Reports refused while report files cannot be written (closes #123)

A failed write of a report file used to drop its reports, and
POST /api/v1/reports kept answering 200 for as long as writes failed.
Now a failed write puts its reports back in the buffer, still counted
against DATA_DIR_MAX_BYTES, and Append refuses every report, which the
handler answers 500, until a write succeeds. The minute flush tries
the held reports again, so storing resumes with no restart once
writing works, and the buffer takes nothing new while writes fail.

Model: opus-5-5

TODO.md

@@ -22,6 +22,14 @@ Decide whether the repo moves to the layout `REPO_POLICIES.md` gives, with
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-14: while report files cannot be written, `POST /api/v1/reports`
+  answers 500, and storing recovers once writing works again, with no restart
+  ([#123](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/netwatch/issues/123)). A failed write puts
+  its reports back in the report buffer, still counted against
+  `DATA_DIR_MAX_BYTES`, where they used to be lost; the next flush, within a
+  minute, tries them again. Until a write succeeds, every report is refused and
+  nothing of it is kept, so the buffer does not grow while writes fail. A test
+  posts reports through the report handler before, during and after a failure
 - 2026-10-07: the files shared from `sneak/prompts` are its copies at commit
   `dd4027b` ([#113](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/netwatch/issues/113)), with this
   repository's own entries after the shared content in `.gitignore`,

backend/README.md

@@ -140,6 +140,14 @@ toward `DATA_DIR_MAX_BYTES` from the next start, only if removing it fails too.
 Each file contains one JSON object per line, compressed with zstd. Files are
 created with `O_EXCL` to prevent overwrites.
 
+The reports of a failed write stay in memory, and the next flush, within a
+minute, tries again to write them. From the failed write until a write succeeds,
+`POST /api/v1/reports` refuses every report with 500 and keeps nothing of it, so
+the page keeps its samples and sends them again at its next report. Reports
+already answered 200 are lost only if the server stops before a write succeeds;
+the final flush at stop tries them too, and if it fails, the process exits
+non-zero.
+
 ### Report limits
 
 `POST /api/v1/reports` takes reports from anyone who can reach it, without
@@ -158,16 +166,16 @@ credentials, so it is bounded instead. Both refusals below answer with the same
   `X-RateLimit-Reset` headers.
 - **Size cap.** The report files in `DATA_DIR` may total at most
   `DATA_DIR_MAX_BYTES`, counting the files already there at start. Reports
-  waiting in memory count at their uncompressed size until they are written;
-  those lost to a failed write stop counting, and the part of its file written
-  is removed. When a report would take the total past the cap, the oldest report
-  files are deleted to make room, and each deletion is logged with the file's
-  name and size; a file still being written is never deleted. A report is
-  refused with 507, and nothing of it is stored, only when the reports waiting
-  to be written fill the cap on their own, and then no file is deleted. At
-  start, report files past the cap, as after lowering it, are deleted the same
-  way. So the cap is how much of the newest reports is kept: the default of 1
-  GiB is small enough for any host; set it to the space you can give `DATA_DIR`.
+  waiting in memory count at their uncompressed size until they are written,
+  those of a failed write included; the part of its file written is removed.
+  When a report would take the total past the cap, the oldest report files are
+  deleted to make room, and each deletion is logged with the file's name and
+  size; a file still being written is never deleted. A report is refused with
+  507, and nothing of it is stored, only when the reports waiting to be written
+  fill the cap on their own, and then no file is deleted. At start, report files
+  past the cap, as after lowering it, are deleted the same way. So the cap is
+  how much of the newest reports is kept: the default of 1 GiB is small enough
+  for any host; set it to the space you can give `DATA_DIR`.
 
