fix: gate retries by error category with backoff

Co-authored-by: Copilot App <[email protected]>

.env.example

@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ DATABASE_BACKUP_DIR=./data/backups
 WORKER_MAX_RETRIES=0
 WORKER_PROVIDER_TIMEOUT_SECONDS=30.0
 WORKER_STALE_JOB_SECONDS=30.0
+WORKER_RETRY_BACKOFF_SECONDS=1.0
 WORKER_MIN_TRANSCRIPTION_CHARS=0
 WORKER_MIN_TRANSCRIPTION_LINES=0
 WORKER_FAIL_ON_FINISH_REASON_LENGTH=false

src/transcription/config.py

@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     # well past twenty seconds, so an upper cap here would silently fail real work.
     worker_provider_timeout_seconds: float = Field(default=30.0, gt=0.0)
     worker_stale_job_seconds: float = Field(default=30.0, gt=0.0)
+    worker_retry_backoff_seconds: float = Field(default=1.0, ge=0.0)
     worker_min_transcription_chars: int = Field(default=0, ge=0)
     worker_min_transcription_lines: int = Field(default=0, ge=0)
     worker_fail_on_finish_reason_length: bool = False

src/transcription/services/evidence.py

@@ -43,6 +43,26 @@ class LatestExecutionAttempt:
 class EvidenceService(ServiceBase):
     """Read, project, and export execution attempt evidence."""
 
+    async def read_latest_job_error_category(
+        self,
+        *,
+        job_id: UUID,
+        session: AsyncSession | None = None,
+    ) -> str | None:
+        """Read the latest persisted execution-attempt error category for a job."""
+        async with self._session_scope(session) as _session:
+            query = (
+                select(ExecutionAttempt.error_category)
+                .where(ExecutionAttempt.job_id == job_id)
+                .where(col(ExecutionAttempt.error_category).is_not(None))
+                .order_by(
+                    col(ExecutionAttempt.created_at).desc(),
+                    col(ExecutionAttempt.id).desc(),
+                )
+                .limit(1)
+            )
+            return (await _session.exec(query)).first()
+
     async def read_latest_execution_attempt(
         self,
         *,

src/transcription/services/workflows.py

@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ from .sources import transcribe_document_image
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+_RETRIABLE_FAILED_JOB_ERROR_CATEGORIES = {
+    ErrorCategory.EXTERNAL_PROVIDER.value,
+    ErrorCategory.EXTERNAL_TIMEOUT.value,
+    ErrorCategory.INFRA_TRANSIENT.value,
+}
+
 
 async def create_document_with_people(
     *,
@@ -182,16 +188,33 @@ async def advance_job(
             # Recover mid-flight jobs by continuing the queued processing path.
             return await process_queued_job(job=job, services=services, settings=settings, session=session)
         case JobStatus.FAILED:
-            if job.retry_count < settings.worker_max_retries:
+            latest_error_category = await services.evidence.read_latest_job_error_category(
+                job_id=job.id,
+                session=session,
+            )
+            can_retry = (
+                job.retry_count < settings.worker_max_retries
+                and latest_error_category in _RETRIABLE_FAILED_JOB_ERROR_CATEGORIES
+            )
+            if can_retry:
+                if settings.worker_retry_backoff_seconds > 0:
+                    await asyncio.sleep(settings.worker_retry_backoff_seconds)
                 return await services.jobs.update_job_state(
                     job_id=job.id,
                     status=JobStatus.QUEUED,
                     retry_count_increment=1,
                     session=session,
                 )
+
+            if job.retry_count < settings.worker_max_retries:
+                logger.warning(
+                    "Job %s failed with non-retriable category %s; skipping retry.",
+                    job.id,
+                    latest_error_category or "unknown",
+                )
             else:
                 logger.error("Job %s has failed and reached max retries.", job.id)
-                return
+            return
         case _:
             return
 

tests/services/test_workflows_reliability.py

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 import asyncio
 import time
+from datetime import UTC
+from datetime import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
 from uuid import uuid4
 
@@ -20,6 +22,7 @@ from transcription.db.models import Source
 from transcription.providers.base import TranscriptionResult
 from transcription.services import ServiceBundle
 from transcription.services import workflows as workflows_module
+from transcription.services.workflows import advance_job
 from transcription.services.workflows import process_queued_job
 
 
@@ -366,3 +369,63 @@ class TestWorkflowReliability:
         result = await task
         assert result is not None
         assert result.status == JobStatus.TRANSCRIBED
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_failed_job_with_validation_category_is_not_requeued(self, default_session_factory):
+        services = ServiceBundle.from_session_factory(default_session_factory)
+        async with services.jobs._session_scope() as session:
+            document = Document(id=uuid4(), name="validation-failure-doc")
+            session.add(document)
+            await session.flush()
+
+            source = Source(
+                document_id=document.id,
+                page_number=1,
+                upload_name="validation.jpg",
+                filename="validation.jpg",
+                file_path=str(Path("tests/fixtures/images/real/Book Two - page 02.jpg")),
+                file_hash="9" * 64,
+                file_size_bytes=1,
+            )
+            session.add(source)
+            await session.flush()
+
+            job = Job(document_id=document.id, status=JobStatus.FAILED, retry_count=0)
+            session.add(job)
+            await session.flush()
+
+            job_source = JobSource(job_id=job.id, source_id=source.id, status=JobSourceStatus.FAILED)
+            session.add(job_source)
+            await session.flush()
+
+            now = datetime.now(UTC)
+            session.add(
+                ExecutionAttempt(
+                    job_source_id=job_source.id,
+                    job_id=job.id,
+                    source_id=source.id,
+                    attempt_number=1,
+                    status=JobSourceStatus.FAILED,
+                    provider="fixture",
+                    started_at=now,
+                    finished_at=now,
+                    duration_ms=0,
+                    error_category="validation_error",
+                    error_detail="invalid payload",
+                )
+            )
+            await session.commit()
+            failed_job = await services.jobs.read_job(job_id=job.id, session=session)
+
+        result = await advance_job(
+            failed_job,
+            services=services,
+            settings=Settings(openrouter_api_key="test-key", worker_max_retries=1),
+        )
+
+        assert result is None
+        async with services.jobs._session_scope() as session:
+            persisted = await session.get(Job, failed_job.id)
+            assert persisted is not None
+            assert persisted.status == JobStatus.FAILED
+            assert persisted.retry_count == 0

tests/test_config.py

@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ class TestWorkerReliabilitySettings:
         settings = _make_settings()
         assert settings.worker_max_retries == 0
         assert settings.worker_stale_job_seconds == 30.0
+        assert settings.worker_retry_backoff_seconds == 1.0
 
 
 def test_provider_timeout_is_not_capped_at_twenty_seconds():

tests/test_meta_contract_guards.py

@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ def test_env_example_default_values_match_settings_defaults():
         "WORKER_MAX_RETRIES": str(defaults.worker_max_retries),
         "WORKER_PROVIDER_TIMEOUT_SECONDS": str(defaults.worker_provider_timeout_seconds),
         "WORKER_STALE_JOB_SECONDS": str(defaults.worker_stale_job_seconds),
+        "WORKER_RETRY_BACKOFF_SECONDS": str(defaults.worker_retry_backoff_seconds),
         "WORKER_MIN_TRANSCRIPTION_CHARS": str(defaults.worker_min_transcription_chars),
         "WORKER_MIN_TRANSCRIPTION_LINES": str(defaults.worker_min_transcription_lines),
         "WORKER_FAIL_ON_FINISH_REASON_LENGTH": str(defaults.worker_fail_on_finish_reason_length).lower(),