feat(PLT-2676): enhance caching strategy for monorepos with smart install detection (#174)

kb-typeform · web-flow · commit 583af47d0885 · 2026-01-16T15:46:42.000+01:00
This PR enhances the setup-node-with-cache action with comprehensive
cache
integrity verification and verbose debugging to support the ongoing
rollout
of centralized GitHub Actions across frontend projects.
diff --git a/shared-actions/setup-node-with-cache/README.md b/shared-actions/setup-node-with-cache/README.md
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ Standardized Node.js setup with enhanced yarn caching and GitHub packages regist
 - ✅ Restore-keys for fallback caching (85%+ hit rate)
 - ✅ GitHub packages registry configuration
 - ✅ Automatic dependency installation on cache miss
+- ✅ **Cache integrity verification** to prevent stale cache issues
+- ✅ **Comprehensive debug logging** for troubleshooting
 - ✅ Support for local testing with `act`
 
 ## Usage
@@ -46,8 +48,18 @@ None
    - `~/.cache/yarn` - Yarn global cache (always enabled for better performance)
    - `~/.asdf/installs` - asdf tool installations (when using asdf)
 5. **Uses restore-keys** for fallback caching when exact match not found
-6. **Logs cache status** for visibility (HIT/MISS)
-7. **Installs dependencies** automatically on cache miss
+6. **Verifies cache integrity** on cache hit:
+   - Checks if `node_modules/` exists and has content
+   - Validates `.yarn-integrity` file presence
+   - Verifies workspace packages have `node_modules/`
+   - Forces fresh install if cache is incomplete or corrupted
+7. **Logs cache status** with detailed debug information
+8. **Installs dependencies** automatically on cache miss or verification failure
+9. **Smart install detection** on cache hit (after verification):
+   - **Yarn workspaces**: ALWAYS runs install (needs workspace symlink creation)
+   - **Lerna monorepos**: Runs install (needs lerna bootstrap)
+   - **Postinstall hooks**: Runs install (needs hook execution)
+   - **Note**: Even Turbo monorepos need install for workspace linking
 
 ## Cache Strategy
 
@@ -68,17 +80,59 @@ This ensures:
 - **Monorepo support**: `**/yarn.lock` pattern handles nested workspaces
 - **Consistent keys**: Removed `.tool-versions` dependency for reliability
 
+### Cache Integrity Verification
+
+On cache hit, the action performs **automatic verification** to prevent stale cache issues:
+
+1. **node_modules existence check**: Verifies directory exists and has packages
+2. **Yarn integrity validation**: Checks for `.yarn-integrity` file
+3. **Workspace structure validation**: Ensures workspace packages have `node_modules/`
+
+If any verification fails, the action **forces a fresh install** to rebuild the cache correctly.
+
+**Why this matters**: Prevents issues where:
+- Cache is restored but incomplete (network interruption during save)
+- Workspace dependencies added but not in cached `node_modules/`
+- Cache corruption or partial restoration
+
+### Monorepo Handling
+
+The action intelligently handles different monorepo types (after cache verification):
+
+| Monorepo Type | Cache Hit Behavior | Reason |
+|---------------|-------------------|---------|
+| **Yarn workspaces** | ⚠️ ALWAYS runs install | Workspace symlinks NOT preserved in cache |
+| **Lerna** (has `lerna.json`) | ⚠️ Runs install | Needs `lerna bootstrap` for package linking |
+| **Postinstall hooks** | ⚠️ Runs install | Needs to execute postinstall scripts |
+| **Failed verification** | ⚠️ Runs install | Cache incomplete or corrupted |
+
+**Critical: Yarn Workspace Symlinks**
+
+Even Turbo monorepos need `yarn install` on cache hit because:
+- GitHub Actions cache does NOT preserve symlinks
+- Yarn creates symlinks between workspace packages during install
+- Without symlinks, workspace dependencies aren't found (e.g., "jest: not found")
+- Turbo handles BUILD caching, not workspace linking
+
+**Performance impact**:
+- Adds ~10-20 seconds to cache hits for workspace symlink creation
+- This is unavoidable for Yarn workspace monorepos
+- The install is fast because packages are already cached
+
 ## Performance Impact
 
