From f185aedbf5d6e26c4d6ffadf36f3e2c834bd30c6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: jochen <jschoubben@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:38:58 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] The provider helper reads an ended or pending assignment as a
 removed key (issue 1098)

---
 go/provider/ended_test.go | 62 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 go/provider/provider.go   | 23 +++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 85 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 go/provider/ended_test.go

diff --git a/go/provider/ended_test.go b/go/provider/ended_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c4e25cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go/provider/ended_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+package provider
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"slices"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// Issue 1098: an assignment with `ended` set, or with a `state`, is not a standing assignment: the helper reads it
+// as a removed key, so the entry of its consumer is removed and the adapter hears it is gone. The fields the
+// controller adds change nothing.
+func TestAnEndedAssignmentIsReadAsARemovedKey(t *testing.T) {
+	bus, m := newStandIn(), &maker{}
+	v := &vault{values: map[string]string{"pair/novox/postgres-database/ace/letta": "s1"}}
+	assign(t, bus, "ace", "letta", bind("postgres-database", "", "novox", "postgres"))
+	p := postgres(bus, v, m)
+	if _, err := p.Pass(context.Background()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if got := bus.keys(BucketOf("postgres")); !slices.Equal(got, []string{"ace.letta.postgres-database"}) {
+		t.Fatalf("entries %v", got)
+	}
+	for _, mark := range []map[string]any{{"ended": "2026-10-18T01:00:00Z"}, {"state": "pending"}} {
+		raw := bus.get(AssignmentsBucket, "ace.letta")
+		var a map[string]any
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &a); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		for k, v := range mark {
+			a[k] = v
+		}
+		raw, _ = json.Marshal(a)
+		_ = bus.Put(context.Background(), AssignmentsBucket, "ace.letta", raw)
+		out, err := p.Pass(context.Background())
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if got := bus.keys(BucketOf("postgres")); len(got) != 0 || len(out) != 1 || out[0].Status != Removed {
+			t.Fatalf("%v: entries %v, outcomes %+v", mark, got, out)
+		}
+		assign(t, bus, "ace", "letta", bind("postgres-database", "", "novox", "postgres"))
+		if _, err := p.Pass(context.Background()); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStandingIsFalseOnlyForAnEndedOrPendingValue(t *testing.T) {
+	for raw, want := range map[string]bool{
+		`{"node":"a","module":"b"}`:                                   true,
+		`{"node":"a","module":"b","ended":"","state":"","x":{"y":1}}`: true,
+		`{"node":"a","module":"b","ended":null}`:                      true,
+		`{"node":"a","module":"b","build":"b1","commit":"c","rollout":"r","since":"t","artifact":{"name":"n"}}`: true,
+		`{"node":"a","module":"b","ended":"2026-10-18T01:00:00Z"}`:                                              false,
+		`{"node":"a","module":"b","state":"pending"}`:                                                           false,
+	} {
+		if got := Standing([]byte(raw)); got != want {
+			t.Errorf("%s: %v, want %v", raw, got, want)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/go/provider/provider.go b/go/provider/provider.go
index 33bf61f..4adee9e 100644
--- a/go/provider/provider.go
+++ b/go/provider/provider.go
@@ -335,6 +335,9 @@ func (p *Provider) pass(ctx context.Context, assignments, entries map[string][]b
 	var out []Outcome
 	unknown := map[string]bool{} // consumers whose assignment was skipped: their entries are not judged
 	for _, key := range sortedKeys(assignments) {
+		if !Standing(assignments[key]) {
+			continue // ended or pending: read as a removed key (issue 1098)
+		}
 		var a planned
 		if err := json.Unmarshal(assignments[key], &a); err != nil || a.Node+"."+a.Module != key {
 			o := Outcome{Key: key, Status: Failed, Why: fmt.Sprintf("the assignment %s is not the controller's, so "+
@@ -744,3 +747,23 @@ func (b stateBus) Delete(_ context.Context, bucket, key string) error {
 	}
 	return s.Delete(key)
 }
+
+// Standing is whether an assignment's value is a standing assignment: false when `ended` is set (the module was
+// taken off its node, novox/hq ADR 0408 clause 4) or `state` is not empty (a pending one). Such a value is read
+// exactly as a removed key. Every other field, known or not, changes nothing (issue 1098).
+func Standing(value []byte) bool {
+	var v struct {
+		Ended json.RawMessage `json:"ended"`
+		State json.RawMessage `json:"state"`
+	}
+	if json.Unmarshal(value, &v) != nil {
+		return true // not decided here: the parse that follows refuses it
+	}
+	return !fieldSet(v.Ended) && !fieldSet(v.State)
+}
+
+// fieldSet is whether a field carries something: not absent, null or empty.
+func fieldSet(f json.RawMessage) bool {
+	s := strings.TrimSpace(string(f))
+	return s != "" && s != "null" && s != `""`
+}