fix(desktop): hand a device its calls in the order they were persisted

The inbox ordered calls by created_at, then tool_call_id. Calls of one turn
can be persisted in the same millisecond, and then the tie broke on random
ids: a device could run a click before the type the model emitted first.

Calls now carry persist_seq, a strictly increasing number assigned on insert
(pre-persist writes them in emission order), and the inbox and the overdue
sweep order by it. The migration adds the column without a default and then
sets the default, so existing rows are not rewritten; rows persisted before it
have no position and sort first, as the oldest.

Author: waleedlatif1

apps/sim/lib/desktop/application/executor.integration.ts

@@ -865,6 +865,28 @@ describe.runIf(Boolean(redisUrl))('desktop background executor protocol', () =>
       ])
     })
 
+    it('lists calls persisted in the same millisecond in the order they were persisted', async () => {
+      const desktop = await signedInDesktop()
+      const run = await boundRun(desktop)
+      const sameMillisecond = new Date()
+      /** Ids that sort in reverse, so neither the clock nor the id can produce this order. */
+      const persisted = ['type-zz', 'click-mm', 'submit-aa'].map(
+        (name) => `${name}-${generateId()}`
+      )
+      for (const toolCallId of persisted) {
+        await db.insert(copilotAsyncToolCalls).values({
+          runId: run.runId,
+          toolCallId,
+          toolName: 'browser_click',
+          args: { ref: 'e1' },
+          createdAt: sameMillisecond,
+          pickupDeadlineAt: sql`now() + interval '1 minute'`,
+        })
+      }
+
+      expect((await inbox(desktop)).items.map((item) => item.toolCallId)).toEqual(persisted)
+    })
+
     it('lists pending calls in persistence order even when their doorbell was never heard', async () => {
       const desktop = await signedInDesktop()
       const run = await boundRun(desktop)

apps/sim/lib/desktop/executor/repository.ts

@@ -84,6 +84,29 @@ const isDesktopToolCallRow = or(
 )
 const INBOX_ROW_LIMIT = 500
 
+/**
+ * Persistence order, which follows the order the model emitted the calls in: calls of one turn
+ * can share a millisecond, so the timestamp alone cannot order them. Rows persisted before the
+ * sequence existed have none and come first, as they are the oldest.
+ */
+const persistOrder = [
+  sql`${copilotAsyncToolCalls.persistSeq} ASC NULLS FIRST`,
+  asc(copilotAsyncToolCalls.createdAt),
+  asc(copilotAsyncToolCalls.toolCallId),
+]
+
+function comparePersistOrder(
+  a: { persistSeq: number | null; createdAt: Date; toolCallId: string },
+  b: { persistSeq: number | null; createdAt: Date; toolCallId: string }
+): number {
+  if (a.persistSeq !== b.persistSeq) {
+    if (a.persistSeq === null) return -1
+    if (b.persistSeq === null) return 1
+    return a.persistSeq - b.persistSeq
+  }
+  return a.createdAt.getTime() - b.createdAt.getTime() || a.toolCallId.localeCompare(b.toolCallId)
+}
+
 export interface DesktopDeviceRegistration {
   id: string
   userId: string
@@ -178,7 +201,7 @@ export async function touchDesktopDevice(deviceId: string): Promise<void> {
  * out the other: unclaimed calls on its recent open runs that are offered or waiting for the
  * user's decision, and calls it claimed that Sim settled without its result and it has not yet
  * acknowledged (cancel items). A call the device is still running is never listed: it already
- * holds it. Ordered by persistence time, the order the device claims in.
+ * holds it. Ordered by persistence, the order the device claims in.
  */
 export async function listDesktopInboxRows(identity: Omit<DesktopDeviceIdentity, 'sessionId'>) {
   const rowsWhere = (state: SQL | undefined) =>
@@ -192,6 +215,7 @@ export async function listDesktopInboxRows(identity: Omit<DesktopDeviceIdentity,
         permissionDecision: copilotAsyncToolCalls.permissionDecision,
         claimed: sql<boolean>`${copilotAsyncToolCalls.executionOwnerToken} IS NOT NULL`,
         createdAt: copilotAsyncToolCalls.createdAt,
+        persistSeq: copilotAsyncToolCalls.persistSeq,
         chatId: copilotRuns.chatId,
         chatTitle: copilotChats.title,
         workspaceId: copilotRuns.workspaceId,
@@ -208,7 +232,7 @@ export async function listDesktopInboxRows(identity: Omit<DesktopDeviceIdentity,
           state
         )
       )
-      .orderBy(asc(copilotAsyncToolCalls.createdAt), asc(copilotAsyncToolCalls.toolCallId))
+      .orderBy(...persistOrder)
       .limit(INBOX_ROW_LIMIT)
   const [waiting, cancelled] = await Promise.all([
     rowsWhere(
@@ -228,10 +252,7 @@ export async function listDesktopInboxRows(identity: Omit<DesktopDeviceIdentity,
       )
     ),
   ])
-  return [...waiting, ...cancelled].sort(
-    (a, b) =>
-      a.createdAt.getTime() - b.createdAt.getTime() || a.toolCallId.localeCompare(b.toolCallId)
-  )
+  return [...waiting, ...cancelled].sort(comparePersistOrder)
 }
 
 export type DesktopInboxRow = Awaited<ReturnType<typeof listDesktopInboxRows>>[number]
@@ -428,7 +449,7 @@ export async function listOverdueDesktopToolCalls(input: { slackMs: number; limi
         )
       )
     )
-    .orderBy(asc(copilotAsyncToolCalls.createdAt), asc(copilotAsyncToolCalls.toolCallId))
+    .orderBy(...persistOrder)
     .limit(input.limit)
   return rows.map((row) => row.toolCallId)
 }

packages/db/migrations/0399_tool_call_persist_seq.sql

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+CREATE SEQUENCE IF NOT EXISTS "public"."copilot_async_tool_calls_persist_seq" INCREMENT BY 1 MINVALUE 1 MAXVALUE 9223372036854775807 START WITH 1 CACHE 1;--> statement-breakpoint
+-- Added without a default, then given one: a volatile default on ADD COLUMN would rewrite every
+-- existing row, while SET DEFAULT applies only to new rows. Existing rows keep a NULL position.
+ALTER TABLE "copilot_async_tool_calls" ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS "persist_seq" bigint;--> statement-breakpoint
+ALTER TABLE "copilot_async_tool_calls" ALTER COLUMN "persist_seq" SET DEFAULT nextval('copilot_async_tool_calls_persist_seq');--> statement-breakpoint
+ALTER SEQUENCE "public"."copilot_async_tool_calls_persist_seq" OWNED BY "copilot_async_tool_calls"."persist_seq";