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real-time application (RTA)

By Ben Lutkevich

What is a real-time application?

A real-time application, or RTA, is an application that functions within a time frame that the user senses as immediate or current. The latency must be less than a defined value, usually measured in seconds. The use of real-time applications is part of real-time computing.

To determine if a specific application qualifies as Real Time is a function of its worst-case execution time. WCET is the maximum amount of time a defined task or set of tasks requires on a given hardware platform.

Real-time applications are often used to process streaming data. Real-time software should have the ability to sense, analyze and act on streaming data as it comes in without ingesting and storing the data in a back-end database. Real-time applications often rely on event-driven architecture to process streaming data asynchronously.

Types of real-time applications

A defining feature of a real-time application is that it must complete real-time tasks within a particular time constraint. Real-time applications are categorized according to the severity of the consequence of failing to operate within a given time constraint.

Real-time application classifications include the following:

Features and benefits of real-time applications

Key features and benefits of real-time applications include the following:

Examples of real-time applications

Real-time applications are used when it is imperative that data is processed without lag time. They are often used to avoid causing a system to stop functioning or endanger a user.

Examples of applications that often function in real time include the following:

Real estate applications might use geolocation to continually modify the listings of available properties as properties are bought and sold in real time.

Similarly, real-time technology in an industrial or medical setting might transmit sensor data and notifications about the surrounding environment to a back-end system for managers to make decisions. For example, sensors measuring the temperature or other critical data on a factory floor help determine if conditions are safe for people and equipment. In a medical setting, monitors provide real-time data about a patient's symptoms.

In an IM application, real-time data is used to record the date and time of message exchanges, as well as other metadata about the messages exchanged.

Software developers use model-driven development (MDD) to obtain real-time performance information using Unified Modeling Language (UML). MDD enables people to work together on a project even if their experience levels vary. UML is a standard notation for the modeling of real-world objects in object-oriented design.

Real-time vs. traditional applications: What's the difference?

Traditional applications, or batch applications as they are sometimes called, do not process data in real time. They often send data to a central cloud repository for processing.

Real-time application process data as it is received. These applications usually process data according to a specific time constraint -- every minute or every hour, for example.

Real-time applications often function in settings where there are automation capabilities. They are generally more predictable than traditional apps because there is less margin for error than with traditional apps. Real-time functions have a smaller window of time to fix errors, and the consequences can be more severe. For the same reason, real-time apps must be more accurate.

Challenges of real-time applications

Challenges associated with real-time applications include the following:

Many real-time applications work at the network edge, where they process streaming data in real time, far from a central data repository. Learn the five steps to implementing IoT edge computing.

09 May 2022

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