docs: priority DESC dispatch + bulk-cancel API + sequential patterns#1
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May 14, 2026 15:18
…ntial patterns
Lessons learned running 86-issue feature spec through one Multica board:
- agent_task_queue dispatch is ORDER BY priority DESC, created_at ASC. A bulk
import that mapped difficulty:H → priority:high silently inverted the intended
T001→T002→… order. Flatten priorities at import or hold future work outside todo.
- Moving an issue to backlog / cancelled does not cancel its queued task row.
The daemon will reclaim it on the next restart. Use the
POST /api/agents/{id}/cancel-tasks API to actually drain the queue.
- For strict sequential dispatch: agent.max_concurrent_tasks=1 + only one issue
in todo at a time + a small promoter loop watching for in_review/done.
Adds:
- skills/multica/SKILL.md: new sections "Dispatch order", "Holding work and forcing
sequential dispatch", "Cancelling the agent task queue"; extra troubleshooting
rows for zombie queue, priority inversion, missing repo context.
- docs/SEQUENTIAL_DISPATCH.md: ops walkthrough with SQL excerpt and a working
curl example for the cancel-tasks endpoint.
- examples/*.py: five battle-tested scripts (import-from-md, rebalance, holdback,
wave promoter, strict single-flight watcher).
- README.md: link to new docs + examples table.
After a bulk POST /api/agents/{id}/cancel-tasks call, any queue row
that was created by a prior 'multica issue assign' gets cancelled too.
A subsequent re-assign of the same agent doesn't always re-enqueue,
so the daemon never claims the task. Pair unassign + re-assign with
'multica issue rerun' to force a fresh queue row.
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Summary
Lessons learned running 86 Spec Kit tasks through a single Multica board:
agent_task_queue.ORDER BY priority DESC, created_at ASC— bulk imports that map difficulty→priority will silently invert intended order.backlog/cancelleddoes not cancel its queue row. The daemon reclaims them afterdaemon start. Drain withPOST /api/agents/{id}/cancel-tasks(this PR documents the route + workspace-header requirement).max_concurrent_tasks=1, only one issue intodo, and a small watcher that promotes the next holding issue once the current one reachesin_review/done.Files
skills/multica/SKILL.md— new sections + 4 troubleshooting rowsdocs/SEQUENTIAL_DISPATCH.md— ops walkthrough with SQL excerpt and curl exampleexamples/import-tasks-from-md.py— bulk-create issues from tasks.mdexamples/rebalance-by-phase.py— reassign byphase:*labelexamples/holdback-wave.py— reset stuck issues + flatten priorities + hold future wavesexamples/wave-promoter.py— wave-based promotionexamples/strict-sequential.py— single-flight watcherTest plan
POST /api/agents/{id}/cancel-tasksreturns 200 and drains 90+ zombie rows.strict-sequential.py --watchcorrectly promoted ITE-3 (T002) only after ITE-2 (T001) reachedin_review.rebalance-by-phase.pyis idempotent (re-running on a clean board makes 0 changes).