Error doing update: AttributeError: 'str' object has no attribute 'get'

[gergof]

Description

When starting synapse errors like this are spammed all over the log:

2020-07-05 10:59:39,226 - synapse.storage.background_updates - 227 - INFO - background_updates-0 - Starting update batch on background update 'insert_room_retention'
2020-07-05 10:59:39,232 - synapse.storage.background_updates - 114 - ERROR - background_updates-0 - Error doing update
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/synapse/storage/background_updates.py", line 111, in run_background_updates
    self.BACKGROUND_UPDATE_DURATION_MS
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/synapse/storage/background_updates.py", line 222, in do_next_background_update
    await self._do_background_update(desired_duration_ms)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/synapse/storage/background_updates.py", line 255, in _do_background_update
    items_updated = await update_handler(progress, batch_size)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/twisted/internet/defer.py", line 1416, in _inlineCallbacks
    result = result.throwExceptionIntoGenerator(g)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/twisted/python/failure.py", line 512, in throwExceptionIntoGenerator
    return g.throw(self.type, self.value, self.tb)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/synapse/storage/data_stores/main/room.py", line 938, in _background_insert_retention
    "insert_room_retention", _background_insert_retention_txn,
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/twisted/internet/defer.py", line 1416, in _inlineCallbacks
    result = result.throwExceptionIntoGenerator(g)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/twisted/python/failure.py", line 512, in throwExceptionIntoGenerator
    return g.throw(self.type, self.value, self.tb)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/synapse/storage/database.py", line 527, in runInteraction
    **kwargs
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/twisted/internet/defer.py", line 1416, in _inlineCallbacks
    result = result.throwExceptionIntoGenerator(g)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/twisted/python/failure.py", line 512, in throwExceptionIntoGenerator
    return g.throw(self.type, self.value, self.tb)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/synapse/storage/database.py", line 575, in runWithConnection
    self._db_pool.runWithConnection(inner_func, *args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/twisted/python/threadpool.py", line 250, in inContext
    result = inContext.theWork()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/twisted/python/threadpool.py", line 266, in <lambda>
    inContext.theWork = lambda: context.call(ctx, func, *args, **kw)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/twisted/python/context.py", line 122, in callWithContext
    return self.currentContext().callWithContext(ctx, func, *args, **kw)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/twisted/python/context.py", line 85, in callWithContext
    return func(*args,**kw)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/twisted/enterprise/adbapi.py", line 306, in _runWithConnection
    compat.reraise(excValue, excTraceback)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/twisted/python/compat.py", line 464, in reraise
    raise exception.with_traceback(traceback)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/twisted/enterprise/adbapi.py", line 297, in _runWithConnection
    result = func(conn, *args, **kw)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/synapse/storage/database.py", line 572, in inner_func
    return func(conn, *args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/synapse/storage/database.py", line 418, in new_transaction
    r = func(cursor, *args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/synapse/storage/data_stores/main/room.py", line 921, in _background_insert_retention_txn
    "min_lifetime": retention_policy.get("min_lifetime"),
AttributeError: 'str' object has no attribute 'get'

I found that here json.dumps(ev["content"]) is called which will return a string and thus retention_policy.get("min_lifetime") results in an error.

Steps to reproduce

• start synapse

Version information

• Homeserver: systemtest.tk

• Version: Synapse 1.15.2, python 3.7.8

• Install method: docker

• Platform: docker on Debian Buster

[gergof]

It can be fixed by replacing retention_policy = json.dumps(ev["content"]) on line 885 with retention_policy = ev["content"]

[babolivier]

Hey and thanks for your report and investigating! Yes it looks like your diagnostic is right, I'm not entirely sure what happened there or why it went unnoticed for such a long time.