Intelligent failover, zero data loss: GBase database at scale in customs technology

Published on 2025-11-26

In customs ports and border checkpoints across more than 170 countries and regions, the security inspection equipment of a leading customs technology enterprise operates around the clock. These devices face extreme challenges: harsh environments, unattended operations, and zero business interruption. The data foundation underpinning their stable operation is the GBase Database Enterprise Replication engine (Enterprise Replication, ER).

Data Challenges in Harsh Environments

With operations spanning coastal borders and remote crossings, data synchronization faces multiple challenges:

  • Lack of O&M: Complex data center environments without dedicated DBAs on site

  • Extreme real-time demands: Inspection data requires millisecond-level synchronization; business processes cannot afford any interruption

  • Rigorous reliability requirements: After a sudden power failure, data must automatically and completely catch up

  • Technology independence: A fully self-controlled technology stack must be built

Four Core Technology Strategies of GBase 8s ER

To address these challenges, GBase 8s ER delivers targeted solutions with four core capabilities:

  • Ultra-high availability: Adopts an active-active architecture with second-level automatic failover and self-healing, ensuring RPO=0. After a failed node recovers, data automatically catches up, enabling continuous service without interruption.

  • O&M-free peace of mind: Based on closed-loop flow control, the system automatically optimizes synchronization strategies without requiring professional DBAs, fully adapting to unattended deployments in complex environments.

  • Leading synchronization efficiency: Can rapidly catch up massive data backlogs; even after extreme network outages or power failures, it efficiently recovers without affecting core business operations.

  • Flexible and scalable: Supports multi-master architecture and bidirectional replication, allowing on-demand node scaling to effortlessly handle various networking and business scenarios from single points to nationwide networks.

Proven in Two Benchmark Projects

Addressing the specific needs of the security inspection industry, the GBase 8s ER solution centers on asynchronous replication + multi-master architecture to achieve precise adaptation in key projects:

In a coastal smart supervision platform project, it delivered impressive results.

Covering a supervision area of 200 square kilometers, this platform required real-time data synchronization across 16 dispersed monitoring points. By deploying a multi-node ER architecture, the system established efficient data channels between each supervision site and the command center, supporting four-level replication granularity (database, table, row, column) for precise control of data flow. The solution has been running stably for over 500 days, achieving zero data loss and setting a new benchmark for high availability.

At a border land crossing, the system faced even tougher challenges but still delivered outstanding performance.

The system needed to support five critical inspection services, including passenger and health inspection, under extremely limited O&M conditions. Adopting an ER active-active architecture, the system achieved bidirectional asynchronous replication between front-end nodes and core nodes, with failover time under 1 second, completely transparent to business operations, and automatic data catch-up. This perfectly suited the extreme environment and unattended scenario, and has now been running stably for over 200 days.

Outstanding Results Across Four Dimensions

Based on actual operational outcomes, GBase 8s ER has set new standards for data synchronization in four dimensions.

  • In terms of stability, core systems have operated continuously for 200 to over 500 days without failure;

  • In terms of availability, RPO=0 is achieved with failover completed within 1 second;

  • In terms of ecosystem adaptability, deep compatibility with Kunpeng and Hygon processors, as well as Kylin and UOS operating systems;

  • In terms of synchronization efficiency, it can catch up a 39-hour data backlog in just 3 minutes under extreme conditions.

Since the collaboration began in May 2023, GBase 8s ER has been deployed at scale in 8 departments and over 10 key projects of a leading customs technology enterprise, covering multiple critical national scenarios including customs, civil aviation, and border control. In the future, the GBase database will continue to strengthen its high availability and IT application innovation data capabilities, building a secure, stable, and efficient data foundation for more industry customers.