The checks running are readable through reads and carry when each started (issue 1155)

internal/broker/checks_running_mirror_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package broker
+
+import (
+	"slices"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// 1155/AC1: a module whose manifest reads mesh-controller.checks-running may watch and get every key of the bucket and
+// write none.
+func TestAModuleReadingChecksRunningReadsAndWritesNone(t *testing.T) { // 1155/AC1
+	if !slices.Contains(ControllerMirrors(), "checks-running") || BucketName(ControllerSeat, "checks-running") != CheckRunningBucket {
+		t.Fatalf("a module cannot name %s in `reads`: %v", CheckRunningBucket, ControllerMirrors())
+	}
+	perms, err := PermissionsFor(Principal{Kind: KindModule, Node: "one", Module: "mesh-delivery-watchman", PasswordHash: "x",
+		Reads: []string{"mesh-controller.checks-running"}})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	stream := "KV_" + CheckRunningBucket
+	has(t, perms.Publish, "$JS.API.STREAM.INFO."+stream)
+	has(t, perms.Publish, "$JS.API.DIRECT.GET."+stream+".>")
+	has(t, perms.Publish, "$JS.API.CONSUMER.CREATE."+stream+".>")
+	for _, p := range perms.Publish {
+		if SubjectsOverlap(p, "$KV."+CheckRunningBucket+".any.key") {
+			t.Errorf("the reading module may write %s through %q", CheckRunningBucket, p)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// 1155/AC3: the writers table names checks-running's writer as the build seat's holders, and the rule that a mirror is
+// written by the controller alone names it as the exception, with its reason.
+func TestChecksRunningIsAMirrorWrittenByTheBuildSeatsHolders(t *testing.T) { // 1155/AC3
+	why := MirrorsWrittenByAnother["checks-running"]
+	if why == "" {
+		t.Fatal("the mirrors written by another do not name checks-running with a reason")
+	}
+	subject := "$KV." + CheckRunningBucket + ".novox.a.7"
+	var rows int
+	for _, row := range WritersTable {
+		for _, s := range row.Subjects {
+			if s != "$KV."+CheckRunningBucket+".>" {
+				continue
+			}
+			rows++
+			holder := Principal{Kind: KindModule, Module: "builder", Node: "one", Holds: []Seat{{Name: TheBuildSeat}}}
+			other := Principal{Kind: KindModule, Module: "mesh-delivery-watchman", Node: "one"}
+			if row.Writes == nil || !row.Writes(holder, subject) || row.Writes(other, subject) {
+				t.Errorf("%q is not written by the build seat's holders alone", row.State)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if rows != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("%d rows of the writers table write %s, want one", rows, CheckRunningBucket)
+	}
+	for m := range MirrorsWrittenByAnother {
+		if m != "checks-running" {
+			t.Errorf("the mirror %q is written by another and is not checks-running", m)
+		}
+	}
+}

internal/broker/controller_buckets.go

@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ var (
 	// check ends; a key not renewed within the bucket's age is a builder that died, and is gone. A builder that takes a
 	// waiting request for a head and trunk commit a key names drops it. **Written by the build seat's holders, several by
 	// design** — each the key of the check it runs.
-	CheckRunningBucket = BucketName(ControllerSeat, "checks-running")
+	CheckRunningBucket = BucketName(ControllerSeat, ChecksRunning)
 	// DeliveryMergesBucket holds the merges mesh-delivery announced it made, each with the ask whose Approve it merged
 	// on (novox/hq ADR 0420 §7, issue 1025): per merge a key `<owner>/<repo>/<number>/<head sha>` holding the
 	// announcement, kept DeliveryMergesKeptFor. What lets the build of a moved module register it from its new
@@ -133,9 +133,22 @@ func ChainBuckets() []string { return []string{BuildsBucket, RolloutsBucket, Ass
 // ControllerMirrors are the local names of the controller's buckets a module may read: the record mirrors and the
 // chain's buckets.
 func ControllerMirrors() []string {
-	return []string{MirrorAssignments, MirrorDeclaredConfig, MirrorPredefined, ChainBuilds, ChainRollouts}
+	return []string{MirrorAssignments, MirrorDeclaredConfig, MirrorPredefined, ChainBuilds, ChainRollouts, ChecksRunning}
 }
 
+// MirrorsWrittenByAnother are the controller's mirrors whose writer is not the controller, each with its reason: the rule
+// that a mirror is written by the controller alone (TestTheMirrorsListAndTheWritersTableAgree) has these exceptions and no
+// other.
+var MirrorsWrittenByAnother = map[string]string{
+	ChecksRunning: "the checks running are said by the builders themselves: every machine holding the build seat puts the " +
+		"key of the check it runs, at its start and at each heartbeat, and deletes it when the check ends, so the " +
+		"controller asserts the bucket and writes none of its keys (ADR 0406 §3); it is readable through `reads` so " +
+		"the watchman sees a check that stopped (ADR 0433 §6)",
+}
+
+// ChecksRunning is the local name of the bucket of the checks running, as a reader names it in `reads`.
+const ChecksRunning = "checks-running"
+
 // The mirrors' caps (design 54 §5): one value per key, no age, 64 KiB a value, 64 MiB a bucket.
 const (
 	MirrorValueBytes = 64 << 10