 ### CORS
 

backend/internal/handlers/report.go

@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func (s *Handlers) decodeErrorStatus(err error) int {
 
 // appendErrorStatus logs a failure to store a report and returns
 // the status to send: 507 when the reports waiting to be written fill
-// the size cap, otherwise 500.
+// the size cap, otherwise 500, as when report files cannot be written.
 func (s *Handlers) appendErrorStatus(err error) int {
 	if errors.Is(err, reportbuf.ErrFull) {
 		s.log.Warn("report refused: " +

backend/internal/reportbuf/reportbuf.go

@@ -91,6 +91,11 @@ type Buffer struct {
 	// of the report files in dataDir, plus the reports waiting to
 	// be written to one at their uncompressed size.
 	usedBytes int64
+	// writeErr is the error of the last write of a report file to
+	// finish, nil if it succeeded or none has. While it is set, Append
+	// refuses reports, and the reports of that write wait in buf for
+	// the next flush.
+	writeErr error
 }
 
 // New creates a Buffer and registers lifecycle hooks to
@@ -167,11 +172,12 @@ func New(
 }
 
 // Append marshals v as a single JSON line and appends it to
-// the buffer. If the line would take usedBytes past maxBytes, the
-// oldest report files are deleted to make room; it stores nothing
-// and returns ErrFull if that cannot make room. If the buffer
-// reaches the size threshold, it is drained and written to disk
-// asynchronously.
+// the buffer. It stores nothing and returns an error if the last
+// write of a report file failed, until a write succeeds again. If the
+// line would take usedBytes past maxBytes, the oldest report files are
+// deleted to make room; it stores nothing and returns ErrFull if that
+// cannot make room. If the buffer reaches the size threshold, it is
+// drained and written to disk asynchronously.
 func (b *Buffer) Append(v any) error {
 	line, err := json.Marshal(v)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -182,6 +188,13 @@ func (b *Buffer) Append(v any) error {
 
 	b.mu.Lock()
 
+	if b.writeErr != nil {
+		err = fmt.Errorf("report files cannot be written: %w", b.writeErr)
+		b.mu.Unlock()
+
+		return err
+	}
+
 	b.deleteOldestFiles(lineBytes)
 
 	if b.usedBytes+lineBytes > b.maxBytes {
@@ -291,7 +304,8 @@ func (b *Buffer) drainBuf() []byte {
 }
 
 // writeFile writes data, reports drained from the buffer, to a new
-// timestamped zstd-compressed JSONL file in the data directory.
+// timestamped zstd-compressed JSONL file in the data directory. If the
+// write fails, it puts the reports back in the buffer.
 func (b *Buffer) writeFile(data []byte) error {
 	// The timestamp comes first, so the names sort by time; the number
 	// after it tells apart files named in the same millisecond.
@@ -300,19 +314,27 @@ func (b *Buffer) writeFile(data []byte) error {
 
 	size, err := b.createFile(filepath.Join(b.dataDir, name), data)
 
-	// The reports no longer wait to be written, so they stop counting
-	// at their uncompressed size. If the write failed they are lost;
-	// otherwise they count as the file, which from here on may be
-	// deleted to make room.
 	b.mu.Lock()
 	defer b.mu.Unlock()
 
-	b.usedBytes -= int64(len(data))
+	b.writeErr = err
 
 	if err != nil {
+		// The reports go back in front of any appended since, for the
+		// next flush to write, and still count at their uncompressed
+		// size.
+		appended := bytes.Clone(b.buf.Bytes())
+		b.buf.Reset()
+		b.buf.Write(data)
+		b.buf.Write(appended)
+
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// The reports no longer wait to be written, so they stop counting
+	// at their uncompressed size and count as the file, which from here
+	// on may be deleted to make room.
+	b.usedBytes -= int64(len(data))
 	b.usedBytes += size
 	b.filesBytes += size
 

backend/internal/reportbuf/reportbuf_test.go

@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/fs"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"slices"
@@ -17,6 +19,8 @@ import (
 
 	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/config"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/globals"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/handlers"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/healthcheck"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/logger"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/netwatch/internal/reportbuf"
 
@@ -507,14 +511,13 @@ func TestFileBeingWrittenIsNeverDeleted(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestFailedWriteStopsCounting makes a write fail once its file is
-// created. Its reports are lost, so they stop counting, and the part of
-// the file written is removed, so it takes no room.
-func TestFailedWriteStopsCounting(t *testing.T) {
-	report := map[string]string{"id": "failed"}
-
-	t.Setenv("DATA_DIR", t.TempDir())
-	t.Setenv("DATA_DIR_MAX_BYTES", strconv.Itoa(lineBytes(t, report)))
+// TestFailedWriteKeepsItsReports makes a write fail once its file is
+// created. The part of the file written is removed, so it takes no
+// room, and the report waits in memory for the next flush, which
+// writes it.
+func TestFailedWriteKeepsItsReports(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("DATA_DIR", dir)
 
 	buf := startBuffer(t)
 
