[CI]: TestNetworkInspect is flaky in windows

[Shubhranshu153]

Description

Some of the subtest are flaky in network inspect test in windows.
Need to root cause.

Steps to reproduce the issue

Running the CI pipelines will occasionally reproduce this error.

Describe the results you received and expected

Expected test to pass.

What version of nerdctl are you using?

latest.

Are you using a variant of nerdctl? (e.g., Rancher Desktop)

None

Host information

No response

[apostasie]

@Shubhranshu153 can you add the log output? + the link to the build that failed?

[apostasie]

eg:

• linking the PR(s) that failed with this helps evaluating how prevalent this is
• concrete log output avoids linking unrelated issues that may affect the same test
  :)

[apostasie]

          +------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
          | ➡️      | ⚙️ C:\Users\runneradmin\go\bin\nerdctl.exe create --name testnetworkinspect-verify-that-only-act |
          |         | ive-containers-appear-in-the-0a54a379 --network testnetworkinspect-verify-that-only-active-conta |
          |         | iners-appear-in-the-844e8a21 registry.k8s.io/e2e-test-images/nginx:1.14-2                        |
          +------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
          |         | 🚫 command returned a non-zero exit code                                                         |
          +------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
          |         | ⚠️ 1                                                                                             |
          +------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
          |         | 🟠 time="2025-06-22T21:52:24Z" level=warning msg="default network named \"nat\" does not have an |
          |         |  internal nerdctl ID or nerdctl-managed config file, it was most likely NOT created by nerdctl"  |
          |         | time="2025-06-22T21:52:24Z" level=warning msg="default network named \"nat\" does not have an in |
          |         | ternal nerdctl ID or nerdctl-managed config file, it was most likely NOT created by nerdctl"     |
          |         | time="2025-06-22T21:52:25Z" level=warning msg="networking setup error has occurred" error="plugi |
          |         | n type=\"nat\" failed (add): hcnCreateNetwork failed in Win32: The object already exists. (0x139 |
          |         | 2) {\"Success\":false,\"Error\":\"The object already exists. \",\"ErrorCode\":2147947410}"       |
          |         | time="2025-06-22T21:52:25Z" level=warning msg="default network named \"nat\" does not have an in |
          |         | ternal nerdctl ID or nerdctl-managed config file, it was most likely NOT created by nerdctl"     |
          |         | time="2025-06-22T21:52:25Z" level=fatal msg="plugin type=\"nat\" failed (add): hcnCreateNetwork  |
          |         | failed in Win32: The object already exists. (0x1392) {\"Success\":false,\"Error\":\"The object a |
          |         | lready exists. \",\"ErrorCode\":2147947410}"        

[apostasie]

Wondering if windows network create is asynchronous...

[apostasie]

https://github.com/microsoft/windows-container-networking/blob/master/common/core/network.go#L145

So, the windows CNI plugin will create the network if it does not exist during CmdAdd (this is just plain wrong).

https://github.com/microsoft/windows-container-networking/blob/master/common/core/network.go#L399-L421

Why is it not finding the existing network (GetNetworkByName)? Unclear. Maybe hcnEnumerateNetworks is somehow faulty.

[apostasie]

Also note that reading through that stuff, most of it does not seem safe to use concurrently...