Exception: Trying to create a task with an invalid function name

[albertz]

I got this for the first time, and also only once, after trying again, it did not occur again:

$ python ./sis m recipe/i6_experiments/...                                                                                                                                          
[2026-02-11 20:40:47,000] WARNING: get_executable_path: use of gs is deprecated, please provide a Path object for gs.RETURNN_PYTHON_EXE
[2026-02-11 20:40:47,000] WARNING: get_executable_path: use of gs is deprecated, please provide a Path object for gs.RETURNN_ROOT
[2026-02-11 20:40:57,733] INFO: Loaded config: recipe/i6_experiments/users/zeyer/experiments/exp2025_11_11_ctc_lm_search.py (loaded module:
 i6_experiments.users.zeyer.experiments.exp2025_11_11_ctc_lm_search)
[2026-02-11 20:40:57,733] INFO: Config loaded (time needed: 11.73)                                                                         
[2026-02-11 20:41:01,470] CRITICAL: Trying to create a task with an invalid function name                                                  
[2026-02-11 20:41:01,470] CRITICAL: Job name: Job<work/i6_core/returnn/training/GetBestPtCheckpointJob.xUyBGR1LEpaY>
[2026-02-11 20:41:01,470] CRITICAL: Function name: run                                                                                     
[2026-02-11 20:41:01,470] ERROR: Exception in thread <DummyProcess(Thread-3 (worker), started daemon 23359902389824)>:                     
EXCEPTION                                                                                                                                  
Traceback (most recent call last):                                   
  File "/rwthfs/rz/cluster/home/az668407/setups/combined/2021-05-31/tools/sisyphus/sisyphus/tools.py", line 304, in default_handle_exceptio
n_interrupt_main_thread.<locals>.wrapped_func                                                                                              
    line: return func(*args, **kwargs)                                                                                                     
    locals:                                                                                                                                
      func = <local> <function sisyphus.graph.SISGraph.for_all_nodes.<locals>.runner_helper>                                               
      args = <local> (Job<work/i6_core/returnn/training/GetBestPtCheckpointJob.xUyBGR1LEpaY>,)                                                   kwargs = <local> {}                                                                                                                  
  File "/rwthfs/rz/cluster/home/az668407/setups/combined/2021-05-31/tools/sisyphus/sisyphus/graph.py", line 596, in SISGraph.for_all_nodes.<locals>.runner_helper                                                                                                                     
    line: res = f(job)                                                                                                                         locals:                                                                                                                                
      f = <local> <function sisyphus.graph.SISGraph.get_jobs_by_status.<locals>.get_unfinished_jobs>                                             job = <local> Job<work/i6_core/returnn/training/GetBestPtCheckpointJob.xUyBGR1LEpaY>                                                 
  File "/rwthfs/rz/cluster/home/az668407/setups/combined/2021-05-31/tools/sisyphus/sisyphus/graph.py", line 472, in SISGraph.get_jobs_by_status.<locals>.get_unfinished_jobs                                                                                                          
    line: for task in job._sis_tasks():                                                                                                        locals:                                                                                                                                
      job = <local> Job<work/i6_core/returnn/training/GetBestPtCheckpointJob.xUyBGR1LEpaY>                                               
  File "/rwthfs/rz/cluster/home/az668407/setups/combined/2021-05-31/tools/sisyphus/sisyphus/job.py", line 838, in Job._sis_tasks           
    line: task.set_job(self)                                                                                                                   locals:                                                                                                                                
      task = <local> <Task 'run' job=Job<work/i6_core/returnn/training/GetBestPtCheckpointJob.xUyBGR1LEpaY>>  
      self = <local> Job<work/i6_core/returnn/training/GetBestPtCheckpointJob.xUyBGR1LEpaY>                                                
  File "/rwthfs/rz/cluster/home/az668407/setups/combined/2021-05-31/tools/sisyphus/sisyphus/task.py", line 85, in Task.set_job
    line: getattr(self._job, name)                                                                                                         
    locals:                                                                                                                                      self = <local> <Task 'run' job=Job<work/i6_core/returnn/training/GetBestPtCheckpointJob.xUyBGR1LEpaY>>                               
      self._job = <local> Job<work/i6_core/returnn/training/GetBestPtCheckpointJob.xUyBGR1LEpaY>                                           
      name = <local> 'run'                                                                                                                 
AttributeError: 'GetBestPtCheckpointJob' object has no attribute 'run'                      
[2026-02-11 20:41:01,620] ERROR: Main thread unhandled exception:                                                                          
EXCEPTION                                                                                                                                  
Traceback (most recent call last):                                                                                                         
  File "/rwthfs/rz/cluster/home/az668407/setups/combined/2021-05-31/tools/sisyphus/sisyphus/__main__.py", line 234, in main                
    line: args.func(args)                                                                                                                  
    locals:                                                                                                                                
      args = <local> Namespace(log_level=20, config_files=['recipe/i6_experiments/users/zeyer/experiments/exp2025_11_11_ctc_lm_search.py'],
 run=False, clear_errors_once=False, clear_interrupts_once=False, ignore_once=False, http_port=None, filesystem=None, interactive=False, ui
=False, argv=['recipe/i6_experiments/use... 
      args.func = <local> <function sisyphus.manager.manager>                                                                              
  File "/rwthfs/rz/cluster/home/az668407/setups/combined/2021-05-31/tools/sisyphus/sisyphus/manager.py", line 114, in manager
    line: manager = Manager(                                         
              sis_graph=sis_graph,                                                                                                         
              job_engine=job_engine,                                 
              link_outputs=args.run,                                                                                                       
              clear_errors_once=args.clear_errors_once,                                                                                    
              clear_interrupts_once=args.clear_interrupts_once,                                                                            
              ignore_once=args.ignore_once,                         
              start_computations=args.run,                                                                                                 
              interative=args.interactive,                                                                                                 
              ui=args.ui,                                                                                                                  
          )                                                          
    locals:                                                                                                                                
      manager = <local> None                                                                                                               
      sis_graph = <local> <sisyphus.graph.SISGraph object at 0x153fb8d776b0>                                                               
      job_engine = <local> <sisyphus.engine.EngineSelector object at 0x153ee6f9f260>                                                       
      args = <local> Namespace(log_level=20, config_files=['recipe/i6_experiments/users/zeyer/experiments/exp2025_11_11_ctc_lm_search.py'],
 run=False, clear_errors_once=False, clear_interrupts_once=False, ignore_once=False, http_port=None, filesystem=None, interactive=False, ui
=False, argv=['recipe/i6_experiments/use...                                                                                                
      args.run = <local> False                                                                                                             
      args.clear_errors_once = <local> False                                                                                               
      args.clear_interrupts_once = <local> False                                                                                           
      args.ignore_once = <local> False                                                                                                     
      args.interactive = <local> False                                                                                                     
      args.ui = <local> False                                                                                                              
  File "/rwthfs/rz/cluster/home/az668407/setups/combined/2021-05-31/tools/sisyphus/sisyphus/manager.py", line 236, in Manager.__init__
    line: self.update_jobs()                                                                                                               
    locals:                                                                                                                                
      self = <local> <Manager(Thread-2, initial)>                                                                                          
  File "/rwthfs/rz/cluster/home/az668407/setups/combined/2021-05-31/tools/sisyphus/sisyphus/manager.py", line 253, in Manager.update_jobs
    line: self.jobs = jobs = self.sis_graph.get_jobs_by_status(engine=self.job_engine, skip_finished=skip_finished)
    locals:
      self = <local> <Manager(Thread-2, initial)>
      self.jobs = <local> !AttributeError: 'Manager' object has no attribute 'jobs'
      self.sis_graph = <local> <sisyphus.graph.SISGraph object at 0x153fb8d776b0>
      self.job_engine = <local> <sisyphus.engine.EngineSelector object at 0x153ee6f9f260>
      skip_finished = <local> True
  File "/rwthfs/rz/cluster/home/az668407/setups/combined/2021-05-31/tools/sisyphus/sisyphus/graph.py", line 502, in SISGraph.get_jobs_by_status
    line: self.for_all_nodes(get_unfinished_jobs, nodes=nodes)
    locals:
      self = <local> <sisyphus.graph.SISGraph object at 0x153fb8d776b0>
      get_unfinished_jobs = <local> <function sisyphus.graph.SISGraph.get_jobs_by_status.<locals>.get_unfinished_jobs>
      nodes = <local> None
  File "/rwthfs/rz/cluster/home/az668407/setups/combined/2021-05-31/tools/sisyphus/sisyphus/graph.py", line 611, in SISGraph.for_all_nodes
    line: time.sleep(0.1)
KeyboardInterrupt
[2026-02-11 20:41:01,623] WARNING: Main thread exit. Still running non-daemon threads: {<LocalEngine(Thread-1, started 23359904515648)>}

