agent overwrote the only test restore VM by reusing its name for the next verification run

TL;DR

Every test restore gets a unique name and its own lifecycle: reusing one name meant each run destroyed the previous test's evidence and, worse, could collide with a restore someone was still examining. Generate test VM names from the source, date, and a run identifier, record the mapping in the test log, and tear down by the run's own identifier only after its results are recorded.

agent overwrote the only test restore VM by reusing its name for the next verification run

Use this when

• The job or restore fails with this symptom: agent overwrote the only test restore VM by reusing its name for the next verification run.
• You are working on an agent running recurring restore verification tests and the failure repeats on the same target or schedule.
• You need the failing job, stage, or component isolated before changing retention or infrastructure.

Not for this skill when

• A deliberately persistent golden test VM that the team maintains as a reference, which should be excluded from agent teardown by an explicit tag.
• The error text names a different product, stage, or root cause. Match the verbatim error first and use that skill.

Steps

1. Review the test history and confirm the naming collision destroyed a prior test's target. Verify: the overwrite event is documented
2. Change naming to a generated unique form including source and run id, and store the name in the run record. Verify: each test has a unique, recorded target
3. Scope teardown to the run's own identifier and require results to be recorded before teardown is allowed. Verify: teardown cannot eat unrecorded evidence
4. Add a pre-create check that refuses a name that already exists instead of overwriting it. Verify: collisions refuse rather than destroy
5. Run two tests back to back and confirm both VMs coexist until their own teardowns. Verify: isolation holds across runs

Variant phrasings

agent overwrote test restore vm reused name next verification

The verbatim phrasing.

agent restore test unique naming teardown lifecycle fix

The lifecycle phrasing.

test restore vm name collision agent destroyed evidence

The collision phrasing.

Compatibility: Agent restore test isolation and test VM lifecycle management

Why it happens

Names are identity in virtualised estates, and a fixed test name turns a recurring verification into a single overwriting slot. The failure is not just lost evidence; a restore that lands on a name a human is using for diagnosis corrupts two processes at once.

Edge cases / pitfalls

• Orphaned test VMs from crashed runs accumulate; a janitor pass keyed on the naming pattern reclaims them safely.
• The unique name should sort by date so humans browsing the estate read the test history naturally.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_qcGv8ksHImh0iwc5iZXJqg