diff --git a/docs/requirements/Component-Communication.md b/docs/requirements/Component-Communication.md
index f22bd0e0..5f0b2c53 100644
--- a/docs/requirements/Component-Communication.md
+++ b/docs/requirements/Component-Communication.md
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ Central discovers site addresses through the **configuration database**, not run
- The **CentralCommunicationActor** loads all site addresses from the database at startup and builds a per-site gRPC-endpoint cache. `GrpcSiteTransport` uses it (via a `SitePairChannelProvider`) to dial each site's `SiteCommandService` as a **per-site NodeA→NodeB failover channel pair**; the streaming consumers (Alarm Summary aggregator, Debug View bridge) read the same `GrpcNodeAAddress` / `GrpcNodeBAddress` columns directly from the repository at start and again before every stream reopen (see *SiteStreamGrpcClientFactory* above), independent of this cache.
- The address cache is **refreshed every 60 seconds** and **on-demand** when site records are added, edited, or deleted via the Central UI or CLI. Command-plane channels are rebuilt when a site's gRPC endpoints change. At most **one** DB load is in flight: a tick or on-demand refresh that arrives mid-load is coalesced into a single re-run after it, each load is bounded by a deadline (`QueryTimeout`, default 30 s) so a wedged read cannot pin the refresh, and every result carries a monotonic sequence so an older result arriving after a newer one is dropped rather than re-applying stale addresses.
- A **malformed** `GrpcNodeAAddress`/`GrpcNodeBAddress` (not an absolute `http://`/`https://` URL with a host, or one the gRPC channel cannot be built from) is **rejected per node at refresh time**: `SitePairChannelProvider.UpdateSite` builds every replacement channel *before* parking the old one, so a rejected side keeps its previous channel and endpoint (the other side's valid change still applies), and the rejection is logged at **Error** naming the site and column (once per distinct bad value). `GrpcSiteTransport.ReconcileSites` reconciles each site in its own try/catch and `CentralCommunicationActor` guards the reconcile call, so one bad row can neither stop the other sites in the tick from being refreshed nor restart the actor. Write-path validation (Central UI/CLI/bundle import) is the first line of defence; this is the runtime backstop.
-- When routing a command to a site, central calls `SiteCommandService` on the site's active gRPC endpoint; on error it flips to the other node endpoint. The failover is an explicit NodeA→NodeB channel-pair flip, not internal transport routing.
+- When routing a command to a site, central calls `SiteCommandService` on the site's active gRPC endpoint; on error it flips to the other node endpoint. The failover is an explicit NodeA→NodeB channel-pair flip, not internal transport routing. While failed over, a background **readiness** probe returns calls to NodeA: it is a real, read-only `ExecuteLifecycle(DeploymentStateQuery)` for a sentinel instance (not a TCP/HTTP2 connect), so a node that is Up but still warming — which refuses every command with a not-dispatched `Unavailable` until `SetReady` — reads as not ready. The probe backoff (1 s → doubling → 60 s) is reset only after a **real call** on NodeA succeeds; if NodeA rejects the first calls after a probe-driven failback, the backoff keeps doubling instead of restarting at 1 s.
- **Heartbeats** from sites serve **health monitoring only** — they do not serve as a registration or address discovery mechanism.
- If no gRPC endpoints are configured for a site, commands to that site fail and the caller's call times out.
diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.Communication/Grpc/SitePairChannelProvider.cs b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.Communication/Grpc/SitePairChannelProvider.cs
index 3700f4d3..7d5a7b72 100644
--- a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.Communication/Grpc/SitePairChannelProvider.cs
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.Communication/Grpc/SitePairChannelProvider.cs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ using Grpc.Core;
using Grpc.Net.Client;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Options;
+using ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.Commons.Messages.Deployment;
using ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.Commons.Validation;
namespace ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.Communication.Grpc;
@@ -27,8 +28,9 @@ public sealed class SiteChannelUnavailableException(string siteId)
/// Central holds one per site node (NodeA/NodeB) rather than one channel
/// with re-dial logic; NodeA is the preferred node (config order). Every call goes to the current
/// sticky channel; on connect failure / / readiness rejection
-/// it flips to the other node and stays there. A background probe returns to the preferred node
-/// once it answers again. Reconnect probing backs off 1 s → doubling → 60 s cap.