internal/broker/controller_buckets_test.go

@@ -135,6 +135,12 @@ func TestTheMirrorsListAndTheWritersTableAgree(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, m := range ControllerMirrors() {
 		bucket := BucketName(ControllerSeat, m)
 		listed[bucket] = true
+		if why, other := MirrorsWrittenByAnother[m]; other { // 1155/AC3: the exception, with its reason
+			if why == "" {
+				t.Errorf("the mirror %s is written by another and says no reason", bucket)
+			}
+			continue
+		}
 		if !rowed[bucket] {
 			t.Errorf("the mirror %s is listed and no row of the writers table writes it", bucket)
 		}

internal/catalogue/state.go

@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func StateProblems(m Manifest) []string {
 // controller's account alone (the writers table); declared as a module's state, they would be asserted a
 // second way and granted to the module's own principal as well. Named here so a read of one is a read of
 // kept state. The bus's list is broker.ControllerMirrors; a test keeps the two agreeing.
-var ControllerMirrors = []string{"assignments", "declared-config", "predefined", "builds", "rollouts"}
+var ControllerMirrors = []string{"assignments", "declared-config", "predefined", "builds", "rollouts", "checks-running"}
 
 // StateReadsNothingDeclares is every read across a catalogue whose owner is present and declares no
 // such state. An absent owner says nothing — a module may be installed long before the one whose

internal/link/checks_nats.go

@@ -180,6 +180,9 @@ type CheckRunning struct {
 	Trunk   string `json:"trunk"`
 	Builder string `json:"builder"`
 	Build   string `json:"build"`
+	// Started is when the check started, kept on every heartbeat: the entry's own time is the last heartbeat's, and a
+	// reader that asks how long a check has run reads this (novox/hq ADR 0433 §6).
+	Started time.Time `json:"started"`
 }
 
 // RunningKeyOf is the key a check is said running under: its pull request's tokens, or `group.<name>` for a group's
@@ -253,11 +256,23 @@ func keepRunning(ctx context.Context, conn *nats.Conn, r BuildRequest, builder s
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%s runs without saying so: %v\n", r.ID, err)
 		return func() {}
 	}
+	return keepRunningIn(ctx, kv, key, r, builder, every, time.Now())
+}
+
+// runningStore is what keepRunning needs of the bucket: a put and a delete.
+type runningStore interface {
+	Put(ctx context.Context, key string, value []byte) (uint64, error)
+	Delete(ctx context.Context, key string, opts ...jetstream.KVDeleteOpt) error
+}
+
+// keepRunningIn is keepRunning on a bucket in hand, the check having started at started: the value is made once, so every
+// heartbeat puts the same started.
+func keepRunningIn(ctx context.Context, kv runningStore, key string, r BuildRequest, builder string, every time.Duration, started time.Time) (stop func()) {
 	trunk := ""
 	if r.Check != nil {
 		trunk = r.Check.Trunk
 	}
-	body, _ := json.Marshal(CheckRunning{Head: r.Ref, Trunk: trunk, Builder: builder, Build: r.ID})
+	body, _ := json.Marshal(CheckRunning{Head: r.Ref, Trunk: trunk, Builder: builder, Build: r.ID, Started: started.UTC()})
 	put := func() {
 		putting, end := context.WithTimeout(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), 5*time.Second)
 		defer end()

internal/link/checks_running_started_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+package link
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/nats-io/nats.go/jetstream"
+)
+
+type recordedRunning struct {
+	mu     sync.Mutex
+	bodies [][]byte
+}
+
+func (r *recordedRunning) Put(_ context.Context, _ string, value []byte) (uint64, error) {
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	defer r.mu.Unlock()
+	r.bodies = append(r.bodies, value)
+	return uint64(len(r.bodies)), nil
+}
+
+func (r *recordedRunning) Delete(context.Context, string, ...jetstream.KVDeleteOpt) error { return nil }
+
+func (r *recordedRunning) puts() [][]byte {
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	defer r.mu.Unlock()
+	return append([][]byte(nil), r.bodies...)
+}
+
+// 1155/AC2: a check starting puts its key, and puts it again at each heartbeat, and every value carries the same Started,
+// the time the check started.
+func TestACheckRunningKeepsItsStartAcrossHeartbeats(t *testing.T) { // 1155/AC2
+	store := &recordedRunning{}
+	started := time.Date(2026, 10, 18, 19, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	stop := keepRunningIn(context.Background(), store, "novox.a.7", aPullCheck("b1", 7, "head-7-000000000", "trunk-1-000000", false),
+		"builder-1", 5*time.Millisecond, started)
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(5 * time.Second)
+	for len(store.puts()) < 3 && time.Now().Before(deadline) {
+		time.Sleep(5 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+	stop()
+	puts := store.puts()
+	if len(puts) < 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("the key was put %d times, want the first and two heartbeats", len(puts))
+	}
+	for i, body := range puts {
+		var got CheckRunning
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &got); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if !got.Started.Equal(started) {
+			t.Fatalf("put %d carries Started %v, want %v", i, got.Started, started)
+		}
+		if got.Builder != "builder-1" || got.Build != "b1" {
+			t.Fatalf("put %d lost the rest of the value: %+v", i, got)
+		}
+	}
+}