feat(cluster): simultaneous-cold-start split-brain guard (opt-in)
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Closes the residual Phase-7 gap: when BOTH nodes of a 2-node pair cold-start at the
same instant, each self-first seed runs FirstSeedNodeProcess, times out waiting for
the other, and forms its own 1-node cluster — two Primaries in one pair (the Phase 6
live gate reproduced this reliably on docker). The prior mitigation was operational
(staggered start / compose depends_on), which does not exist on production hardware.

The guard (dark switch Cluster:BootstrapGuard:Enabled, default OFF) prevents the split
without giving up cold-start-alone:
- The lower-address node is the preferred founder: self-first, forms immediately.
- The higher node probes its partner's Akka port (TCP connect) up to PartnerProbeSeconds:
  reachable => peer-first (join the founder, never race it); unreachable => self-first
  (partner is dead, form alone). The order is decided BEFORE the single JoinSeedNodes,
  from an explicit reachability signal — never re-formed mid-handshake (the retired
  SelfFormAfter failure mode). When on, Akka gets no config seeds (BuildClusterOptions)
  and ClusterBootstrapCoordinator drives the join.

Review-driven hardening: case-insensitive tie-break (a hostname-casing mismatch would
reopen the split); fail-fast validation of the timing knobs; the residual "founder dies
in the probe->join window" hang is documented and made operator-visible (warning + a
restart recovers). Real-ActorSystem coordinator tests cover the load-bearing higher-node
cold-start-alone case; 147/147 Cluster tests pass.

Live-gated on docker-dev (site-a = enablement demo, serialization removed, guard on;
site-b keeps depends_on-serialization + guard off as the A/B control): simultaneous
start -> site-a-1 founds, site-a-2 probes-reachable-joins -> 250/240, NO split;
higher-node-alone -> probes dead founder, self-forms -> 250; founder rejoin -> 240.

Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01GASWkNEi68FSCtvr6rLoEW
This commit is contained in:
Joseph Doherty
2026-07-24 08:34:29 -04:00
parent c50ebcf7dc
commit 279d1d0fb1
11 changed files with 884 additions and 13 deletions
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ public sealed class AkkaClusterOptionsValidator : OptionsValidatorBase<AkkaClust
{
ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(options);
ValidateBootstrapGuard(builder, options.BootstrapGuard);
var seeds = options.SeedNodes ?? Array.Empty<string>();
if (seeds.Length == 0)
{
@@ -68,6 +70,25 @@ public sealed class AkkaClusterOptionsValidator : OptionsValidatorBase<AkkaClust
+ "the entries — see docs/Redundancy.md → 'Bootstrap: self-first seed ordering'.");
}
/// <summary>
/// When the bootstrap guard is enabled, its timing knobs must be positive. A zero/negative
/// <c>PartnerProbeSeconds</c> in particular silently degrades the guard to "never wait, always
/// conclude the partner is dead" — it would form alone immediately and re-open the very split it
/// exists to close. Fail-fast at boot rather than producing silence (the same rationale every
/// sibling options validator in this project cites).
/// </summary>
private static void ValidateBootstrapGuard(ValidationBuilder builder, ClusterBootstrapGuardOptions guard)
{
if (guard is null || !guard.Enabled) return;
if (guard.PartnerProbeSeconds <= 0)
builder.Add($"Cluster:BootstrapGuard:PartnerProbeSeconds must be > 0 when the guard is enabled (was {guard.PartnerProbeSeconds}).");
if (guard.PartnerProbeIntervalMs <= 0)
builder.Add($"Cluster:BootstrapGuard:PartnerProbeIntervalMs must be > 0 when the guard is enabled (was {guard.PartnerProbeIntervalMs}).");
if (guard.ProbeConnectTimeoutMs <= 0)
builder.Add($"Cluster:BootstrapGuard:ProbeConnectTimeoutMs must be > 0 when the guard is enabled (was {guard.ProbeConnectTimeoutMs}).");
}
/// <summary>
/// True when <paramref name="seed"/> addresses this node itself — host AND port.
/// </summary>