 | Scenario | Before | After | Improvement |
 |----------|--------|-------|-------------|
-| Cache hit (setup-node) | 2-3 min | 10-15 sec | 85% faster |
-| Cache hit (asdf) | 2-3 min | 5-10 sec | 90% faster |
+| Cache hit (setup-node) | 2-3 min | 30-40 sec | 75% faster |
+| Cache hit (asdf) | 2-3 min | 25-35 sec | 80% faster |
 | Cache miss | 2-3 min | 1-2 min | 40% faster (with yarn cache) |
 | Cache hit rate | 60% | 85%+ | 42% better |
 | asdf Node.js install | 1-2 min | 5 sec | 95% faster (when cached) |
 
-**Note**: When using asdf-vm, the action caches both the asdf installations and node_modules, providing even better performance.
+**Note**:
+- Cache hits for Yarn workspaces include ~10-20s for workspace symlink creation
+- When using asdf-vm, the action caches both the asdf installations and node_modules
+- The install on cache hit is fast because packages are already cached
 
 ## Local Testing with act
 
@@ -157,13 +211,51 @@ If you see "❌ Cache MISS" on every run:
    - Look for "✅ Cache HIT" or "❌ Cache MISS" in workflow logs
    - Check the cache key being used
 
+### Cache Hits But Still Runs Install?
+
+If you see cache hit but install still runs, check the debug logs:
+
+1. **Cache verification failed**:
+   ```
+   ⚠️ node_modules appears empty - forcing install
+   ⚠️ Missing .yarn-integrity file - forcing install
+   ⚠️ Workspace packages exist but no workspace node_modules found - forcing install
+   ```
+   This means the cache was incomplete. The action will rebuild it correctly.
+
+2. **Monorepo requires install**:
+   ```
+   📦 Detected Yarn workspaces - install needed for workspace linking
+   📦 Detected Lerna monorepo - install needed for lerna bootstrap
+   🔧 Detected postinstall hook - install needed to execute it
+   ```
+   This is expected behavior for Yarn workspace monorepos (including Turbo-based ones).
+   The install recreates workspace symlinks that aren't preserved in cache.
+
+3. **Review debug output**:
+   The action logs detailed cache information:
+   - Root `node_modules/` package count
+   - Yarn integrity file status
+   - Workspace package count
+   - Workspace `node_modules/` count
+
 ### Still Slow After Cache Hit?
 
 If cache hits but setup still takes >1 minute:
 
 1. **Large node_modules**: Consider using artifacts instead of cache
 2. **Slow runner disk**: Check runner performance
 3. **Network latency**: Cache download may be slow
+4. **Verification forcing install**: Check debug logs for verification failures
+
+### Stale Cache Issues?
+
+If builds fail with "Cannot find module" after cache hit:
+
+1. **Check debug logs** for cache verification results
+2. **Manually delete old caches** at: `Settings → Actions → Caches`
+3. **The action should auto-detect** incomplete caches and rebuild them
+4. **If issue persists**, open an issue with the debug logs
 
 ## Related Actions
 
diff --git a/shared-actions/setup-node-with-cache/action.yml b/shared-actions/setup-node-with-cache/action.yml
@@ -83,6 +83,44 @@ runs:
         restore-keys: |
           ${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-yarn-
     
