From 5ab0d8ca888b84976109e81c901c5134b5f009d4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: jochen <jschoubben@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2026 22:48:02 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Subtask B: the teller says an assigner ask written again
 under the id the router kept is not asked, with a row per kind that a new
 asking is asked again (issue 1966)

Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01JG73KEq4zoDfM9WtYpcQgZ
---
 .../cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks.go  |  4 ++
 .../mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks_test.go | 45 +++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 49 insertions(+)

diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks.go
index 2fbc1626..5a500ce8 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks.go
@@ -168,6 +168,10 @@ func (t *Teller) raiseAssignerAsk(key string) {
 		}
 		if open(k) {
 			t.catchUp(id)
+		} else {
+			// Said, never silent (issue 1966: a record ask taken back when its key went was written again under the same id on
+			// 2026-11-09 and nothing said why the operator was never asked): the assigner numbers each writing (asks.Ask.Asking).
+			t.logf("%s: the ask %s ended (answered, lapsed or taken back) and the assigner wrote the key again under the same id: not asked again, the router would drop it; a writing under a new asking is asked", key, id)
 		}
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks_test.go
index 9a878ce6..2ac7343d 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-teller/cmd/mesh-delivery-teller/assignerasks_test.go
@@ -209,3 +209,48 @@ func TestABurstOfHoldsLeavesRoomForAMergeAsk(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("asked %v after the merge ask was answered, want no further hold", got)
 	}
 }
+
+// Issue 1966 (nats on novox): an assigner ask taken back when its key went is asked again when the assigner writes the key
+// again under a new asking, whatever its kind; written again under the id the router kept it is not (the router would drop it)
+// and the teller says so, never silent.
+func TestAnAssignerAskWrittenAgainAfterBeingTakenAwayIsAskedAgainUnderANewAsking(t *testing.T) {
+	digest := "sha256:" + strings.Repeat("e", 64)
+	fp := "src2:" + strings.Repeat("a", 64)
+	recordKey, _ := asks.RecordAskKey("novox", "nats", digest)
+	restoreKey, _ := asks.RestoreAskKey("novox", "nats", fp)
+	holdKey, _ := asks.HoldAskKey("nats", fp)
+	for kind, key := range map[string]string{"record": recordKey, "restore": restoreKey, "hold": holdKey} {
+		t.Run(kind, func(t *testing.T) {
+			write := func(assigner memGate, asking int) oc.Ask {
+				ask := oc.Ask{ID: meshdeliveryclient.AskingID(key, asking), Headline: "nats waits", Explanation: "e", Who: occ.Operator,
+					Expires: occ.FormatTime(now.Add(occ.ApproveLasts)), OnExpiry: "stays",
+					Options: []oc.Option{{ID: "yes", Label: "Yes", Does: "d", Level: occ.Acknowledge}, {ID: "no", Label: "No", Does: "d", Level: occ.Acknowledge}}}
+				value, err := asks.EncodeAsk(key, asks.Ask{Ask: rawAsk(t, ask), Asking: asking})
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatal(err)
+				}
+				assigner[key] = value
+				return ask
+			}
+			b := newBed(t)
+			assigner, _ := withView(b)
+			first := write(assigner, 1000)
+			b.t.OnAssignerAsk(key)
+			delete(assigner, key)
+			b.t.OnAssignerAskGone(key) // the assigner took it away as stale: the router ask is taken back
+			second := write(assigner, 1060)
+			b.t.OnAssignerAsk(key)
+			if got := b.askedIDs(); len(got) != 2 || got[0] != first.ID || got[1] != second.ID || first.ID == second.ID {
+				t.Fatalf("asked %v, want %s then %s; log:\n%s", got, first.ID, second.ID, b.logs.String())
+			}
+			// Written again under the id the router kept, after it was taken back: not asked, and said.
+			delete(assigner, key)
+			b.t.OnAssignerAskGone(key)
+			write(assigner, 1060)
+			b.t.OnAssignerAsk(key)
+			if got := b.askedIDs(); len(got) != 2 || !strings.Contains(b.logs.String(), "wrote the key again under the same id") {
+				t.Errorf("asked %v after the same id was written again; log:\n%s", got, b.logs.String())
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}