Skip to content
Merged
Show file tree
Hide file tree
Changes from all commits
Commits
File filter

Filter by extension

Filter by extension

Conversations
Failed to load comments.
Loading
Jump to
Jump to file
Failed to load files.
Loading
Diff view
Diff view
1 change: 1 addition & 0 deletions changelog.d/18964.misc
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
Fix `run_coroutine_in_background(...)` incorrectly handling logcontext.
Copy link
Contributor Author

@MadLittleMods MadLittleMods Sep 23, 2025

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

Given this technically regressed in #18900 which is part of 1.139.0rc1, we should land another RC with this PR

(The PR description here at the top explains the regression)

cc @anoadragon453

83 changes: 36 additions & 47 deletions synapse/logging/context.py
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -802,13 +802,15 @@ def run_in_background(
deferred returned by the function completes.

To explain how the log contexts work here:
- When `run_in_background` is called, the current context is stored ("original"),
we kick off the background task in the current context, and we restore that
original context before returning
- When the background task finishes, we don't want to leak our context into the
reactor which would erroneously get attached to the next operation picked up by
the event loop. We add a callback to the deferred which will clear the logging
context after it finishes and yields control back to the reactor.
- When `run_in_background` is called, the calling logcontext is stored
("original"), we kick off the background task in the current context, and we
restore that original context before returning.
- For a completed deferred, that's the end of the story.
- For an incomplete deferred, when the background task finishes, we don't want to
leak our context into the reactor which would erroneously get attached to the
next operation picked up by the event loop. We add a callback to the deferred
which will clear the logging context after it finishes and yields control back to
the reactor.
Comment on lines +805 to +813
Copy link
Contributor Author

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

Based on the explanation laid out in #18900 (comment)


Useful for wrapping functions that return a deferred or coroutine, which you don't
yield or await on (for instance because you want to pass it to
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -857,22 +859,36 @@ def run_in_background(

# The deferred has already completed
if d.called and not d.paused:
# The function should have maintained the logcontext, so we can
# optimise out the messing about
# If the function messes with logcontexts, we can assume it follows the Synapse
# logcontext rules (Rules for functions returning awaitables: "If the awaitable
# is already complete, the function returns with the same logcontext it started
# with."). If it function doesn't touch logcontexts at all, we can also assume
# the logcontext is unchanged.
#
# Either way, the function should have maintained the calling logcontext, so we
# can avoid messing with it further. Additionally, if the deferred has already
# completed, then it would be a mistake to then add a deferred callback (below)
# to reset the logcontext to the sentinel logcontext as that would run
# immediately (remember our goal is to maintain the calling logcontext when we
# return).
return d

# The function may have reset the context before returning, so we need to restore it
# now.
# Since the function we called may follow the Synapse logcontext rules (Rules for
# functions returning awaitables: "If the awaitable is incomplete, the function
# clears the logcontext before returning"), the function may have reset the
# logcontext before returning, so we need to restore the calling logcontext now
# before we return ourselves.
#
# Our goal is to have the caller logcontext unchanged after firing off the
# background task and returning.
set_current_context(calling_context)

# The original logcontext will be restored when the deferred completes, but
# there is nothing waiting for it, so it will get leaked into the reactor (which
# would then get picked up by the next thing the reactor does). We therefore
# need to reset the logcontext here (set the `sentinel` logcontext) before
# yielding control back to the reactor.
# If the function we called is playing nice and following the Synapse logcontext
# rules, it will restore original calling logcontext when the deferred completes;
# but there is nothing waiting for it, so it will get leaked into the reactor (which
# would then get picked up by the next thing the reactor does). We therefore need to
# reset the logcontext here (set the `sentinel` logcontext) before yielding control
# back to the reactor.
#
# (If this feels asymmetric, consider it this way: we are
# effectively forking a new thread of execution. We are
Expand All @@ -894,10 +910,9 @@ def run_coroutine_in_background(
Useful for wrapping coroutines that you don't yield or await on (for
instance because you want to pass it to deferred.gatherResults()).

This is a special case of `run_in_background` where we can accept a
coroutine directly rather than a function. We can do this because coroutines
do not run until called, and so calling an async function without awaiting
cannot change the log contexts.
Comment on lines -899 to -900
Copy link
Contributor Author

@MadLittleMods MadLittleMods Sep 23, 2025

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

Removed this last sentence because this isn't true on multiple levels:

  1. Calling an async function will run immediately until it yields (hits an await for an incomplete awaitable)
  2. Calling an async function can change the logcontext (and happens all the time). This is exactly why we set the logcontext back to the calling_context before returning.

This is a special case of `run_in_background` where we can accept a coroutine
directly rather than a function. We can do this because coroutines do not continue
running once they have yielded.

