Real-time triggers and Polling-based trigger

1. Real-Time Triggers:

• How They Work: A real-time trigger reacts instantly when a specific event or change occurs. It's like a listener that stays active, waiting for something to happen. When the event occurs (e.g., a new message, a new order, a system update), the trigger fires immediately and takes action.
  
  

• Example: Imagine you’re tracking customer orders on an e-commerce platform. A real-time trigger might be set up to immediately notify you or update your inventory system the moment a new order is placed. If a customer places an order, the trigger instantly fires, and the system reacts right away, without waiting.
  
  

• Key Characteristics:

  • Instantaneous: The trigger responds immediately after the event happens.
    
    

  • Event-Driven: It’s based on a specific event, like a new user signing up, a payment being made, or a file being uploaded.
    
    

  • Requires Continuous Monitoring: The system has to be actively listening or watching for these events all the time, which can be resource-intensive.

• Advantages:

  • Low Latency: Since the action is triggered as soon as the event occurs, there’s no delay.
    
    

  • Efficient for Time-Sensitive Tasks: Ideal for use cases where you need a real-time response, such as alerting users about new updates or sending immediate notifications.

• Disadvantages:

  • Higher Resource Usage: Keeping a system constantly listening for real-time events can require more computational resources and infrastructure.
    
    

  • Complexity: Setting up and managing real-time systems can be more complex, especially if you need to ensure reliable event delivery.

2. Polling-Based Triggers:

• How They Work: A polling-based trigger works differently. Instead of reacting to an event in real time, it periodically checks or "polls" for new data at set intervals (e.g., every minute, every 10 minutes). If the trigger finds that something has changed (like a new file or new message), it takes action. Otherwise, it waits for the next polling cycle.
  
  

• Example: Let’s say you want to monitor a database for any changes, but you don’t need to react instantly. A polling-based trigger would check the database every 10 minutes to see if there’s any new data. If new records are found, it will take action (e.g., send a notification or update a system).

• Key Characteristics:

  • Scheduled Checks: The system checks for updates or changes at regular, fixed intervals, not immediately after an event.
    
    

  • Delay in Response: If something important happens between two polling intervals, it won’t be detected until the next poll.

• Advantages:

  • Lower Resource Usage: Since you’re not constantly listening for events, polling is less demanding on system resources.
    
    

  • Simple Setup: Polling is often easier to implement and maintain, especially when there’s no direct event mechanism (like webhooks) available.

• Disadvantages:

  • Latency: There’s always a delay between when an event occurs and when it gets detected, depending on the polling interval. For example, if you poll every 10 minutes, changes in data will be detected only at that interval, meaning a 10-minute delay.
    
    

  • Potential Missed Events: If an event occurs just after a poll and before the next one, it could be missed or ignored until the next poll occurs.