Starline: consecutive records with same states & attributes are written to DB

[ildar170975]

The problem

Here is a states table filtered for some particular device_tracker entity:

The state is same.
Even the attributes_id is same.
Then why there are several consecutive records about same?

What version of Home Assistant Core has the issue?

2024.2.3

What was the last working version of Home Assistant Core?

No response

What type of installation are you running?

Home Assistant Container

Integration causing the issue

starline

Link to integration documentation on our website

https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/starline/

Diagnostics information

No response

Example YAML snippet

No response

Anything in the logs that might be useful for us?

No response

Additional information

No response

[home-assistant]

Hey there @Anonym-tsk, mind taking a look at this issue as it has been labeled with an integration (starline) you are listed as a code owner for? Thanks!

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[Anonym-tsk]

This happens because the attributes change. What's wrong with these records?

[ildar170975]

Attributes do not change.
Check this again:

Each group has same "attributes_id".
For instance, first 6 records have these attributes:

Difference between records is only in "last_updated" (every 180 sec).
But this attribute should not be updated if attributes do not change.

[Anonym-tsk]

Maybe schedule_update_ha_state() publishes update for each call, I don't know. @joostlek please help

[joostlek]

I assume schedule_update_ha_state() will update the state. I don't get what's the problem here

[Anonym-tsk]

schedule_update_ha_state() will update the state

Should this method update state if it hasn't changed? Or should the component itself determine the state change? @frenck

[joostlek]

Please don't ping random people. This will only have a counter productive effect. Instead formulate a question and put it in the discord #devs channel for example

[joostlek]

But yes, if you ask to update the ha state, it will update the state and that is also stored

[rvalitov]

Is this issue planned to be fixed?

[ildar170975]

There is a similar issue #111517

What we can see here in this Starline issue:

1. A row with same state & attrs is added to DB.
2. Difference is last_updated (every 3 minutes).

Thoughts:

1. The way for a user to see that an entity is still being updated (i.e. the Starline integration is still working) - checking last_updated: if it changes -> then the integration is not dead.
2. According to HA dev: on every change of last_updated a new row is added to DB - even if state & attrs are same. This seems to be a common architecture.

Based on said above - I have to accept the current fact "DB is flooded by same rows".
Closing.
Let me know if I am wrong.