sandbox-agent/foundry/research/specs/async-action-fixes/04-workbench-session-creation-without-inline-provisioning.md
2026-03-13 01:12:43 -07:00

1.5 KiB

Workbench Session Creation Must Not Trigger Inline Provisioning

Problem

Creating a workbench tab currently provisions the whole task if no active sandbox exists. A user action that looks like "open tab" can therefore block on sandbox creation and agent setup.

Target Contract

  • Creating a tab returns quickly.
  • If the task is not provisioned yet, the tab enters a pending state and becomes usable once provisioning completes.
  • Provisioning remains a task workflow concern, not a workbench request concern.

Proposed Fix

  1. Split tab creation from sandbox session creation.
  2. On createWorkbenchSession:
    • create session metadata or a placeholder tab row immediately
    • if the task is not provisioned, enqueue the required background work and return the placeholder id
    • if the task is provisioned, enqueue background session creation if that step can also be slow
  3. Add a tab/session state model such as:
    • pending_provision
    • pending_session_create
    • ready
    • error
  4. When provisioning or session creation finishes, update the placeholder row with the real sandbox/session identifiers and notify the workbench.

Client Impact

  • The workbench can show a disabled composer or "Preparing environment" state for a pending tab.
  • The UI no longer needs to block on the mutation itself.

Acceptance Criteria

  • createWorkbenchSession never calls task provisioning inline.
  • Opening a tab on an unprovisioned task returns promptly with a placeholder tab id.
  • The tab transitions to ready through background updates only.