https://bugs.launchpad.net/lava-server/+bug/1271527

device_tags have been ignored by the LAVA scheduler for a while and many of the example JSON files, especially the multinode ones, include arbitrary tags:

https://validation.linaro.org/scheduler/job/108452/multinode_definition

"device_type": "panda", "tags": [ "codehelp-crim" ]

In this example, "codehelp-crim" is a false, arbitrary tag - used only to illustrate the syntax for MultiNode jobs which would use the tags appropriately.

device_tags for singlenode jobs have already been fixed so that unknown tags are rejected at submission time. The same support is being added to MultiNode submissions, along with support for ensuring that the tags are taken into account when singlenode or multinode jobs are assigned from the queue. This is to restore the designed support for device_tags and fix the bug.

The bug is due to be fixed soon - at which point tags which are *not* supported by the instance to which the job is submitted will cause the job submission to *fail*. This is so that device tags can be used to dictate which devices actually run the TestJob.

I'll be updating the functional tests and the multinode use case JSON examples before the bug fix lands in staging.

The device_tags supported by a specific device are already visible in LAVA on the device detail page for that device. e.g.

https://validation.linaro.org/scheduler/device/panda05

Therefore, if the job required the use of particular support, the above tags *could* be allowed if changed to:

"device_type": "panda", "tags": [ "audio-loopback", "usb-flash-drive" ]

Tags are device-specific and some devices have no tags at all. The tags list could simply be removed if the TestJob has no particular requirement for the support provided by the tags or if no tags are supported for the device:

"device_type": "panda"

Specifying supported tags when the TestJob does not require the services provided by devices with those tags will simply delay the running of that TestJob by limiting the number of devices suitable for the job.

Please start changing any CI jobs *now* to prevent interruptions to submissions. Removing tags will have no affect on submissions.

If in doubt, remove all tags from your JSON files.