---
id: "bug-1885"
status: "fixed"
status_updated: "2026-09-29"
status_note: ""
component: "scheduler"
severity: "leak"
timestamp: "2026-09-29T09:48:44Z"
last_seen: "2026-09-29T09:48:44Z"
occurrences: 1
files: ["src/scheduler/src/driver.c", "src/scheduler/src/decision.c"]
tags: ["scheduler", "leak", "decision"]
related: ["bug-1884"]
fix_commits: ["d21b3d8f"]
---

# bug-1885: scheduler normal mode never frees decision structs: 64 bytes leaked per published decision

## Description
**Observed:** (code reading) the normal-mode round loop in
`xce_sched_driver_run_normal_mode_round()` (src/scheduler/src/driver.c)
drains each `xce_decision_t*` from `core->decisions`, records it and passes
it to `on_decision`, but never frees the struct `make_*_decision()`
(decision.c) calloc()s:
```
cbuf_get(&(sched->core.decisions), &decision);
... sched->core.on_decision(sched->core.driver_ctx, decision);
/* decision never freed */
```

**Expected:** the round loop frees the decision struct (not its alloc/pend reason, which the job owns) once published.
**Impact:** leak of 64 bytes per dispatch/pend decision for the life of a normal-mode scheduler. Simulation mode was fixed in bug-1884 (ebfe4794). Three tests (test_core_full_cycle.c, test_core_session.c, test_snapshot_save_load.c) keep decision pointers from their callback, so the fix changes the callback contract ("valid only during the call") and those tests.
**Found by:** review (while fixing bug-1884, 2026-09-29)

## Environment
- OS: no /etc/os-release; Docker container; NixOS kernel; kernel Linux 6.18.33 x86_64
- libc: glibc 2.42-47 (interpreter /nix/store/wb6rhpznjfczwlwx23zmdrrw74bayxw4-glibc-2.42-47/lib/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2)
- Toolchain: gcc (GCC) 15.2.0, meson 1.9.1
- Build: asan (src/xce.build.discrete)
- Code: scheduler-framework @ 90b99d91-dirty
- Deployment: n/a (found by code reading while fixing bug-1884; not observed on a deployment)

## Reproduction
1. Read `src/scheduler/src/driver.c` round loop (the `cbuf_get(&(sched->core.decisions), ...)` loop) and `src/scheduler/src/decision.c` `make_dispatch_decision()`/`make_pend_decision()`.
2. A live check: run a normal-mode scheduler under ASAN with detect_leaks=1 through a few rounds and stop it cleanly; expect `make_*_decision` direct leaks.
- Frequency: deterministic by code reading (one struct per decision)
- Evidence: not kept; code reading

## Root cause
`xce_sched_driver_run_normal_mode_round()` (driver.c) drains each decision from `core->decisions`, records it and passes it to `on_decision`, and never frees the struct `make_*_decision()` (decision.c) allocates.

## Fix
The round frees the decision struct after the callback returns (d21b3d8f). Its allocation/pend reason belong to the job; the publish callback passes those pointers on and the recorder copies, so nothing keeps the struct. Tests with their own drain loops (test_core_full_cycle.c, test_core_session.c, test_snapshot_save_load.c) are unaffected.

## Verification
- Test: test_round_frees_decision_after_callback in src/scheduler/testsuite/test_driver_session_ordering.c (drives the real round with a stand-in allocator emitting one PEND; checks the struct is freed via __asan_address_is_poisoned and the reason is not): RED before, GREEN after
- Suites: ASAN debug build (src/xce.build.discrete), `meson test --no-suite xceadmin`: 117/117 OK, 0 sanitizer reports; xcelib_test 695 tests 0 failures (2026-09-29)
- Live: 3-round sequential HA soak on rebuilt ASAN binaries (/home/claude/tmp/xce-bug1885-soak, 2026-09-29): PASS, 15 jobs, zero job loss, all 3 nodes led; SIMVERIFY 4 files 0 mismatches; each recording replays with detect_leaks=1 at exit 0, 0 mismatches; no sanitizer report in the scheduler or controller stderr

## References
- Related: bug-1884