Fix: NIC child presence no longer forces a directly-detected parent offline (#1736) by Copilot · Pull Request #1739 · netalertx/NetAlertX

Copilot · 2026-08-13T08:38:21Z

update_devPresentLastScan_based_on_nics unconditionally replaced the parent's devPresentLastScan with the NIC-derived value, discarding the parent's own direct detection. When a parent was genuinely present (ARP / save_own_device) but had an absent NIC child, the NIC step forced it to 0. The next scan re-detected it → Connected event → NIC forced it back to 0 → endless one-directional event flood.

Change

server/scan/device_handling.py — update_devPresentLastScan_based_on_nics:

# Before: NIC result replaced parent's own detection entirely
if req_all:
    new_present = int(all(nic_statuses))
else:
    new_present = int(any(nic_statuses))

# After: NIC result can only raise, never lower, a directly-detected parent
if req_all:
    nic_derived = int(all(nic_statuses))
else:
    nic_derived = int(any(nic_statuses))
new_present = max(original, nic_derived)

max(original, nic_derived) ensures:

Parent detected this scan (original=1) → stays 1 regardless of NIC child state
Parent not detected (original=0) → NIC children can still bring it online
Applies consistently to both req_all modes

test/scan/test_nic_presence.py — new test file covering the exact regression (parent present=1 + absent NIC → stays 1), NIC raise cases, req_all variants, and the no-NIC-children no-change path.

🔍 Related Issues

Closes #1736

📋 Type of Change

🐛 Bug fix
🧪 Test addition or change

📷 Screenshots or Logs (if applicable)

From the issue — before the fix, every scan cycle produced a spurious Connected event for a device that was continuously present:

2026-08-13 04:01:11  0a:17:f2:8d:02:97  Connected
2026-08-13 04:03:11  0a:17:f2:8d:02:97  Connected
2026-08-13 04:05:18  0a:17:f2:8d:02:97  Connected
...  (8 Connected, 0 Disconnected over ~11 minutes)

🧪 Testing Steps

Unit tests in test/scan/test_nic_presence.py cover the regression and surrounding cases directly without requiring the full stack.

✅ Checklist

I have read the Contribution Guidelines
I have tested my changes locally
I have updated relevant documentation (if applicable)
I have verified my changes do not break existing behavior
I am willing to respond to requested changes and feedback

🙋 Additional Notes

The max(original, nic_derived) formulation is intentionally minimal — it threads through both req_all modes with no branching on original, and preserves the existing "NIC can raise an absent parent" semantics unchanged.

Fixes Device with a "nic" child relationship gets an endless one-directional Connected/Disconnected event stream instead of tracking its own real presence #1736

…ffline When a parent device has NIC children, update_devPresentLastScan_based_on_nics previously replaced the parent's devPresentLastScan unconditionally with the NIC-derived value. This discarded any genuine direct detection of the parent: if the parent was found by ARP/save_own_device (present=1) but its NIC child was absent (present=0), the NIC step forced the parent back to 0. The next scan re-detected the parent → Connected event → NIC forced it down again, producing an endless one-directional Connected event stream. Fix: use max(original, nic_derived) so NIC children can only raise a parent's presence (bring an undetected parent online), never lower it when the parent itself was directly detected this cycle. Adds test/scan/test_nic_presence.py covering the exact regression scenario and surrounding cases (raise, no-NIC unchanged, req_all modes). Fixes #1736 Co-authored-by: jokob-sk <96159884+jokob-sk@users.noreply.github.com>

jokob-sk

also target next_release branch, not main

jokob-sk · 2026-08-13T08:47:12Z

+# Helpers
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def _make_db(rows):


do not mock DB, use main/test/db_test_helpers.py where-ever possible

Done in the latest commit — the test now uses make_db, make_device_dict, insert_device_from_dict, and DummyDB from db_test_helpers.

jokob-sk · 2026-08-13T08:47:26Z

+            {"mac": "AA:AA:AA:AA:AA:01", "present": 1,
+             "parent_mac": "",     "rel_type": "",    "req_all": 0},
+            {"mac": "BB:BB:BB:BB:BB:01", "present": 0,
+             "parent_mac": "AA:AA:AA:AA:AA:01", "rel_type": "nic", "req_all": 0},


macs always lower case every where

Fixed — all MACs are now lowercase (e.g. aa:aa:aa:aa:aa:01).

jokob-sk · 2026-08-13T08:48:23Z

+                nic_derived = int(any(nic_statuses))
+            # NIC children can only raise a parent's presence, never lower it
+            # when the parent itself was directly detected as present this scan.
+            new_present = max(original, nic_derived)


make it easier to read, suing max() obfuscates logic

Replaced with explicit if original == 1: pass / else: new_present = 1 if nic_online else 0 — each case is now clearly stated.

- Replace max() with explicit if/else for readability - Use db_test_helpers (make_db, make_device_dict, insert_device_from_dict, DummyDB) instead of local mock DB objects in test_nic_presence.py - Lowercase all MAC addresses in tests Co-authored-by: jokob-sk <96159884+jokob-sk@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot · 2026-08-13T08:52:55Z

also target next_release branch, not main

The base branch of a PR can only be changed from the GitHub UI (Edit → Change base). Please retarget it to next_release there — the code changes themselves are branch-agnostic.

jokob-sk · 2026-08-13T09:00:10Z

@copilot why didn't you follow the ai guidelines - if needed, update them or add/update skills?