+/// it flips to the other node and stays there. A background readiness probe (a real read-only RPC)
+/// returns to the preferred node once it answers again; the backoff (1 s → doubling → 60 s cap) is
+/// reset only after a real call on the preferred node succeeds.
///
///
///
@@ -87,8 +89,9 @@ public sealed class SitePairChannelProvider : IDisposable
/// a keepalive-configured .
///
///
- /// Test seam deciding whether a preferred node is reachable during a failback sweep. Null in
- /// production, where is used.
+ /// Test seam deciding whether a preferred node is READY during a failback sweep. Null in
+ /// production, where issues a real, read-only
+ /// ExecuteLifecycle call (review 2026-10-21 03/P-2).
///
public SitePairChannelProvider(
ISitePskProvider pskProvider,
@@ -105,7 +108,7 @@ public sealed class SitePairChannelProvider : IDisposable
_options = options.Value;
_logger = logger;
_handlerFactory = handlerFactory;
- _reachabilityProbe = reachabilityProbe ?? DefaultReachabilityProbe;
+ _reachabilityProbe = reachabilityProbe ?? ReadinessProbeAsync;
}
///
@@ -306,7 +309,9 @@ public sealed class SitePairChannelProvider : IDisposable
try
{
- return await call(primary, ct).ConfigureAwait(false);
+ var result = await call(primary, ct).ConfigureAwait(false);
+ if (primaryIsA) ConfirmFailback(pair);
+ return result;
}
catch (RpcException ex) when (ex.StatusCode == StatusCode.Unavailable)
{
@@ -362,9 +367,14 @@ public sealed class SitePairChannelProvider : IDisposable
{
if (reachable)
{
+ // Return to A on PROBATION (review 2026-10-21 03/P-2): the backoff is kept, not
+ // reset, until a real call on A succeeds (ConfirmFailback). If A rejects the next
+ // call anyway, FlipTo doubles the backoff instead of restarting it at 1 s, so a
+ // node that answers the probe but not real traffic is retried ever less often.
pair.CurrentIsA = true;
- pair.ResetFailback();
- _logger.LogInformation("Site {SiteId} preferred node A reachable again; failing back", siteId);
+ pair.FailbackOnProbation = true;
+ pair.NextProbeUtc = DateTime.MaxValue;
+ _logger.LogInformation("Site {SiteId} preferred node A ready again; failing back", siteId);
return true;
}
@@ -494,6 +504,30 @@ public sealed class SitePairChannelProvider : IDisposable
/// Test/diagnostic accessor: how many replaced channels are awaiting deferred disposal.
internal int ParkedChannelCount => _graveyard.Count;
+ /// A real call on the preferred node succeeded: a probationary failback is confirmed and the backoff reset.
+ /// The site pair.
+ private static void ConfirmFailback(SitePair pair)
+ {
+ if (!pair.FailbackOnProbation) return;
+ lock (pair.Gate)
+ {
+ if (pair.FailbackOnProbation && pair.CurrentIsA)
+ {
+ pair.FailbackOnProbation = false;
+ pair.ResetFailback();
+ }
+ }
+ }
+
+ /// Test/diagnostic accessor: the site's current failback backoff (null when the site is unknown).
+ /// Site identifier.
+ /// The backoff the next failback probe is (or would be) scheduled with.
