c0279f0910 fix(checkpoint-postgres): derive the delta walk cursor once the target loads (#8556)
## Summary

`get_delta_channel_history` on Postgres returns an empty history for any `DeltaChannel` on a
target checkpoint that is not within the first stage-1 pagination page (1024 rows) of the thread.
No exception, no warning: the channel just hydrates empty.

Fixes #8448

## Problem

Stage 1 pages `checkpoints` newest-first from the head of the thread, and after each page
`_try_advance_walks` tries to move every not-yet-seeded channel's walk along the partial
`parent_of` map accumulated so far. The walk starts at the target's parent:

```python
if ch not in walk_cursor_by_ch:
    walk_cursor_by_ch[ch] = parent_of.get(target_id)
```

The target can be any checkpoint in the thread, not just the head, so on the first page
`parent_of` frequently has no row for it yet. `.get` then returns `None`, which is also what a
target with no parent returns, and the two are stored identically. Because the initialisation is
guarded by `ch not in walk_cursor_by_ch`, it never runs again: once the walk is parked at `None`
it stays there even after the target's real row and real parent load on a later page.

The result is an empty chain and no seed. Downstream `channels_from_checkpoint` does

```python
replay_ch = delta_spec.from_checkpoint(history.get("seed", MISSING))
replay_ch.replay_writes(history["writes"])
```

so `get_state`, `get_state_history` and `update_state` against an older checkpoint reconstruct a
`messages` channel as `[]` on a thread with hundreds of real messages.

## Fix

Start the walk only once `target_id` is actually present in `parent_of`, so "the target has not
loaded yet" stops sharing a representation with "the target is a root":

```python
if ch not in walk_cursor_by_ch:
    if target_id not in parent_of:
        continue
    walk_cursor_by_ch[ch] = parent_of[target_id]
```

`_try_advance_walks` is a static method on `BasePostgresSaver`, so `PostgresSaver` and
`AsyncPostgresSaver` are both covered by the one change.

## Why it's safe

`continue` leaves the channel exactly as it was, so a later page retries. The three existing
stop conditions are untouched: a channel that finds its seed still seeds, one that reaches a real
root still parks at `None`, and one waiting on an ancestor still keeps its cursor. Paging still
terminates on a short page, which is what ends the run for a target that really is a root.

## Long-term

The sibling sqlite implementation avoids this class of bug differently, by starting its stage-1
scan at the target (`checkpoint_id <= ?`) instead of at the head. Postgres could adopt the same
bound and would then never fetch a checkpoint newer than the target at all, which looks like the
bigger win on a long thread. It makes the read path depend on ancestors always sorting below their
descendants, though, which sqlite already assumes but the Postgres fast path currently does not.
#8550 now reports that assumption as a bug in sqlite, on the grounds that ancestry is defined by
`parent_checkpoint_id` and the contract does not require ids to be monotonic, so the bound is the
wrong direction to move Postgres in. Paging the full thread and following parent pointers is what
keeps this path correct when ids are not monotonic, and with this fix Postgres returns the right
history for #8550's scenario at every page size.

## Test plan

New `libs/checkpoint-postgres/tests/test_delta_pagination.py`. Page size is monkeypatched rather
than writing 1024+ real checkpoints per case, since the only thing that decides the behaviour is
which page the target lands on.

- [x] `test_async_target_older_than_the_first_page` and its sync twin, parametrised over page
      sizes `[_DELTA_PAGE_SIZE, 3, 2, 1]`. The thread has 8 checkpoints with a snapshot at step 1
      and the target at step 4, so every size at or below 3 leaves the target off the first page.
      The real page size is the control.
- [x] `test_root_target_has_no_history_and_still_terminates` covers the case where a `None` cursor
      is the correct answer, at page size 1 so the paging loop runs the length of the thread.
- [x] 6 of the 9 fail on `main` (`expected a snapshot seed, got '<missing>'`); the 3 that pass are
      the two controls and the root case.
- [x] `make format`, `make lint_package`, `make lint_tests` clean.
- [x] Full `libs/checkpoint-postgres` suite, rebased on current `main`: 279 passed, 3 skipped on Postgres 16.
- [x] Graph-level repro with `_DELTA_PAGE_SIZE = 5`: 10 invocations, then `get_state` on the 8th-newest
      checkpoint returns `[]` on `main` and the full history on this branch.

Thanks to @Navneet-Scaler for the report, the mechanism write-up, and the fix in #8453, which this
matches.




Co-authored-by: Navneet-Scaler <147032454+Navneet-Scaler@users.noreply.github.com>
2026-09-30 12:16:55 -04:00
2026-05-05 17:58:37 +02:00

Low-level orchestration framework for building stateful agents.

PyPI - License PyPI - Downloads Version Twitter / X

Trusted by companies shaping the future of agents – including Klarna, Replit, Elastic, and more – LangGraph is a low-level orchestration framework for building, managing, and deploying long-running, stateful agents.

pip install -U langgraph

Tip

If you're looking to quickly build agents, check out Deep Agents — a higher-level package built on LangGraph for agents that can plan, use subagents, and leverage file systems for complex tasks.

For an equivalent JS/TS library, check out LangGraph.js and the JS docs.

Why use LangGraph?

LangGraph provides low-level supporting infrastructure for any long-running, stateful workflow or agent:

  • Durable execution — Build agents that persist through failures and can run for extended periods, automatically resuming from exactly where they left off.
  • Human-in-the-loop — Seamlessly incorporate human oversight by inspecting and modifying agent state at any point during execution.
  • Comprehensive memory — Create truly stateful agents with both short-term working memory for ongoing reasoning and long-term persistent memory across sessions.
  • Debugging with LangSmith — Gain deep visibility into complex agent behavior with visualization tools that trace execution paths, capture state transitions, and provide detailed runtime metrics.
  • Production-ready deployment — Deploy sophisticated agent systems confidently with scalable infrastructure designed to handle the unique challenges of stateful, long-running workflows.

Tip

For developing, debugging, and deploying AI agents and LLM applications, see LangSmith.

LangGraph ecosystem

While LangGraph can be used standalone, it also integrates seamlessly with any LangChain product, giving developers a full suite of tools for building agents.

To improve your LLM application development, pair LangGraph with:

  • Deep Agents – Build agents that can plan, use subagents, and leverage file systems for complex tasks.
  • LangChain – Provides integrations and composable components to streamline LLM application development.
  • LangSmith – Helpful for agent evals and observability. Debug poor-performing LLM app runs, evaluate agent trajectories, gain visibility in production, and improve performance over time.
  • LangSmith Deployment – Deploy and scale agents effortlessly with a purpose-built deployment platform for long-running, stateful workflows. Discover, reuse, configure, and share agents across teams – and iterate quickly with visual prototyping in LangSmith Studio.

Documentation

Discussions: Visit the LangChain Forum to connect with the community and share all of your technical questions, ideas, and feedback.

Additional resources

  • Guides – Quick, actionable code snippets for topics such as streaming, adding memory & persistence, and design patterns (e.g. branching, subgraphs, etc.).
  • LangChain Academy – Learn the basics of LangGraph in our free, structured course.
  • Case studies – Hear how industry leaders use LangGraph to ship AI applications at scale.
  • Contributing Guide – Learn how to contribute to LangChain projects and find good first issues.
  • Code of Conduct – Our community guidelines and standards for participation.

Acknowledgements

LangGraph is inspired by Pregel and Apache Beam. The public interface draws inspiration from NetworkX. LangGraph is built by LangChain Inc, the creators of LangChain, but can be used without LangChain.

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