fix(controller): Report reconciliation errors better

util/diff/diff.go

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package diff
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+
+	jsonpatch "github.com/evanphx/json-patch"
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+func LogChanges(old, new interface{}) {
+	if !log.IsLevelEnabled(log.DebugLevel) {
+		return
+	}
+	a, _ := json.Marshal(old)
+	b, _ := json.Marshal(new)
+	patch, _ := jsonpatch.CreateMergePatch(a, b)
+	log.Debugf("Log changes patch: %s", string(patch))
+}

workflow/controller/controller.go

@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import (
 	wfclientset "github.com/argoproj/argo/pkg/client/clientset/versioned"
 	wfextvv1alpha1 "github.com/argoproj/argo/pkg/client/informers/externalversions/workflow/v1alpha1"
 	authutil "github.com/argoproj/argo/util/auth"
+	"github.com/argoproj/argo/util/diff"
 	errorsutil "github.com/argoproj/argo/util/errors"
 	"github.com/argoproj/argo/workflow/artifactrepositories"
 	"github.com/argoproj/argo/workflow/common"
@@ -894,7 +895,7 @@ func (wfc *WorkflowController) newPodInformer(ctx context.Context) cache.SharedI
 				}
 				if !pod.SignificantPodChange(oldPod, newPod) {
 					log.WithField("key", key).Info("insignificant pod change")
-					pod.LogChanges(oldPod, newPod)
+					diff.LogChanges(oldPod, newPod)
 					return
 				}
 				wfc.podQueue.Add(key)

workflow/controller/dag.go

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -461,7 +462,7 @@ func (woc *wfOperationCtx) executeDAGTask(ctx context.Context, dagCtx *dagContex
 		}
 
 		// Finally execute the template
-		node, err = woc.executeTemplate(ctx, taskNodeName, &t, dagCtx.tmplCtx, t.Arguments, &executeTemplateOpts{boundaryID: dagCtx.boundaryID, onExitTemplate: dagCtx.onExitTemplate})
+		_, err = woc.executeTemplate(ctx, taskNodeName, &t, dagCtx.tmplCtx, t.Arguments, &executeTemplateOpts{boundaryID: dagCtx.boundaryID, onExitTemplate: dagCtx.onExitTemplate})
 		if err != nil {
 			switch err {
 			case ErrDeadlineExceeded:
@@ -471,8 +472,7 @@ func (woc *wfOperationCtx) executeDAGTask(ctx context.Context, dagCtx *dagContex
 				_ = woc.markNodePhase(taskNodeName, wfv1.NodeFailed, err.Error())
 				return
 			default:
-				woc.log.Infof("DAG %s deemed errored due to task %s error: %s", node.ID, taskNodeName, err.Error())
-				_ = woc.markNodePhase(taskNodeName, wfv1.NodeError, fmt.Sprintf("task '%s' errored", taskNodeName))
+				_ = woc.markNodeError(taskNodeName, fmt.Errorf("task '%s' errored: %v", taskNodeName, err))
 				return
 			}
 		}
@@ -627,6 +627,7 @@ func (d *dagContext) findLeafTaskNames(tasks []wfv1.DAGTask) []string {
 			leafTaskNames = append(leafTaskNames, taskName)
 		}
 	}
+	sort.Strings(leafTaskNames) // execute tasks in a predictable order
 	return leafTaskNames
 }
 

workflow/controller/operator.go

@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import (
 	wfv1 "github.com/argoproj/argo/pkg/apis/workflow/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/argoproj/argo/pkg/client/clientset/versioned/typed/workflow/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/argoproj/argo/util"
+	"github.com/argoproj/argo/util/diff"
 	envutil "github.com/argoproj/argo/util/env"
 	errorsutil "github.com/argoproj/argo/util/errors"
 	"github.com/argoproj/argo/util/intstr"
@@ -344,13 +345,17 @@ func (woc *wfOperationCtx) operate(ctx context.Context) {
 
