Files
PaperClipAI/doc/plugins
Nicky LeachandClaude Opus 5.5 990de1e0bf perf(environments): release a stopped plugin task once (#20203)
## Thinking Path

> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - Plugin environment drivers with `supportsTasks` run agents as
provider tasks, and warm runs keep a parked task for the next run
> - A follow-up run can find that its parked task already stopped. Core
then retires that task before it acquires a new one
> - Core sent `stop`, `status`, and `complete` in the settle step. Then
the plugin release hook sent `stop`, `status`, and `complete` again for
the same task. Every call was on the critical path of the new run
> - This pull request removes the repeated calls and keeps every call
that does work no other call does
> - The benefit is a faster start for a run whose parked task already
stopped

## Linked Issues or Issue Description

No issue exists. This follows the enhancement template.

**What existing behavior does this improve?**

The release of a plugin task lease that has already stopped. This occurs
when a follow-up run finds that its parked warm task stopped.

**Subsystem affected**

Server: plugin environment drivers and the plugin Runner task lifecycle.

**Current behavior**

Core sends `stop`, `status`, and `complete` in the settle step. Then the
plugin release hook sends `stop`, `status`, and `complete` again for the
same task. Core also sends `stop` after resume already saw that the task
stopped. On a hosted test deployment, 8 of 40 follow-up runs took this
path. From the resume to the new acquire, these runs spent P50 1014 ms
and P90 1080 ms. These 8 runs are the full overall P90 (1275 ms).

**Proposed behavior**

Core does not call the release hook when settle confirmed the stop and
completed the same task. After a resume with no lease, Core sends
`status` first, and sends `stop` only when `status` does not confirm the
stop.

**Reason and benefit**

The repeated calls do no new work. Removing them saves about 355 ms,
plus the `stop` share of about 187 ms, for each such run. These numbers
are modeled from trace timings.

**Breaking changes**

None for the plugin API. A task driver must release task-scoped
resources in its `status` or `complete` handling. The doc now says this.

**Additional context**

The settle `status` stays. Providers release task storage there, and it
records the stop that gates the credential writeback and `complete`.

## What Changed

- `settleDispatchedEnvironmentTask` now returns `"completed"` when it
confirmed the stop and completed the task in this call, `"stopped"` when
the lease was already settled, and `false` otherwise.
- The plugin driver release does not call `environmentReleaseLease` when
settle returned `"completed"`. In all other cases it calls the hook as
before.
- When `environmentResumeLease` returns no provider lease, the release
sends `status` first. It sends `stop` (and a second `status`) only when
that `status` does not confirm `executionStopped: true`. Startup and
startup-cleanup leases keep the old `stop` first order.
- The cleanup sweep (`retryPendingSandboxTeardown`) and
`destroyRunLease` do not change. A settle failure still leaves the lease
in `pending_cleanup`, and the sweep runs `stop`, `status`, `complete`,
and the release hook.
- `doc/plugins/PLUGIN_RUNNER_EXECUTION.md` tells drivers about the new
order and that task-scoped resources must be released in `status` or
`complete`.

### Dispatch count for a stopped parked task (resume to new acquire)

| | Calls |
| --- | --- |
| Before | resume, stop, status, (credentials), complete, release hook
(stop, status, complete), acquire: 9 provider calls (10 with Codex
writeback) |
| After | resume, status, (credentials), complete, acquire: 4 provider
calls (5 with Codex writeback) |

The modeled saving is about 540 ms for each such run: about 355 ms for
the repeated release, and about 187 ms for the settle `stop` and
`status`. This pull request keeps the settle `status`, so the real
saving is about 355 ms plus the `stop` share of the 187 ms. These
numbers are modeled from trace timings. They are not measured on this
branch.

### What covers each removed call

- Release hook `stop`, `status`, `complete`: settle already sent `stop`
and `status` and checked `executionStopped: true` for the same task id
(`lease.providerLeaseId`), then sent `complete`. The skip uses settle's
success as its condition, not the code path.
- Settle `stop` after a resume with no lease: the next `status` must
report `executionStopped: true`. If it does not, Core sends `stop` and
`status` as before.

### What each kept call protects

- Settle `status`: providers release task storage and cancel
preparations here. It also writes `runnerTaskExecutionStopped`, which
the credential writeback and the `complete` bookkeeping need.
- Credential writeback: Codex can rotate its token. The writeback must
land before the new task installs credentials. It still runs inside
`complete`, before the new acquire.
- Settle `complete`: it retires every run lease that owned the task and
clears the dispatch marker.
- Release hook when settle did not complete a dispatched task in this
call: the provider may still hold the lease.

## Verification

- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/shared --filter @paperclipai/plugin-sdk
build`
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/server typecheck`
- `npx vitest run src/__tests__/plugin-warm-tasks.integration.test.ts
src/__tests__/plugin-task-credential-writeback.test.ts
src/__tests__/environment-task-runtime.test.ts`
- Related suites: `environment-runtime`,
`plugin-runner-task.integration`, `task-creation-recovery.integration`,
`heartbeat-plugin-environment`, `native-startup-cleanup-recovery`,
`plugin-environment-driver-ready-recovery`,
`environment-task-authority.integration`, `native-workspace-warm-reuse`,
`remote-workspaces.integration`, `legacy-workspace-restore-recovery`,
`plugin-task-source-recovery.integration`,
`managed-plugin-environments`.

Locally, all of these pass except `heartbeat-plugin-environment`
"inherits the instance default environment across companies…". That test
also fails locally with the `origin/master` service files, so this
change does not cause it.

The existing `plugin-runner-task.integration` same-run replacement test
now expects no release hook after a completed settle.

New tests:

- The stopped parked path sends exactly resume, `status`, `complete`,
acquire. The `status` goes to the old task.
- A resume with no lease for a task that still runs sends `status`,
`stop`, `status`, `complete`.
- A failure at `status`, `complete`, or `stop` leaves the lease in
`pending_cleanup`, and the sweep then sends `stop`, `status`,
`complete`, and the release hook.
- With an observed stop, the Codex writeback runs before `complete`. A
writeback failure leaves the lease for cleanup, and the retry writes
back and completes.
- A startup-cleanup lease still sends `stop` first.

## Risks

- A third-party task driver that releases resources only in
`onEnvironmentReleaseLease` would not get that call after a completed
settle. The doc now states the requirement. The cleanup sweep still
calls the hook after any failure.
- A driver that returns no lease from resume while the task still runs
costs one extra `status`. The behavior stays correct.
- No migration. No API change for plugins.

## Model Used

- Claude Opus 5.5 (`claude-opus-5-5`), via Claude Code with tool use and
code execution.

## Checklist

- [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context
to this change
- [x] I have specified the model used (with version and capability
details)
- [x] I have checked ROADMAP.md and confirmed this PR does not duplicate
planned core work
- [x] I have searched GitHub for duplicate or related PRs and linked
them above
- [x] I have either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes
#` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant
issue template
- [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or
links (only public GitHub `#NNN` / `github.com/paperclipai/paperclip`
URLs)
- [x] My branch name describes the change (e.g. `docs/...`, `fix/...`)
and contains no internal Paperclip ticket id or instance-derived details
- [x] I have run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [ ] All Paperclip CI gates are green
- [x] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-11-08 23:00:49 -08:00
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