+    - name: Debug cache contents
+      id: debug-cache
+      if: ${{ !env.ACT && steps.yarn-cache.outputs.cache-hit == 'true' }}
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        set +e  # Don't exit on error - we want to continue even if find fails
+        
+        echo "=== 🔍 Cache Debug Info ==="
+        echo "Cache key: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-yarn-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock', '**/package.json') }}"
+        echo ""
+        
+        echo "=== 📦 Root node_modules Status ==="
+        if [ -d "node_modules" ]; then
+          MODULE_COUNT=$(ls -1 node_modules 2>/dev/null | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
+          echo "✅ node_modules exists"
+          echo "📊 Package count: $MODULE_COUNT"
+          echo "🔒 Yarn integrity: $([ -f 'node_modules/.yarn-integrity' ] && echo '✅ present' || echo '❌ missing')"
+        else
+          echo "❌ node_modules directory not found"
+        fi
+        echo ""
+        
+        echo "=== 🏢 Workspace Structure ==="
+        # Use find with || true to prevent failures when directories don't exist
+        WORKSPACE_PACKAGES=$(find packages/*/package.json apps/*/package.json -type f 2>/dev/null || true | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
+        WORKSPACE_MODULES=$(find packages/*/node_modules apps/*/node_modules -maxdepth 0 -type d 2>/dev/null || true | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
+        echo "📦 Workspace packages: $WORKSPACE_PACKAGES"
+        echo "🔗 Workspace node_modules: $WORKSPACE_MODULES"
+        
+        if [ "$WORKSPACE_PACKAGES" -gt 0 ]; then
+          echo ""
+          echo "Workspace packages found:"
+          find packages/*/package.json apps/*/package.json -type f 2>/dev/null || true | sed 's|/package.json||' | sed 's|^|  - |'
+        fi
+        echo ""
+        
+        set -e  # Re-enable exit on error
+    
     - name: Check if yarn install needed on cache hit
       id: check-install-needed
       if: ${{ !env.ACT }}
@@ -94,48 +132,103 @@ runs:
         # - Cache restores node_modules, but doesn't run postinstall hooks
         # - Monorepos need workspace linking even with cached node_modules
         # - Some projects have critical postinstall scripts (e.g., building native modules)
+        # - Cached node_modules might be incomplete or corrupted
         #
-        # We detect three scenarios that require yarn install on cache hit:
+        # We detect scenarios that require yarn install on cache hit:
         
         NEEDS_INSTALL=false
+        CACHE_HIT="${{ steps.yarn-cache.outputs.cache-hit }}"
         
-        # 1. Yarn workspaces: Need symlink creation between workspace packages
-        if grep -q '"workspaces"' package.json 2>/dev/null; then
-          echo "📦 Detected Yarn workspaces - install needed for workspace linking"
-          NEEDS_INSTALL=true
-        fi
-        
-        # 2. Lerna monorepo: Need lerna bootstrap (usually in postinstall hook)
-        if [ -f "lerna.json" ]; then
-          echo "📦 Detected Lerna monorepo - install needed for lerna bootstrap"
-          NEEDS_INSTALL=true
+        # On cache hit, verify cache integrity before trusting it
+        if [ "$CACHE_HIT" == "true" ]; then
+          echo "=== 🔍 Verifying Cache Integrity ==="
+          
+          # Verification 1: Check if node_modules exists and has content
+          if [ ! -d "node_modules" ]; then
+            echo "❌ node_modules directory missing - forcing install"
+            NEEDS_INSTALL=true
+          else
+            MODULE_COUNT=$(ls -1 node_modules 2>/dev/null | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
+            if [ "$MODULE_COUNT" -lt 5 ]; then
+              echo "⚠️ node_modules appears empty ($MODULE_COUNT packages) - forcing install"
+              NEEDS_INSTALL=true
+            fi
+          fi
+          
+          # Verification 2: Check yarn integrity file
+          if [ "$NEEDS_INSTALL" == "false" ] && [ ! -f "node_modules/.yarn-integrity" ]; then
+            echo "⚠️ Missing .yarn-integrity file - cache may be incomplete, forcing install"
+            NEEDS_INSTALL=true
+          fi
+          
+          # Verification 3: For workspaces, verify workspace packages have node_modules
+          if [ "$NEEDS_INSTALL" == "false" ]; then
+            WORKSPACE_PACKAGES=$(find packages/*/package.json apps/*/package.json -type f 2>/dev/null || true | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
+            if [ "$WORKSPACE_PACKAGES" -gt 0 ]; then
+              WORKSPACE_MODULES=$(find packages/*/node_modules apps/*/node_modules -maxdepth 0 -type d 2>/dev/null || true | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
+              if [ "$WORKSPACE_MODULES" -eq 0 ]; then
+                echo "⚠️ Workspace packages exist but no workspace node_modules found - forcing install"
+                NEEDS_INSTALL=true
+              fi
+            fi
+          fi
+          
+          if [ "$NEEDS_INSTALL" == "false" ]; then
+            echo "✅ Cache integrity verified"
+          fi
         fi
         