This is an ergonomic helper so we can do this:
```python
Expand All @@ -908,33 +923,7 @@ def run_coroutine_in_background(
run_in_background(lambda: func1(arg1))
```
"""
calling_context = current_context()

# Wrap the coroutine in a deferred, which will have the side effect of executing the
# coroutine in the background.
d = defer.ensureDeferred(coroutine)

Copy link
Contributor Author

@MadLittleMods MadLittleMods Sep 23, 2025

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

To fix the root problem, all we need to do is add this same fix that run_in_background already has for already completed deferreds:

# The deferred has already completed
if d.called and not d.paused:
# The function should have maintained the logcontext, so we can
# optimise out the messing about
return d

But instead of duplicating all of this specialty logic and context into run_coroutine_in_background(...), we can just simplify to using run_in_background(...). Especially when run_coroutine_in_background(...) is just an ergonomic wrapper around run_in_background(...)

See #18900 (comment) for more information on how this shortcut and the logcontext logic works for run_in_background(...)

Related conversation where I asked why we even have run_coroutine_in_background(...) -> #18900 (comment)

# The function may have reset the context before returning, so we need to restore it
# now.
#
# Our goal is to have the caller logcontext unchanged after firing off the
# background task and returning.
set_current_context(calling_context)

# The original logcontext will be restored when the deferred completes, but
# there is nothing waiting for it, so it will get leaked into the reactor (which
# would then get picked up by the next thing the reactor does). We therefore
# need to reset the logcontext here (set the `sentinel` logcontext) before
# yielding control back to the reactor.
#
# (If this feels asymmetric, consider it this way: we are
# effectively forking a new thread of execution. We are
# probably currently within a ``with LoggingContext()`` block,
# which is supposed to have a single entry and exit point. But
# by spawning off another deferred, we are effectively
# adding a new exit point.)
d.addBoth(_set_context_cb, SENTINEL_CONTEXT)
return d
return run_in_background(lambda: coroutine)


T = TypeVar("T")
Expand Down
184 changes: 144 additions & 40 deletions tests/util/test_logcontext.py
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
import logging
from typing import Callable, Generator, cast

import twisted.python.failure
from twisted.internet import defer, reactor as _reactor

from synapse.logging.context import (
Expand All @@ -33,6 +32,7 @@
current_context,
make_deferred_yieldable,
nested_logging_context,
run_coroutine_in_background,
run_in_background,
)
from synapse.types import ISynapseReactor
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -249,88 +249,192 @@ async def competing_callback() -> None:
# Back to the sentinel context
self._check_test_key("sentinel")

def _test_run_in_background(self, function: Callable[[], object]) -> defer.Deferred:
sentinel_context = current_context()
async def _test_run_in_background(self, function: Callable[[], object]) -> None:
Copy link
Contributor Author

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

The run_in_background test changes should be equivalent to before. This is just a small refactor to clean up these tests (use async/await) to make them more straight-forward.

clock = Clock(reactor)

# Sanity check that we start in the sentinel context
self._check_test_key("sentinel")

callback_completed = False
callback_finished = False

with LoggingContext("foo"):
# fire off function, but don't wait on it.
d2 = run_in_background(function)
# Fire off the function, but don't wait on it.
deferred = run_in_background(function)
self._check_test_key("foo")

def cb(res: object) -> object:
nonlocal callback_completed
callback_completed = True
return res
def callback(result: object) -> object:
nonlocal callback_finished
callback_finished = True
# Pass through the result
return result

d2.addCallback(cb)
# We `addBoth` because when exceptions happen, we still want to mark the
# callback as finished so that the test can complete and we see the
# underlying error.
deferred.addBoth(callback)

self._check_test_key("foo")

# now wait for the function under test to have run, and check that
# the logcontext is left in a sane state.
d2 = defer.Deferred()

def check_logcontext() -> None:
if not callback_completed:
reactor.callLater(0.01, check_logcontext)
return
# Now wait for the function under test to have run, and check that
# the logcontext is left in a sane state.
while not callback_finished:
await clock.sleep(0)
self._check_test_key("foo")

# make sure that the context was reset before it got thrown back
# into the reactor
try:
self.assertIs(current_context(), sentinel_context)
d2.callback(None)
except BaseException:
d2.errback(twisted.python.failure.Failure())

reactor.callLater(0.01, check_logcontext)
self.assertTrue(
callback_finished,
"Callback never finished which means the test probably didn't wait long enough",
)

# test is done once d2 finishes
return d2
# Back to the sentinel context
self._check_test_key("sentinel")

@logcontext_clean
def test_run_in_background_with_blocking_fn(self) -> defer.Deferred:
async def test_run_in_background_with_blocking_fn(self) -> None:
async def blocking_function() -> None:
await Clock(reactor).sleep(0)

return self._test_run_in_background(blocking_function)
await self._test_run_in_background(blocking_function)

