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vault/Career/20260410122754-esp_known_issues.md
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# Overview
This file documents all known issues, risks, and blockers identified in the handover material. Understanding these early will help you avoid surprises.
# Issue 1 — Database Schema Inconsistency
## What the Problem Is
Existing customer databases have drifted from the official ESP schema. The dacpac built by Team Ludo reflects what the schema **should** be, but what's actually in customer databases doesn't match.
## Impact
- The dacpac **cannot be used** against any customer database until that database is manually aligned
- Deploying a dacpac against a mismatched DB risks data corruption or failures
## What Needs to Happen
For each customer database:
1. A DBA or developer inspects the actual DB schema
2. Identifies differences from the dacpac's expected schema
3. Writes and applies manual scripts to bring the DB into line
4. Verifies a trial dacpac deployment succeeds against a copy
5. Marks the manifest `dacpacReady: true`
## Mitigations in the Pipeline
- The pipeline **must** check the `dacpacReady` flag before touching the database
- If `false`, fail immediately with a clear error message
- See [ESP — Database & Dacpac](id:46add22d-e562-4e3a-a301-d4aea2552952) for implementation detail
# Issue 2 — Build Artifact Is a Flat DLL Dump
## What the Problem Is
The ESP Main Build pipeline produces a single large flat folder containing all DLLs for all applications mixed together. There is no clear separation like:
/artifacts/DLService/DLService.dll
/artifacts/EmailService/EmailService.dll
Instead it's more like:
/artifacts/DLService.dll
/artifacts/SomeSharedLibrary.dll
/artifacts/EmailService.dll
/artifacts/AnotherThing.dll
... (hundreds of files)
## Impact
- The PREDEPLOY stage can't simply copy a folder to a service's install path
- Scripts will need to know **which DLLs belong to which application**
- This mapping does not yet exist
## What Needs to Happen
- Investigate the build artifact structure in detail
- Create a mapping: application → list of DLLs/files it needs
- This mapping may need to be stored in the scripts, the manifest, or a separate config file
- Ideally, feed back to the build team to separate the artifacts properly
# Issue 3 — No Test Environment
## What the Problem Is
There is no dedicated sandbox environment to run test deployments against.
Any deployment the team runs is against a **real customer environment**.
## Impact
- Mistakes affect real customers
- You cannot safely iterate and test the pipeline without risk
- Developing and debugging deployment logic is much harder
## What Needs to Happen
- Set up a dedicated ESP test environment (raised as TBC in handover)
- This may require ESS to provision a server, or Microlise to build one
- Until then, exercise **extreme caution** with any deployment run
# Issue 4 — Licensing Prevents Local Execution
## What the Problem Is
ESP cannot be run on developer machines due to licensing restrictions.
## Impact
- You cannot test your deployment scripts against a local ESP instance
- Debugging requires deploying to a real (or test) server
- Makes the development feedback loop longer
## Mitigation
- The three-tier architecture helps here: Tier 3 functions can be unit tested in isolation without a real ESP environment
- Use Pester (PowerShell testing framework) for unit tests
- End-to-end testing requires access to a real environment
# Issue 5 — Cycle Checks Require Citrix UI Navigation
## What the Problem Is
Post-deployment validation ("cycle checks") involves navigating through the Citrix application UI to verify functionality. This is:
- Extensive and time-consuming
- Very hard to automate (requires UI automation tooling like Selenium or Tosca)
- Dependent on Citrix being accessible from the test runner
## Short-Term Mitigation
Implement cycle checks as a manual prompt in the POSTDEPLOY stage — the pipeline pauses and waits for a human to confirm the checks passed.
## Long-Term Options
- Investigate API-level checks if ESP exposes any (bypasses UI entirely)
- UI automation tools (e.g. Ranorex, Tosca, Selenium with Citrix plugin)
- Simplified smoke tests that don't require full UI navigation
# Issue 6 — Citrix Upgrade Mechanism Unknown
## What the Problem Is
The exact technical mechanism for upgrading a Citrix-delivered application is not yet confirmed. The working assumption is that it involves:
- Copying files to the Citrix server
- Handling any locked executable (the running app may lock its own `.exe`)
## What Needs to Happen
- Confirm with ESS or Citrix documentation how Citrix app upgrades work
- Determine if there's a Citrix-native method (e.g. App Layering, PVS updates) vs. a simple file swap
- Understand how to handle sessions that lock the executable
# Issue 7 — Test/Prod on Same Server
## What the Problem Is
Some customers may have their TEST and PROD instances on the same physical server, differentiated only by install path or port.
## Impact
A misconfigured manifest or script bug could cause a PROD deployment when a TEST deployment was intended.
## Mitigations
- The manifest must clearly separate TEST and PROD config even if they share a server
- Consider an explicit confirmation prompt when deploying to PROD
- AzDO approval gates for PROD stages (not yet designed)
- The VALIDATE stage should catch obvious misconfigurations
# Risk Register Summary
| \# | Issue | Severity | Status | Mitigation |
| -- | -------------------------------- | -------- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| 1 | DB schema inconsistency | High | Unresolved | dacpacReady flag, manual DB fix first |
| 2 | Flat DLL artifact | Medium | Unresolved | Needs DLL-to-app mapping |
| 3 | No test environment | High | TBC | Treat all runs as live |
| 4 | No local execution | Medium | Inherent | Unit test Tier 3 with Pester |
| 5 | Cycle checks need UI | Medium | Manual short-term | Automate later; manual prompt now |
| 6 | Citrix upgrade mechanism unknown | Medium | TBC | Investigate with ESS |
| 7 | Test/Prod on same server | Medium | Design needed | Manifest separation, approval gates |