Fix: retry a search index rebuild that was interrupted (#14379)

An interrupted rebuild left an empty index stamped as current, so the next
start reported it as up to date. Mark the rebuild as in progress and only
clear the marker once it completes.

src/documents/search/_backend.py

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ from documents.search._query import parse_user_query
 from documents.search._schema import _write_sentinels
 from documents.search._schema import build_schema
 from documents.search._schema import open_or_rebuild_index
+from documents.search._schema import rebuild_in_progress
 from documents.search._schema import wipe_index
 from documents.search._tokenizer import ascii_fold
 from documents.search._tokenizer import autocomplete_tokens
@@ -1110,39 +1111,44 @@ class TantivyBackend:
                 flushing a segment, deferring merge work; they do not avoid it.
         """
         wipe_index(self._path)
-        new_index = tantivy.Index(build_schema(), path=str(self._path))
+        # The marker covers the window where the empty index is already stamped
-        _write_sentinels(self._path)
+        # as current but not yet populated, so an interrupted rebuild is retried.
-        register_tokenizers(new_index, settings.SEARCH_LANGUAGE)
+        with rebuild_in_progress(self._path):
+            new_index = tantivy.Index(build_schema(), path=str(self._path))
+            _write_sentinels(self._path)
+            register_tokenizers(new_index, settings.SEARCH_LANGUAGE)
 
-        # Point instance at the new index so _build_tantivy_doc uses it
+            # Point instance at the new index so _build_tantivy_doc uses it
-        old_index, old_schema = self._raw_index, self._raw_schema
+            old_index, old_schema = self._raw_index, self._raw_schema
-        self._raw_index = new_index
+            self._raw_index = new_index
-        self._raw_schema = new_index.schema
+            self._raw_schema = new_index.schema
-        # Stream documents one-by-one (so the progress bar advances per
+            # Stream documents one-by-one (so the progress bar advances per
-        # document) while fetching viewer permissions one SQL query per chunk.
+            # document) while fetching viewer permissions one SQL query per
-        # The stream is Sized, so iter_wrapper can still discover the total.
+            # chunk. The stream is Sized, so iter_wrapper can still discover
-        documents_stream = _DocumentViewerStream(documents, chunk_size=1000)
+            # the total.
-        try:
+            documents_stream = _DocumentViewerStream(documents, chunk_size=1000)
-            writer = new_index.writer(heap_size=writer_heap_bytes)
+            try:
-            for document, (viewer_ids, viewer_group_ids) in iter_wrapper(
+                writer = new_index.writer(heap_size=writer_heap_bytes)
-                documents_stream,
+                for document, (viewer_ids, viewer_group_ids) in iter_wrapper(
-            ):
+                    documents_stream,
-                doc = self._build_tantivy_doc(
+                ):
-                    document,
+                    doc = self._build_tantivy_doc(
-                    viewer_ids=viewer_ids,
+                        document,
-                    viewer_group_ids=viewer_group_ids,
+                        viewer_ids=viewer_ids,
-                )
+                        viewer_group_ids=viewer_group_ids,
-                writer.add_document(doc)
+                    )
-            writer.commit()
+                    writer.add_document(doc)
-            # Wait for background merge threads to finish so all segments are
+                writer.commit()
-            # fully merged and persisted before the index is considered rebuilt.
+                # Wait for background merge threads to finish so all segments
-            writer.wait_merging_threads()
+                # are fully merged and persisted before the index is considered
-            new_index.reload()
+                # rebuilt.
-        except BaseException:  # pragma: no cover
+                writer.wait_merging_threads()
-            # Restore old index on failure so the backend remains usable
+                new_index.reload()
-            self._raw_index = old_index
+            except BaseException:  # pragma: no cover
-            self._raw_schema = old_schema
+                # Restore old index on failure so the backend remains usable
-            raise
+                self._raw_index = old_index
+                self._raw_schema = old_schema
+                raise
 
 
 def chunked(iterable, size):

src/documents/search/_schema.py

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import hashlib
 import json
 import logging
 import shutil
+from contextlib import contextmanager
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 from typing import Final
 from typing import NamedTuple
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ from whoosh_compat import FieldKind
 from documents.search._fields import PUBLIC_FIELDS
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from collections.abc import Iterator
     from pathlib import Path
 
 logger = logging.getLogger("paperless.search")
@@ -28,6 +30,11 @@ logger = logging.getLogger("paperless.search")
 # v3 - barcodes JSON field for stored barcode contents
 SCHEMA_VERSION: Final[int] = 3
 
+# Present in the index directory from the moment a full rebuild starts until it
+# finishes. If a rebuild is interrupted it is left behind, so the half-built
+# index is not mistaken for a complete one.
+REBUILD_MARKER: Final[str] = ".rebuilding"
+
 
 class FieldDescriptor(NamedTuple):
     """One tantivy field, in declaration order.
@@ -255,9 +262,9 @@ def needs_rebuild(index_dir: Path) -> bool:
     """
     Check if the search index needs rebuilding.
 
