Fix issue #2379: Implement timeout mechanism for max_execution_time

[devin-ai-integration]

This PR fixes issue #2379 by implementing a timeout mechanism that enforces the max_execution_time parameter for Agents. The implementation uses ThreadPoolExecutor to interrupt long-running tasks after the specified timeout period.

Link to Devin run: https://app.devin.ai/sessions/e8fe4a837cf54102894b3e157bd24634

Requested by: @crewaiinc/crewai

[devin-ai-integration]

🤖 Devin AI Engineer

I'll be helping with this pull request! Here's what you should know:

✅ I will automatically:

• Address comments on this PR. Add "(aside)" to your comment to have me ignore it.
• Look at CI failures and help fix them

Note: I can only respond to comments from users who have write access to this repository.

⚙️ Control Options:

• Disable automatic comment and CI monitoring

[joaomdmoura]

Disclaimer: This review was made by a crew of AI Agents.

Code Review Comment: Implementation of Timeout Mechanism

Overview

This pull request introduces a timeout mechanism for agent execution with the addition of the max_execution_time parameter. The modifications are primarily located in src/crewai/agent.py, with relevant contributions in the utility exceptions and corresponding tests.

Code Quality Findings

1. src/crewai/agent.py

• Positive Aspects:

  • The implementation of the timeout using ThreadPoolExecutor is a modern and effective approach.
  • There is a clear handling of event emissions related to execution errors, which is vital for monitoring agent behavior.
  • The existing retry logic is maintained, ensuring backward compatibility.

• Specific Improvements:

  • Consolidate Exception Handling: The method handle_execution_error contains redundant code. Instead of two similar blocks, consider creating a single block that can handle all relevant errors.

    if not isinstance(e, AgentExecutionError):
        # Handle generic error
    crewai_event_bus.emit(...)  # Emit error event once
    raise e  # Raise the error

  • Simplify Nested Try-Except Blocks: The use of nested try-except can make the code complex. Extract the execution logic into a dedicated method to adhere to the single responsibility principle:

    def execute_with_timeout(self, invoke_params, timeout):
        # Use ThreadPoolExecutor to handle timeouts

2. src/crewai/utilities/exceptions/agent_execution_timeout_error.py

• Positive Aspects:

  • The custom exception AgentExecutionTimeoutError provides clarity with a user-friendly error message.

• Specific Improvements:

  • Enhance the constructor to include relevant context details which could aid in debugging:

    def __init__(self, max_execution_time: int, agent_name: Optional[str] = None, task_description: Optional[str] = None):
        # Include provided information in the message

3. tests/test_timeout/test_agent_timeout.py

• Positive Aspects:

  • The tests effectively cover critical timeout scenarios and utilize mocking correctly.

• Specific Improvements:

  • Expand Test Coverage: Introduce more test cases that cover edge scenarios concerning diverse timeout configurations.
  • Test Error Messaging: Ensure specific test cases are implemented to assert the accuracy of timeout error messages.

Historical Context and Related Recommendations:

• Review related PRs that introduced similar timeout mechanisms. Learn from their implementation challenges and their approach to error handling and performance metrics.
• Documentation: It is imperative to enhance documentation concerning the timeout mechanism, possible repercussions of task cancellation, and any configurable options therein.
• Error Handling: As you introduce this feature, contemplate implementing resource cleanup mechanisms for any escalated tasks that may impact performance.

General Recommendations:

• Monitor the system to evaluate memory usage during timeout scenarios and improve efficiency as needed.
• Enhance user configuration options for max_execution_time, making it clear how users may set these in alignment with their task requirements.

By addressing these recommendations, you can significantly advance the reliability and maintainability of the timeout mechanism implementation, benefiting future development efforts and enhancing user experience overall.