@logcontext_clean
def test_run_in_background_with_non_blocking_fn(self) -> defer.Deferred:
async def test_run_in_background_with_non_blocking_fn(self) -> None:
@defer.inlineCallbacks
def nonblocking_function() -> Generator["defer.Deferred[object]", object, None]:
with PreserveLoggingContext():
yield defer.succeed(None)

return self._test_run_in_background(nonblocking_function)
await self._test_run_in_background(nonblocking_function)

@logcontext_clean
def test_run_in_background_with_chained_deferred(self) -> defer.Deferred:
async def test_run_in_background_with_chained_deferred(self) -> None:
# a function which returns a deferred which looks like it has been
# called, but is actually paused
def testfunc() -> defer.Deferred:
return make_deferred_yieldable(_chained_deferred_function())

return self._test_run_in_background(testfunc)
await self._test_run_in_background(testfunc)

@logcontext_clean
def test_run_in_background_with_coroutine(self) -> defer.Deferred:
async def test_run_in_background_with_coroutine(self) -> None:
"""
Test `run_in_background` with a coroutine that yields control back to the
reactor.

This will stress the logic around incomplete deferreds in `run_in_background`.
"""

async def testfunc() -> None:
self._check_test_key("foo")
d = defer.ensureDeferred(Clock(reactor).sleep(0))
self.assertIs(current_context(), SENTINEL_CONTEXT)
await d
self._check_test_key("foo")

return self._test_run_in_background(testfunc)
await self._test_run_in_background(testfunc)

@logcontext_clean
def test_run_in_background_with_nonblocking_coroutine(self) -> defer.Deferred:
async def test_run_in_background_with_nonblocking_coroutine(self) -> None:
"""
Test `run_in_background` with a "nonblocking" coroutine (never yields control
back to the reactor).

This will stress the logic around completed deferreds in `run_in_background`.
"""

async def testfunc() -> None:
self._check_test_key("foo")

return self._test_run_in_background(testfunc)
await self._test_run_in_background(testfunc)

@logcontext_clean
async def test_run_coroutine_in_background(self) -> None:
Copy link
Contributor Author

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

New run_coroutine_in_background tests are here.

We could use a similar pattern to run_in_background(...) where we have a test helper that shares a bunch of the logic. Given we only have to test two variants with coroutines, I've opted not to dry this out.

"""
Test `run_coroutine_in_background` with a coroutine that yields control back to the
reactor.

This will stress the logic around incomplete deferreds in `run_coroutine_in_background`.
"""
clock = Clock(reactor)

# Sanity check that we start in the sentinel context
self._check_test_key("sentinel")

callback_finished = False

async def competing_callback() -> None:
nonlocal callback_finished
try:
# The callback should have the same logcontext as the caller
self._check_test_key("foo")

with LoggingContext("competing"):
await clock.sleep(0)
self._check_test_key("competing")

self._check_test_key("foo")
finally:
# When exceptions happen, we still want to mark the callback as finished
# so that the test can complete and we see the underlying error.
callback_finished = True

with LoggingContext("foo"):
run_coroutine_in_background(competing_callback())
self._check_test_key("foo")
await clock.sleep(0)
self._check_test_key("foo")

self.assertTrue(
callback_finished,
"Callback never finished which means the test probably didn't wait long enough",
)

# Back to the sentinel context
self._check_test_key("sentinel")

@logcontext_clean
async def test_run_coroutine_in_background_with_nonblocking_coroutine(self) -> None:
Copy link
Contributor Author

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

I'm not in love with the "nonblocking" terminology used here but I've aligned with the prior art here (test_run_in_background_with_nonblocking_coroutine) and expanded on what that means in the docstring ⏩

"""
Test `run_coroutine_in_background` with a "nonblocking" coroutine (never yields control
back to the reactor).

This will stress the logic around completed deferreds in `run_coroutine_in_background`.
"""
# Sanity check that we start in the sentinel context
self._check_test_key("sentinel")

callback_finished = False

async def competing_callback() -> None:
nonlocal callback_finished
try:
# The callback should have the same logcontext as the caller
self._check_test_key("foo")

with LoggingContext("competing"):
# We `await` here but there is nothing to wait for here since the
# deferred is already complete so we should immediately continue
# executing in the same context.
await defer.succeed(None)

self._check_test_key("competing")

self._check_test_key("foo")
finally:
# When exceptions happen, we still want to mark the callback as finished
# so that the test can complete and we see the underlying error.
callback_finished = True

with LoggingContext("foo"):
run_coroutine_in_background(competing_callback())
self._check_test_key("foo")

self.assertTrue(
callback_finished,
"Callback never finished which means the test probably didn't wait long enough",
)

# Back to the sentinel context
self._check_test_key("sentinel")

@logcontext_clean
@defer.inlineCallbacks
Expand Down
Loading