+ internal TimeSpan? GetFailbackBackoff(string siteId)
+ {
+ if (!_sites.TryGetValue(siteId, out var pair)) return null;
+ lock (pair.Gate) return pair.Backoff;
+ }
+
private void FlipTo(SitePair pair, bool toIsA)
{
lock (pair.Gate)
@@ -501,11 +535,22 @@ public sealed class SitePairChannelProvider : IDisposable
pair.CurrentIsA = toIsA;
if (!toIsA)
{
- // Failed over off the preferred node → schedule the first failback probe.
- pair.ScheduleFailback(InitialBackoff);
+ if (pair.FailbackOnProbation)
+ {
+ // A failed us again right after a probe-driven failback: it is not really
+ // ready yet — grow the backoff rather than restarting it.
+ pair.FailbackOnProbation = false;
+ pair.BumpFailbackBackoff();
+ }
+ else
+ {
+ // Failed over off the preferred node → schedule the first failback probe.
+ pair.ScheduleFailback(InitialBackoff);
+ }
}
else
{
+ pair.FailbackOnProbation = false;
pair.ResetFailback();
}
}
@@ -529,15 +574,37 @@ public sealed class SitePairChannelProvider : IDisposable
return GrpcChannel.ForAddress(endpoint, channelOptions);
}
- private static async Task DefaultReachabilityProbe(GrpcChannel channel, CancellationToken ct)
+ /// Sentinel instance name the readiness probe queries; never a real instance.
+ internal const string ReadinessProbeInstance = "__scadabridge-failback-probe__";
+
+ ///
+ /// Production failback probe (review 2026-10-21 03/P-2): a real, read-only
+ /// ExecuteLifecycle(DeploymentStateQuery) for a sentinel instance, NOT a transport
+ /// connect. SiteCommandGrpcService refuses every RPC with a not-dispatched
+ /// until the site has finished bring-up, so a node that is
+ /// Up but still warming (minutes on a large site) now reads as NOT ready — a TCP/HTTP2 connect
+ /// succeeded there and failed every command back to it each sweep. The query reads one
+ /// (absent) row from the site's deployed-config store; it is idempotent and side-effect free.
+ /// Any reply is "ready"; any failure, including the readiness rejection, is "not ready".
+ ///
+ /// The preferred node's channel.
+ /// Cancellation token.
+ /// True when the node answered a real command.
+ internal static async Task ReadinessProbeAsync(GrpcChannel channel, CancellationToken ct)
{
try
{
- using var timeout = CancellationTokenSource.CreateLinkedTokenSource(ct);
- timeout.CancelAfter(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
- await channel.ConnectAsync(timeout.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
+ var request = SiteCommandDtoMapper.ToLifecycleRequest(new DeploymentStateQueryRequest(
+ "failback-probe-" + Guid.NewGuid().ToString("N"), ReadinessProbeInstance, DateTimeOffset.UtcNow));
+ var client = new SiteCommandService.SiteCommandServiceClient(channel);
+ await client.ExecuteLifecycleAsync(
+ request, deadline: DateTime.UtcNow.AddSeconds(5), cancellationToken: ct).ResponseAsync.ConfigureAwait(false);
return true;
}
+ catch (OperationCanceledException) when (ct.IsCancellationRequested)
+ {
+ throw;
+ }
catch
{
return false;
@@ -587,6 +654,15 @@ public sealed class SitePairChannelProvider : IDisposable
/// Sticky current node; NodeA is preferred. True = pointing at NodeA.
public bool CurrentIsA = true;
+ ///
+ /// True between a probe-driven failback and the first successful real call on NodeA; while
+ /// set, the backoff is kept so a renewed failure doubles it.
+ ///
+ public bool FailbackOnProbation;
+
+ /// The current failback backoff.