Co-authored-by: jokob-sk <96159884+jokob-sk@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot · 2026-08-13T09:04:56Z

@copilot why didn't you follow the ai guidelines - if needed, update them or add/update skills?

Two skills were referenced in copilot-instructions.md (pr-analysis and logging-standards) but had no actual SKILL.md file, so they couldn't be loaded before starting. That's why the process steps in code-standards (load relevant skills first, prepare a plan, MAC/DB-helpers conventions) weren't followed upfront — the PR-analysis skill that would have prompted loading them didn't exist.

Fixed in the latest commit: both skills are now created in .github/skills/ and .gemini/skills/, and the skills-overview/skills-index cross-reference tables are updated.

jokob-sk · 2026-08-13T09:10:37Z

@copilot
will those skill prevent the issues I had to comment on for you to fix in the last 2 PRs?:

always use existing helpers in tests if available, or extend teh helpers class, follow DRY wherever possible, in this case main/test/db_test_helpers.py
mocked MACs should always be lower case

... will you next time follow these based on available guidelines and skills? if not update those to make this explicit

jokob-sk · 2026-08-13T09:12:54Z

@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+"""Tests for update_devPresentLastScan_based_on_nics.


@copilot
will those skill prevent the issues I had to comment on for you to fix in the last 2 PRs?:

always use existing helpers in tests if available, or extend teh helpers class, follow DRY wherever possible, in this case main/test/db_test_helpers.py mocked MACs should always be lower case

... will you next time follow these based on available guidelines and skills? if not update those to make this explicit

The existing code-standards rule mentioned reusing db_test_helpers.py and normalizing MACs, but not explicitly enough to catch test fixture literals. Updated in the latest commit:

code-standards: new dedicated "MAC Literals in Tests — ALWAYS Lowercase" section with explicit wrong/right examples.

pr-analysis (Copilot + Gemini): new "Before Writing Any Test Code" checklist placed before any other action — lowercase MAC literals and helpers-first are listed as non-negotiable gates, not just a post-batch reminder.

…analysis skills Co-authored-by: jokob-sk <96159884+jokob-sk@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot · 2026-08-13T09:15:03Z

@copilot
will those skill prevent the issues I had to comment on for you to fix in the last 2 PRs?:

...

The existing code-standards rule mentioned reusing db_test_helpers.py and normalizing MACs, but not explicitly enough to catch test fixture literals. Updated in the latest commit:

code-standards: new dedicated "MAC Literals in Tests — ALWAYS Lowercase" section with explicit wrong/right examples.
pr-analysis (Copilot + Gemini): new "Before Writing Any Test Code" checklist placed before any other action — lowercase MAC literals and helpers-first are listed as non-negotiable gates, not just a post-batch reminder.

Initial plan

c0718d8

Copilot AI assigned Copilot and jokob-sk Aug 13, 2026

Copilot AI linked an issue Aug 13, 2026 that may be closed by this pull request

Device with a "nic" child relationship gets an endless one-directional Connected/Disconnected event stream instead of tracking its own real presence #1736

Open

7 tasks

Copilot started work on behalf of jokob-sk August 13, 2026 08:38 View session

Copilot AI changed the title ~~[WIP] Fix endless event stream for devices with a 'nic' relationship~~ Fix: NIC child presence no longer forces a directly-detected parent offline (#1736) Aug 13, 2026

Copilot finished work on behalf of jokob-sk August 13, 2026 08:44

Copilot AI requested a review from jokob-sk August 13, 2026 08:44

jokob-sk requested changes Aug 13, 2026

View reviewed changes

Copilot started work on behalf of jokob-sk August 13, 2026 08:49 View session

Copilot finished work on behalf of jokob-sk August 13, 2026 08:53

Copilot AI requested a review from jokob-sk August 13, 2026 08:53

jokob-sk changed the base branch from main to next_release August 13, 2026 08:57

jokob-sk marked this pull request as ready for review August 13, 2026 08:59

Copilot started work on behalf of jokob-sk August 13, 2026 09:00 View session

chore: add missing pr-analysis and logging-standards skills

66db9a4

Co-authored-by: jokob-sk <96159884+jokob-sk@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot finished work on behalf of jokob-sk August 13, 2026 09:05

jokob-sk requested changes Aug 13, 2026

View reviewed changes

Copilot started work on behalf of jokob-sk August 13, 2026 09:13 View session

jokob-sk marked this pull request as draft August 13, 2026 09:14

chore: strengthen test MAC and helper rules in code-standards and pr-…

4ed96e9

…analysis skills Co-authored-by: jokob-sk <96159884+jokob-sk@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot finished work on behalf of jokob-sk August 13, 2026 09:15

Copilot AI requested a review from jokob-sk August 13, 2026 09:15

jokob-sk marked this pull request as ready for review August 13, 2026 09:18

jokob-sk merged commit f143643 into next_release Aug 13, 2026
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		@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
		"""Tests for update_devPresentLastScan_based_on_nics.

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🔍 Related Issues

📋 Type of Change

📷 Screenshots or Logs (if applicable)

🧪 Testing Steps

✅ Checklist

🙋 Additional Notes

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