-        # 3. Postinstall hook: Any project with postinstall needs it executed
-        #    Examples: building native modules, generating files, running setup scripts
-        if grep -q '"postinstall"' package.json 2>/dev/null; then
-          echo "🔧 Detected postinstall hook - install needed to execute it"
-          NEEDS_INSTALL=true
+        # Check for monorepo configurations that need install
+        if [ "$NEEDS_INSTALL" == "false" ]; then
+          # 1. Yarn workspaces: ALWAYS need symlink creation between workspace packages
+          #    CRITICAL: Workspace symlinks are NOT preserved in GitHub Actions cache!
+          #    Even Turbo monorepos need this - Turbo handles build caching, not workspace linking.
+          if grep -q '"workspaces"' package.json 2>/dev/null; then
+            echo "📦 Detected Yarn workspaces - install needed for workspace linking"
+            echo "   ⚠️  Workspace symlinks are not preserved in cache"
+            echo "   ⚠️  Skipping install will cause 'module not found' errors"
+            NEEDS_INSTALL=true
+          fi
+          
+          # 2. Lerna monorepo: Need lerna bootstrap (usually in postinstall hook)
+          if [ -f "lerna.json" ]; then
+            echo "📦 Detected Lerna monorepo - install needed for lerna bootstrap"
+            NEEDS_INSTALL=true
+          fi
+          
+          # 3. Postinstall hook: Any project with postinstall needs it executed
+          #    Examples: building native modules, generating files, running setup scripts
+          if grep -q '"postinstall"' package.json 2>/dev/null; then
+            echo "🔧 Detected postinstall hook - install needed to execute it"
+            NEEDS_INSTALL=true
+          fi
         fi
         
         echo "needs-install=$NEEDS_INSTALL" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
     
-    - name: Log cache status
+    - name: Log cache status and decision
       if: ${{ !env.ACT }}
       shell: bash
       run: |
+        echo "=== 📊 Cache Status Summary ==="
         if [ "${{ steps.yarn-cache.outputs.cache-hit }}" == "true" ]; then
           echo "✅ Cache HIT - Dependencies restored from cache"
           echo "📦 Cache key: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-yarn-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock', '**/package.json') }}"
+          echo ""
           if [ "${{ steps.check-install-needed.outputs.needs-install }}" == "true" ]; then
-            echo "🔗 Will run yarn install for workspace linking and/or postinstall hooks"
+            echo "🔄 Decision: WILL run yarn install"
+            echo "Reasons: Cache verification failed, workspace linking needed, or postinstall hooks detected"
           else
-            echo "⚡ Skipping yarn install - not a monorepo and no postinstall hooks"
+            echo "⚡ Decision: SKIP yarn install"
+            echo "Reason: Cache verified and no workspace linking or postinstall hooks required"
           fi
         else
-          echo "❌ Cache MISS - Installing dependencies"
+          echo "❌ Cache MISS - Fresh installation required"
           echo "🔍 Looking for key: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-yarn-${{ hashFiles('**/yarn.lock', '**/package.json') }}"
+          echo ""
+          echo "🔄 Decision: WILL run yarn install"
         fi
+        echo ""
     
     - name: Install Node.js dependencies
       if: ${{ !env.ACT && (steps.yarn-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true' || steps.check-install-needed.outputs.needs-install == 'true') }}
