aws / aws/aws-durable-execution-sdk-python

[Bug]: Virtual child replay can consume a non-virtual container checkpoint

Open
#704 0 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
bug pkg:sdk
Dominant language
Python
Stars
53
Forks
25
Avg merge
1d 17h
Merged PRs (30d)
37

Description

## Expected Behavior

When replay changes a `run_in_child_context` operation from non-virtual to `ChildConfig(is_virtual=True)`, the SDK should reject the existing container checkpoint with `NonDeterministicExecutionError` before returning its cached result or emitting replay hooks.

Virtual child contexts never write their own container checkpoint. Therefore, any existing checkpoint at the virtual child operation ID proves that the prior execution used non-virtual checkpointing.

## Actual Behavior

`is_virtual` is not represented in `OperationIdentifier`. A successful `CONTEXT` checkpoint from a previous non-virtual child passes type, subtype, name, and parent validation. `ChildOperationExecutor.check_result_status()` then returns the cached result without executing the current virtual child body, so changes to the inner hierarchy are never validated.

This reproduces on both `main` and PR #698, so it is pre-existing and separate from #692, whose scope is type/subtype/name checkpoint identity.

## Suggested Fix

- Reject any existing child-container checkpoint when the current child is virtual.
- Perform the rejection before terminal checkpoint handling and replay/update plugin hooks.
- Add a unit regression for `ChildOperationExecutor` and a composed durable-execution test covering non-virtual to virtual replay.

## Context

Found while reviewing #698. Related review threads:

- #698 review comment 3909282767
- #698 review comment 3922629188

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start with ChildOperationExecutor.check_result_status() and trace terminal checkpoint handling for virtual child contexts. Add the requested unit regression and composed durable-execution test; done means a non-virtual checkpoint is rejected with NonDeterministicExecutionError before cached results or replay/update hooks are used.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
distributed-systems
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
72/100

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