Trace Number and time() with multiple fast transactions

[jas8522]

The sample code indicates the use of time() to generate a unique (enough) trace number. This had worked fine for us for years but suddenly and randomly became a problem sometime last year.

Although I can't confirm this yet, I believe the issue is that newer versions of PHP (and perhaps also the speed of networking and the Orbital systems) have become fast enough that rapid-fire transaction processing can actually occur (occasionally) more than one per second. When this happens, the same trace number can be sent for two adjacent transactions. This causes the successful return of the first transaction to work as normal, while the return of the second transaction indicates a successful response, but in reference to the first transaction.

Unless you're verifying additional data, like the amounts or card number before and after, this will cause the second transaction to appear successful, when no transaction has actually occurred.

To solve this, make sure to use hrtime() rather than time() which provides the unix timestamp down to the microsecond rather than the second, ensuring unique trace number values.

[jas8522]

This is confirmed. hrtime() fixes it.