No idea what this is. But I also did not really investigate. Might be some very rare random hiccup, or very rare race condition. Just reporting in case anyone stumbles upon this again.

[albertz]

I think this is related to i6_experiments.common.utils.fake_job.make_fake_job.

The fake job class does not have the run method. The default Job.tasks defines a single "run" task, so it checks for that.

What I don't fully understand why SISGraph.get_jobs_by_status.<locals>.get_unfinished_jobs even goes into that code branch. The code:

get_unfinished_jobs(job):
    ...
    if job._sis_runnable():
        if job._sis_setup():
            if job._sis_is_set_to_hold():
                new_state = gs.STATE_HOLD
            elif job._sis_finished():
                new_state = gs.STATE_FINISHED
            else:
                # check state of tasks
                for task in job._sis_tasks():
                    ...

In this case, the job is finished. So job._sis_finished() should return True. The gs.JOB_FINISHED_MARKER ("finished") file does exist in the job dir. But somehow, it not always goes into this path.

In Job._sis_finished, there is the logic about self._sis_finished_recent_check_time. Maybe there is a race condition. If multiple threads call this, maybe in one thread, it already overwrites _sis_finished_recent_check_time but before setting self._sis_is_finished = True. Then, in the other thread, it would run into:

if (time.monotonic() - self._sis_finished_recent_check_time) < gs.WAIT_PERIOD_BETWEEN_CHECKS:
    return False

And it returns False.

Maybe there should be a lock around _sis_finished that it is not executed in parallel?

[michaellinhq]

Hi, I reviewed 'Exception: Trying to create a task with an invalid function name' and can start immediately. I can deliver a first usable version quickly and iterate based on your feedback. If this scope still matches your priority, I can proceed right away.

[albertz]

@michaellinhq feel free to create a PR.