+ public TimeSpan Backoff => _backoff;
+
/// Next time a failback probe is due (while failed over). MaxValue = not scheduled.
public DateTime NextProbeUtc = DateTime.MaxValue;
diff --git a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.Communication.Tests/Grpc/SitePairChannelProviderFailbackTests.cs b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.Communication.Tests/Grpc/SitePairChannelProviderFailbackTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..942d583a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.Communication.Tests/Grpc/SitePairChannelProviderFailbackTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+using System.Net;
+using System.Net.Http.Headers;
+using Google.Protobuf;
+using Grpc.Core;
+using Grpc.Net.Client;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Abstractions;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Options;
+using ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.Communication.Grpc;
+
+namespace ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.Communication.Tests.Grpc;
+
+///
+/// Command-plane failback (review 2026-10-21 03/P-2): the probe must test READINESS with a real
+/// RPC (a node that is Up but still warming refuses commands with a not-dispatched Unavailable),
+/// and the backoff must only reset after a real call on the preferred node succeeds — not after
+/// the probe — so a node that keeps failing real calls is retried ever less often.
+///
+public class SitePairChannelProviderFailbackTests
+{
+ private const string Site = "site-1";
+
+ private static SitePairChannelProvider Build(Func> probe) => new(
+ new NoKeyProvider(),
+ Options.Create(new CommunicationOptions()),
+ NullLogger.Instance,
+ handlerFactory: null,
+ reachabilityProbe: probe);
+
+ /// Runs one call that node A refuses as not-ready (then succeeds on B), as a warming node does.
+ private static async Task CallRejectedByA(SitePairChannelProvider provider)
+ {
+ GrpcChannel? first = null;
+ await provider.ExecuteAsync(Site, (channel, _) =>
+ {
+ if (first is null)
+ {
+ first = channel;
+ throw GrpcRetrySafety.NotDispatched("Site command plane not ready.");
+ }
+ return Task.FromResult(1);
+ }, CancellationToken.None);
+ }
+
+ private static Task CallSucceeds(SitePairChannelProvider provider) =>
+ provider.ExecuteAsync(Site, (_, _) => Task.FromResult(1), CancellationToken.None);
+
+ /// Verifies that a probe success alone does not reset the backoff; repeated rejections after failback grow it.
+ /// A task that represents the asynchronous operation.
+ [Fact]
+ public async Task ProbeSuccess_ThenRealCallRejected_GrowsTheBackoffInsteadOfResettingIt()
+ {
+ using var provider = Build((_, _) => Task.FromResult(true));
+ provider.UpdateSite(Site, "http://localhost:15301", "http://localhost:15302");
+
+ await CallRejectedByA(provider);
+ Assert.False(provider.IsOnPreferredNode(Site));
+ Assert.Equal(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1), provider.GetFailbackBackoff(Site));
+
+ Assert.True(await provider.TryFailbackAsync(Site, CancellationToken.None));
+ await CallRejectedByA(provider);
+ Assert.Equal(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2), provider.GetFailbackBackoff(Site));
+
+ Assert.True(await provider.TryFailbackAsync(Site, CancellationToken.None));
+ await CallRejectedByA(provider);
+ Assert.Equal(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(4), provider.GetFailbackBackoff(Site));
+ }
+
+ /// Verifies that a successful real call on the preferred node after failback resets the backoff.
+ /// A task that represents the asynchronous operation.
+ [Fact]
+ public async Task RealCallSucceedsAfterFailback_ResetsTheBackoff()
+ {
+ using var provider = Build((_, _) => Task.FromResult(true));
+ provider.UpdateSite(Site, "http://localhost:15311", "http://localhost:15312");
+
+ await CallRejectedByA(provider);
+ Assert.True(await provider.TryFailbackAsync(Site, CancellationToken.None));
+ await CallRejectedByA(provider);
+ Assert.Equal(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2), provider.GetFailbackBackoff(Site));
+
+ Assert.True(await provider.TryFailbackAsync(Site, CancellationToken.None));
+ await CallSucceeds(provider); // A really is ready now
+
+ // A later, unrelated failure starts again from the initial backoff.
