Persistent SQL server restarted every time when launching tests

[shoter]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues
• Allow DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder to override WithLifetime(ContainerLifetime.Persistent) #6850 is similar, however not the same. I have persistent container but is restarted.

Describe the bug

I have Aspire project which I use to spin SQL server with 10 databases for my test project. I am using persinstent lifetime so I do not need to wait for database startup everytime I start my tests.
Persistent lifetime does not work for some reason and everytime i launch my tests sql server is being recreated.
SQL server is not deleted upon test completion though.

Expected Behavior

SQL Server with persistent lifetime should not be restarted everytime i launch tests.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Clone https://github.com/shoter/ParallelTests
2. Checkout to commit cffa0c3f3bbd4ec4951044feb97f8a78b160ed01
3. Run only test that is in this repo
4. Run it again and sql server is going to be recreated

Exceptions (if any)

I've only used Rider and dotnet test and both are good way to reproduce error.

No response

.NET Version info

.NET SDK:
Version: 9.0.200
Commit: 90e8b202f2
Workload version: 9.0.200-manifests.310ff0a2
MSBuild version: 17.13.8+cbc39bea8

Runtime Environment:
OS Name: Windows
OS Version: 10.0.19045
OS Platform: Windows
RID: win-x64
Base Path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\9.0.200\

.NET workloads installed:
[wasm-tools-net8]
Installation Source: VS 17.13.35825.156
Manifest Version: 9.0.7/9.0.100
Manifest Path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk-manifests\9.0.100\microsoft.net.workload.mono.toolchain.net8\9.0.7\WorkloadManifest.json
Install Type: Msi

[maui-windows]
Installation Source: VS 17.13.35825.156
Manifest Version: 9.0.14/9.0.100
Manifest Path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk-manifests\9.0.100\microsoft.net.sdk.maui\9.0.14\WorkloadManifest.json
Install Type: Msi

[aspire]
Installation Source: VS 17.13.35825.156
Manifest Version: 8.2.2/8.0.100
Manifest Path: C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk-manifests\8.0.100\microsoft.net.sdk.aspire\8.2.2\WorkloadManifest.json
Install Type: Msi

Configured to use loose manifests when installing new manifests.

Host:
Version: 9.0.7
Architecture: x64
Commit: 3c298d9f00

.NET SDKs installed:
3.1.426 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
5.0.408 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
5.0.416 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
6.0.136 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
6.0.203 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
6.0.428 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
8.0.118 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
9.0.108 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]
9.0.200 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]

.NET runtimes installed:
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 3.1.32 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 5.0.17 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 6.0.5 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 6.0.36 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 7.0.20 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 8.0.13 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 8.0.18 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 9.0.2 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 9.0.7 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 3.1.32 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 5.0.17 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.5 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.12 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 6.0.36 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 7.0.20 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 8.0.13 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 8.0.18 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 9.0.2 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 9.0.7 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 3.1.32 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 5.0.17 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.5 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 6.0.36 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 7.0.20 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 8.0.13 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 8.0.18 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 9.0.2 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]
Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 9.0.7 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App]

Other architectures found:
x86 [C:\Program Files (x86)\dotnet]
registered at [HKLM\SOFTWARE\dotnet\Setup\InstalledVersions\x86\InstallLocation]

Environment variables:
Not set

global.json file:
Not found

Learn more:
https://aka.ms/dotnet/info

Download .NET:
https://aka.ms/dotnet/download

Anything else?

I also tried to use DcpPublisher:ResourceNameSuffix= but it did not give me anything.

I am using docker for windows.
AppHost package versions:

    <ItemGroup>
      <PackageReference Include="Aspire.Hosting.AppHost" Version="9.4.0" />
      <PackageReference Include="Aspire.Hosting.SqlServer" Version="9.4.0" />
    </ItemGroup>

Test project packages:

    <ItemGroup>
        <PackageReference Include="Aspire.Hosting.Testing" Version="9.4.0" />
        <PackageReference Include="coverlet.collector" Version="6.0.2"/>
        <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="17.12.0"/>
        <PackageReference Include="xunit.runner.visualstudio" Version="3.1.3">
          <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
          <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
        </PackageReference>
        <PackageReference Include="xunit.v3" Version="3.0.0" />
    </ItemGroup>

[MihuBot]

Possible related and/or duplicate issues:

• Persistent container recreated in every test run #6891
• New instances of persistent containers are always created on each test run when using DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder #6888

[shoter]

I've also tested preview version and result is the same.

[davidfowl]

cc @danegsta

[danegsta]

@shoter this indicates that we're detecting a material app model change between runs and recreating the container to match the new config. The orchestrator writes an info level log with some general details on what configuration(s) may have changed; since this is a test run, the easiest way to get at that log is probably to turn on diagnostic logging.

Can you set the environment variable DCP_DIAGNOSTICS_LOG_LEVEL="info" and run your tests? Once you have a run that re-created the container, you'll find the persisted diagnostics logs in %TEMP%\dcp\logs. In one of the dcpctrl log entries, you'll find a line that contains the text calculated lifecycle key doesn't match and includes some details on what may have changed between runs. If you can share that log entry, it should give an indication on configuration is changing between runs.

Persistent containers in Aspire aren't fully static, if some part of the app model for a persistent container that can't be applied without recreating the container changes, we recreate instead of using an outdated container configuration. Specifically changes to the source image, volumes/mounts, environment variables, or launch arguments will lead to a container being recreated.

[shoter]

@danegsta What source of such change could be in my code to create SQL server? This is my whole aspire config:

var builder = DistributedApplication.CreateBuilder(args);


var server = builder.AddSqlServer("sqldb")
    .WithContainerName("ParallelTestsSqlServer")
    .WithLifetime(ContainerLifetime.Persistent);

for (int i = 0; i < Const.SqlServerCount; ++i)
{
    server.AddDatabase($"testdb{i}");
}


builder.Build().Run();

Here is log:

{"level":"info","ts":"2025-08-20T15:39:21.960+0200","logger":"dcpctrl.ContainerReconciler","msg":"found existing Container, but calculated lifecycle key doesn't match","Container":"/ParallelTestsSqlServer","Reconciliation":2,"ContainerName":"ParallelTestsSqlServer","ContainerID":"541176a126b0","OldLifecycleKey":"72e3c206f1466b7d756d2b1cc9dd0110","NewLifecycleKey":"78613febf30f3d1cd70a4c4013e6e182","MountChanges":[],"PortChanges":[],"EnvChanges":[],"OtherChanges":[]}

[shoter]

@danegsta Any update on the issue?

Writing to keep thread alive - some repositories auto close issues after some amount of time.

[danegsta]

Sorry for the slow response, I missed the notification that you’d replied; there’s definitely nothing about your app host that stands out as being a potential problem. Can you try running the test project as though it were a normal app host and see if the behavior is the same when not running under tests?

It’ll be few days because of a long weekend here, but I’ll standup a version of your project and try to reproduce locally on Tuesday.