@@ -527,9 +530,9 @@ func TestFailedWriteStopsCounting(t *testing.T) {
 		_ = f.Close()
 	})
 
-	err := buf.Append(report)
+	err := buf.Append(map[string]string{"id": "kept"})
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("report that fills the cap exactly: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("append report: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	err = buf.Flush()
@@ -544,10 +547,135 @@ func TestFailedWriteStopsCounting(t *testing.T) {
 	// Writes from here on, the final one at stop included, succeed.
 	buf.OnFileCreated(func(*os.File) {})
 
-	err = buf.Append(report)
+	err = buf.Flush()
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("report after the failed write: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("flush after the failed write: %v", err)
 	}
+
+	files, err := readReportFiles(dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read report files: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	want := `{"id":"kept"}` + "\n"
+	if len(files) != 1 || files[0] != want {
+		t.Fatalf("report files = %q, want one holding %q", files, want)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestReportsRefusedWhileWritesFail posts reports through the report
+// handler, as the page does. Once a write has failed, a report is
+// refused with 500 until a write succeeds again; the reports taken
+// before and after are stored, and the one refused is not.
+func TestReportsRefusedWhileWritesFail(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("DATA_DIR", dir)
+
+	buf, h := startBufferWithHandlers(t)
+
+	if code := postReport(t, h, "before"); code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("report before the failed write: status = %d, want %d",
+			code, http.StatusOK)
+	}
+
+	// With the data directory gone, the write has nowhere to go.
+	err := os.Remove(dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("remove data dir: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	err = buf.Flush()
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("flush succeeded with the data directory gone")
+	}
+
+	if code := postReport(t, h, "refused"); code != http.StatusInternalServerError {
+		t.Fatalf("report after the failed write: status = %d, want %d",
+			code, http.StatusInternalServerError)
+	}
+
+	err = os.Mkdir(dir, 0o750)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("make data dir: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	err = buf.Flush()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("flush with the data directory back: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if code := postReport(t, h, "after"); code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("report after a write succeeded: status = %d, want %d",
+			code, http.StatusOK)
+	}
+
+	err = buf.Flush()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("flush of the report after: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	files, err := readReportFiles(dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read report files: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	stored := strings.Join(files, "")
+
+	for _, clientID := range []string{"before", "after"} {
+		if !strings.Contains(stored, `"clientId":"`+clientID+`"`) {
+			t.Errorf("report %q not stored", clientID)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if strings.Contains(stored, `"clientId":"refused"`) {
+		t.Error("refused report stored")
+	}
+}
+
+// startBufferWithHandlers starts a Buffer and the Handlers that store
+// reports in it through fx, as main does, with the DATA_DIR the calling
+// test has set.
+func startBufferWithHandlers(
+	t *testing.T,
+) (*reportbuf.Buffer, *handlers.Handlers) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	var (
+		buf *reportbuf.Buffer
+		h   *handlers.Handlers
+	)
+
+	app := fxtest.New(t,
+		fx.Provide(
+			config.New,
+			globals.New,
+			handlers.New,
+			healthcheck.New,
+			logger.New,
+			reportbuf.New,
+		),
+		fx.Populate(&buf, &h),
+	)
+
+	app.RequireStart()
+	t.Cleanup(app.RequireStop)
+
+	return buf, h
+}
+
+// postReport posts a report from clientID to the report handler, as the
+// page does, and returns the status of the answer.
+func postReport(t *testing.T, h *handlers.Handlers, clientID string) int {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	req := httptest.NewRequestWithContext(t.Context(),
+		http.MethodPost, "/api/v1/reports",
+		strings.NewReader(`{"clientId":"`+clientID+`","hosts":[]}`),
+	)
+	h.HandleReport().ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+
+	return rec.Code
 }
 
 // TestConcurrentAppendsStopAtCap appends from many goroutines at once