 	node, err := woc.executeTemplate(ctx, woc.wf.ObjectMeta.Name, &wfv1.WorkflowStep{Template: woc.execWf.Spec.Entrypoint}, tmplCtx, woc.execWf.Spec.Arguments, &executeTemplateOpts{})
 	if err != nil {
-		// the error are handled in the callee so just log it.
-		msg := "error in entry template execution"
-		woc.log.WithError(err).Error(msg)
-		msg = fmt.Sprintf("%s %s: %+v", woc.wf.Name, msg, err)
+		woc.log.WithError(err).Error("error in entry template execution")
+		// we wrap this error up to report a clear message
+		x := fmt.Errorf("error in entry template execution: %w", err)
 		switch err {
 		case ErrDeadlineExceeded:
-			woc.eventRecorder.Event(woc.wf, apiv1.EventTypeWarning, "WorkflowTimedOut", msg)
+			woc.eventRecorder.Event(woc.wf, apiv1.EventTypeWarning, "WorkflowTimedOut", x.Error())
+		case ErrParallelismReached:
+		default:
+			if !errorsutil.IsTransientErr(err) && !woc.wf.Status.Phase.Completed() && os.Getenv("BUBBLE_ENTRY_TEMPLATE_ERR") != "false" {
+				woc.markWorkflowError(ctx, x)
+			}
 		}
 		return
 	}
@@ -504,6 +509,9 @@ func (woc *wfOperationCtx) persistUpdates(ctx context.Context) {
 	if !woc.updated {
 		return
 	}
+
+	diff.LogChanges(woc.orig, woc.wf)
+
 	resource.UpdateResourceDurations(woc.wf)
 	progress.UpdateProgress(woc.wf)
 	// You MUST not call `persistUpdates` twice.
@@ -881,10 +889,8 @@ func (woc *wfOperationCtx) podReconciliation(ctx context.Context) error {
 			}
 			node := woc.wf.Status.Nodes[pod.ObjectMeta.Name]
 			if node.Fulfilled() && !node.IsDaemoned() {
-				if tmpVal, tmpOk := pod.Labels[common.LabelKeyCompleted]; tmpOk {
-					if tmpVal == "true" {
-						return
-					}
+				if pod.GetLabels()[common.LabelKeyCompleted] == "true" {
+					return
 				}
 				woc.completedPods[pod.ObjectMeta.Name] = true
 				if woc.shouldPrintPodSpec(node) {
@@ -2125,8 +2131,7 @@ func (woc *wfOperationCtx) markNodeError(nodeName string, err error) *wfv1.NodeS
 // markNodePending is a convenience method to mark a node and set the message from the error
 func (woc *wfOperationCtx) markNodePending(nodeName string, err error) *wfv1.NodeStatus {
 	woc.log.Infof("Mark node %s as Pending, due to: %+v", nodeName, err)
-	node := woc.wf.GetNodeByName(nodeName)
-	return woc.markNodePhase(nodeName, wfv1.NodePending, fmt.Sprintf("Pending %s", time.Since(node.StartedAt.Time)))
+	return woc.markNodePhase(nodeName, wfv1.NodePending, err.Error()) // this error message will not change often
 }
 
 // markNodeWaitingForLock is a convenience method to mark that a node is waiting for a lock

workflow/controller/operator_test.go

@@ -4164,7 +4164,7 @@ func TestValidReferenceMode(t *testing.T) {
 	woc.wf.Status.StoredWorkflowSpec.Entrypoint = "different"
 	woc = newWorkflowOperationCtx(woc.wf, controller)
 	woc.operate(ctx)
-	assert.Equal(t, wfv1.NodeRunning, woc.wf.Status.Phase)
+	assert.Equal(t, wfv1.NodeError, woc.wf.Status.Phase)
 }
 
 var workflowStatusMetric = `

workflow/controller/steps.go

@@ -247,10 +247,8 @@ func (woc *wfOperationCtx) executeStepGroup(ctx context.Context, stepGroup []wfv
 			case ErrTimeout:
 				return woc.markNodePhase(node.Name, wfv1.NodeFailed, fmt.Sprintf("child '%s' timedout", childNodeName))
 			default:
-				errMsg := fmt.Sprintf("child '%s' errored", childNodeName)
-				woc.log.Infof("Step group node %s deemed errored due to child %s error: %s", node.ID, childNodeName, err.Error())
 				woc.addChildNode(sgNodeName, childNodeName)
-				return woc.markNodePhase(node.Name, wfv1.NodeError, errMsg)
+				return woc.markNodeError(node.Name, fmt.Errorf("step group deemed errored due to child %s error: %w", childNodeName, err))
 			}
 		}
 		if childNode != nil {

workflow/controller/workflowpod.go

@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ type createWorkflowPodOpts struct {
 
 func (woc *wfOperationCtx) createWorkflowPod(ctx context.Context, nodeName string, mainCtr apiv1.Container, tmpl *wfv1.Template, opts *createWorkflowPodOpts) (*apiv1.Pod, error) {
 	nodeID := woc.wf.NodeID(nodeName)
-	woc.log.Debugf("Creating Pod: %s (%s)", nodeName, nodeID)
 
 	// we must check to see if the pod exists rather than just optimistically creating the pod and see if we get
 	// an `AlreadyExists` error because we won't get that error if there is not enough resources.
@@ -376,6 +375,8 @@ func (woc *wfOperationCtx) createWorkflowPod(ctx context.Context, nodeName strin
 		pod.Spec.ActiveDeadlineSeconds = &newActiveDeadlineSeconds
 	}
 
+	woc.log.Debugf("Creating Pod: %s (%s)", nodeName, nodeID)
+
 	created, err := woc.controller.kubeclientset.CoreV1().Pods(woc.wf.ObjectMeta.Namespace).Create(ctx, pod, metav1.CreateOptions{})
 	if err != nil {
 		if apierr.IsAlreadyExists(err) {