-    Reads .index_settings.json to compare the stored schema version, search
+    True if a previous full rebuild never finished (the rebuild marker is still
-    language and schema fingerprint against the current configuration. Returns
+    present), or if the index's stamped settings no longer match the current
-    True if the file is missing, unparsable, or any value mismatches.
+    configuration. See _settings_mismatch().
 
     Args:
         index_dir: Path to the search index directory
@@ -265,6 +272,40 @@ def needs_rebuild(index_dir: Path) -> bool:
     Returns:
         True if the index needs rebuilding, False if it's up to date
     """
+    if (index_dir / REBUILD_MARKER).exists():
+        logger.warning("Previous search index rebuild did not finish - rebuilding.")
+        return True
+    return _settings_mismatch(index_dir)
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def rebuild_in_progress(index_dir: Path) -> Iterator[None]:
+    """
+    Flag the index as incomplete for the duration of a full rebuild.
+
+    The marker is cleared only if the block exits cleanly. There is deliberately
+    no try/finally: an exception must leave the marker behind so the next
+    needs_rebuild() check retries the rebuild.
+    """
+    marker = index_dir / REBUILD_MARKER
+    marker.touch()
+    yield
+    marker.unlink(missing_ok=True)
+
+
+def _settings_mismatch(index_dir: Path) -> bool:
+    """
+    Check the stamped settings against the current configuration.
+
+    Reads .index_settings.json to compare the stored schema version, search
+    language and schema fingerprint. Returns True if the file is missing,
+    unparsable, or any value mismatches.
+
+    This deliberately ignores the rebuild marker: open_or_rebuild_index() uses it
+    so that a process opening the index while another process is mid-rebuild
+    (or after one died) does not wipe the partial index out from under it.
+    Repopulating is the job of ``document_index reindex``.
+    """
     settings_file = index_dir / ".index_settings.json"
     if not settings_file.exists():
         return True
@@ -333,7 +374,7 @@ def open_or_rebuild_index(index_dir: Path | None = None) -> tantivy.Index:
         index_dir = cast("Path", settings.INDEX_DIR)
     if not index_dir.exists():
         return tantivy.Index(build_schema())
-    if needs_rebuild(index_dir):
+    if _settings_mismatch(index_dir):
         wipe_index(index_dir)
         idx = tantivy.Index(build_schema(), path=str(index_dir))
         _write_sentinels(index_dir)

src/documents/tests/search/test_backend.py

@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@ from documents.search._backend import TantivyBackend
 from documents.search._backend import WriteBatch
 from documents.search._backend import get_backend
 from documents.search._backend import reset_backend
+from documents.search._schema import REBUILD_MARKER
+from documents.search._schema import needs_rebuild
 from documents.signals.handlers import add_to_index
+from paperless_testing.dirs import PaperlessDirs
 from paperless_testing.factories import CorrespondentFactory
 from paperless_testing.factories import DocumentFactory
 from paperless_testing.factories import DocumentTypeFactory
@@ -823,6 +826,53 @@ class TestRebuild:
         backend.rebuild(Document.objects.all(), iter_wrapper=wrapper)
         assert 30 in seen
 
+    def test_successful_rebuild_leaves_index_up_to_date(
+        self,
+        backend: TantivyBackend,
+        paperless_dirs: PaperlessDirs,
+    ) -> None:
+        """
+        GIVEN:
+            - A backend and one document
+        WHEN:
+            - rebuild() completes
+        THEN:
+            - needs_rebuild() is False and no rebuild marker remains
+        """
+        DocumentFactory.create()
+
+        backend.rebuild(Document.objects.all())
+
+        assert needs_rebuild(paperless_dirs.index_dir) is False
+        assert not (paperless_dirs.index_dir / REBUILD_MARKER).exists()
+
+    def test_interrupted_rebuild_is_retried(
+        self,
+        backend: TantivyBackend,
+        paperless_dirs: PaperlessDirs,
+    ) -> None:
+        """
+        GIVEN:
+            - A rebuild that dies while indexing documents (e.g. the database
+              connection is lost)
+        WHEN:
+            - needs_rebuild() is checked afterwards
+        THEN:
+            - It is True, even though the empty index was already stamped with
+              current settings, so the next start rebuilds instead of reporting
+              the index as up to date
+        """
+        DocumentFactory.create()
+
+        def die(pairs):
+            raise RuntimeError("terminating connection due to administrator command")
+            yield  # pragma: no cover
+
+        with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+            backend.rebuild(Document.objects.all(), iter_wrapper=die)
+
+        assert needs_rebuild(paperless_dirs.index_dir) is True
+
     def test_includes_group_granted_viewers(self, backend: TantivyBackend) -> None:
         """Rebuild must index viewer ids for group-only grants, not just direct ones.