Question

In an App, users can create and participate in real-time online auctions. Things are posted by users, and other users can place bids on the items. At the conclusion of the allotted time for the auction, someone placed the bid worth the highest amount get the item. What types of inconsistencies is this system susceptible to and why? What steps can be take to solve these inconsistency?

Answer 1

The inconsistency that the system could face are:

• There is a possibility that more than one user place the bid which is the same and is the highest, so how could the person be determined as who'll get the bid.
• Also there is a possibility that that in the allotted time, no user placed any bids on an item and there was no bid after the time runs out.
• There could be some of the spammer who just randomly bids a high price.

To solve these inconsistencies following steps should be taken:

• A timestamp should be maintained as the user place their bids and the one who placed the bid before should be given more priority if the highest bid are tied.
• The item should be again placed in for the auction and a counter should be there so that the item's allotted time should get restarted for a given number of time before it could be discarded or further actions are took on it.
• There should be solid security and verification methods, so as there are no loss of resources and no spam should be there.

That should be all the points that I feel would create the inconsistency in the system. Thank you.