+ await CallRejectedByA(provider);
+ Assert.Equal(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1), provider.GetFailbackBackoff(Site));
+ }
+
+ /// Verifies that the production probe treats a not-ready (not-dispatched Unavailable) site as not ready.
+ /// A task that represents the asynchronous operation.
+ [Fact]
+ public async Task ReadinessProbe_SiteRefusingAsNotReady_IsNotReady()
+ {
+ var handler = new GrpcStubHandler(ready: false);
+ using var channel = GrpcChannel.ForAddress("http://node-a", new GrpcChannelOptions { HttpHandler = handler });
+
+ Assert.False(await SitePairChannelProvider.ReadinessProbeAsync(channel, CancellationToken.None));
+ Assert.EndsWith(".SiteCommandService/ExecuteLifecycle", handler.LastPath);
+ }
+
+ /// Verifies that the production probe treats a site answering a real command as ready.
+ /// A task that represents the asynchronous operation.
+ [Fact]
+ public async Task ReadinessProbe_SiteAnsweringARealCommand_IsReady()
+ {
+ var handler = new GrpcStubHandler(ready: true);
+ using var channel = GrpcChannel.ForAddress("http://node-a", new GrpcChannelOptions { HttpHandler = handler });
+
+ Assert.True(await SitePairChannelProvider.ReadinessProbeAsync(channel, CancellationToken.None));
+ Assert.Contains(SitePairChannelProvider.ReadinessProbeInstance, handler.LastRequestBody);
+ }
+
+ ///
+ /// Minimal in-memory gRPC server stand-in: a trailers-only Unavailable (+ the not-dispatched
+ /// trailer) while not ready, or a framed with OK status when ready.
+ ///
+ private sealed class GrpcStubHandler(bool ready) : HttpMessageHandler
+ {
+ public string LastPath { get; private set; } = "";
+ public string LastRequestBody { get; private set; } = "";
+
+ protected override async Task SendAsync(HttpRequestMessage request, CancellationToken ct)
+ {
+ LastPath = request.RequestUri!.AbsolutePath;
+ var body = await request.Content!.ReadAsByteArrayAsync(ct);
+ var parsed = LifecycleRequest.Parser.ParseFrom(body.AsSpan(5).ToArray());
+ LastRequestBody = parsed.ToString();
+
+ var response = new HttpResponseMessage(HttpStatusCode.OK) { Version = HttpVersion.Version20 };
+ if (!ready)
+ {
+ var notDispatched = GrpcRetrySafety.NotDispatched("Site command plane not ready.");
+ response.Content = new ByteArrayContent(Array.Empty());
+ response.Content.Headers.ContentType = new MediaTypeHeaderValue("application/grpc");
+ response.Headers.Add("grpc-status", ((int)StatusCode.Unavailable).ToString());
+ foreach (var entry in notDispatched.Trailers)
+ {
+ response.Headers.Add(entry.Key, entry.Value);
+ }
+ return response;
+ }
+
+ var reply = new LifecycleReply { DeploymentStateQuery = new DeploymentStateQueryResponseDto() }.ToByteArray();
+ var framed = new byte[5 + reply.Length];
+ framed[1] = (byte)(reply.Length >> 24);
+ framed[2] = (byte)(reply.Length >> 16);
+ framed[3] = (byte)(reply.Length >> 8);
+ framed[4] = (byte)reply.Length;
+ reply.CopyTo(framed, 5);
+ response.Content = new ByteArrayContent(framed);
+ response.Content.Headers.ContentType = new MediaTypeHeaderValue("application/grpc");
+ response.TrailingHeaders.Add("grpc-status", "0");
+ return response;
+ }
+ }
+
+ private sealed class NoKeyProvider : ISitePskProvider
+ {
+ ///
+ public ValueTask GetAsync(string siteId, CancellationToken ct) => new("k");
+ ///
+ public void Invalidate(string siteId) { }
+ }
+}