{"record":{"id":"c09ce7fa3fcfb0c8","repo":"paperclipai/paperclip","slug":"attempt-journal-limit-reached-stop-provider-dispa","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"Attempt journal limit reached; stop provider dispatch","messagePattern":"Attempt journal limit reached; stop provider dispatch","errorType":"exception","errorClass":null,"httpStatus":null,"severity":"warning","filePath":"packages/paperclip-runner/src/evals/attempt-journal.ts","lineNumber":13,"sourceCode":"import { closeSync, constants, fsyncSync, openSync, writeSync } from \"node:fs\";\n\n/** Controller-owned evidence outside disposable server storage. No credentials. */\nexport class AttemptJournal {\n  #fd: number | null;\n  #bytes = 0;\n  constructor(path: string, readonly maxBytes = 64 * 1024 * 1024) {\n    this.#fd = openSync(path, constants.O_WRONLY | constants.O_CREAT | constants.O_EXCL, 0o600);\n  }\n  append(value: unknown): void {\n    if (this.#fd === null) throw new Error(\"Attempt journal is closed\");\n    const bytes = Buffer.from(JSON.stringify(value) + \"\\n\");\n    if (this.#bytes + bytes.length > this.maxBytes) throw new Error(\"Attempt journal limit reached; stop provider dispatch\");\n    let offset = 0;\n    while (offset < bytes.length) offset += writeSync(this.#fd, bytes, offset, bytes.length - offset);\n    fsyncSync(this.#fd);\n    this.#bytes += bytes.length;\n  }\n  close(): void {\n    if (this.#fd !== null) closeSync(this.#fd);\n    this.#fd = null;\n  }\n}\n","sourceCodeStart":1,"sourceCodeEnd":24,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/blob/01ad8584922b5d85292b1723cae71fa0d9b07a19/packages/paperclip-runner/src/evals/attempt-journal.ts#L1-L24","documentation":"AttemptJournal enforces a hard size cap (default 64 MiB via maxBytes). Before every append it checks whether writing the serialized value would exceed the cap and, if so, throws this error explicitly instructing the caller to stop provider dispatch. The journal is a safety valve to prevent unbounded disk growth from runaway agent/provider output.","triggerScenarios":"Appending very large JSON values (huge model outputs, base64 blobs) or a very high number of append calls during a single attempt until this.#bytes + bytes.length exceeds maxBytes.","commonSituations":"An agent looping and producing endless events recorded to the journal; verbose provider payloads logged per-request; running long evals where 64 MiB of JSONL is reached; constructing the journal with a small custom maxBytes.","solutions":["Stop further provider dispatch when this error is thrown — that is the contract; fail the attempt gracefully.","Construct AttemptJournal with a larger maxBytes if the workload legitimately needs more (new AttemptJournal(path, 256 * 1024 * 1024)).","Reduce appended payload size: truncate/summarize large fields before journaling.","Catch this specific error in the dispatch loop and break out cleanly instead of propagating as a crash."],"exampleFix":"// before\njournal.append({ output: giantModelResponse });\n// after\nconst summarized = { output: giantModelResponse.slice(0, 10_000), truncated: true };\ntry { journal.append(summarized); } catch (e) {\n  if ((e as Error).message.startsWith('Attempt journal limit reached')) break; // stop dispatch\n  throw e;\n}","handlingStrategy":"try-catch","validationCode":"const approx = Buffer.byteLength(JSON.stringify(value)) + 1;\nif (journalBytesWritten + approx > MAX_JOURNAL_BYTES) throw new Error('would exceed journal cap; stop dispatch now');","typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":"try {\n  journal.append(entry);\n} catch (err) {\n  if ((err as Error).message.startsWith('Attempt journal limit reached')) {\n    logger.error('journal cap hit; aborting provider dispatch');\n    break; // stop dispatch loop as the error instructs\n  }\n  throw err;\n}","preventionTips":["Truncate or summarize large model outputs before journaling.","Size maxBytes to the expected attempt volume (raise it deliberately for long evals).","Monitor journal file size and rotate/fail attempts before the cap.","Treat this error as a designed stop signal, not a bug — halt dispatch when you see it."],"tags":["file-io","limit","journal","resource-exhaustion"],"backgroundTag":"file-size-limit-exceeded","analyzedSha":"01ad8584922b5d85292b1723cae71fa0d9b07a19","analyzedAt":"2026-09-10T03:14:50.855Z","contentChangedAt":"2026-09-10T03:14:50.855Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-14T00:17:10.932Z"}