lookup operation.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein a reference data snapshot is deleted from the cache when a difference between a timestamp that is included in a most recent lookup request that the compute processor sends to the reference data manager and an end time of a valid time range associated with the reference data snapshot is greater than a predefined threshold value.

17. An event processing system that is configured to join an event stream with reference data, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory in electronic communication with the one or more processors; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the one or more processors to:

send a request to a reference data manager;

receive a punctuation event from the reference data manager in response to the request, wherein the punctuation event comprises a punctuation event timestamp, wherein the reference data manager determines the punctuation event timestamp by selecting a highest timestamp out of a plurality of timestamps associated with a plurality of reference data snapshots in a cache, and wherein the reference data manager causes at least one new reference data snapshot to be added to the cache when a difference between the highest timestamp out of the plurality of timestamps associated with the plurality of reference data snapshots in the cache and a timestamp that is associated with a most recent data request sent by the compute processor is less than a predefined threshold value;

provide a logical barrier that restricts a flow of data events in the event stream to a cache lookup operation based on the punctuation event;

perform a first cache lookup operation with respect to a first data event in the event stream, the first data event having a timestamp that is earlier than the punctuation event timestamp; and

delay a second cache lookup operation from being performed with respect to a second data event in the event stream, the second data event having a second timestamp that is later than the punctuation event timestamp.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to provide the logical barrier comprise instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform a temporal union between the punctuation event and the event stream.