FAILURE MAP
← Case archive

FA-73881 / Feature flag rollout bucketing / Open access

Weighted variant allocation: Variants are walked alphabetically · case 01

Renaming an arm silently moves which bucket ranges it owns.

Verified by executionVariant 1 · 8 checks per implementationDownload source bundle ↓JSON ↗

ROOT CAUSE

The loop iterates sorted(variants) instead of the declared order.

VERIFIED REPAIR

Walk the variants exactly in declared order.

Unsuccessful approach: Sorting by descending weight is still an order the contract never declared.

Case contract

variants is an ordered list of [name, weight percent with at most two decimals]; bucket is an integer in [0, 10000). Walk variants in declared order, skipping non-positive weights, adding round(weight * 100) to a running total, and return the first variant whose total exceeds the bucket. Buckets beyond the total go to the last positively weighted variant; with none, None.

Why this case matters

Variant splits decide which arm of a flag a user receives and must honour declared weights exactly.

1 / The failure

Exit 1
"""Failure Map reference implementation. Python standard library only."""
import json

N = 1
observations = []
def solve(variants, bucket):
    acc = 0
    last = None
    for name, weight in sorted(variants):
        if weight <= 0:
            continue
        last = name
        acc += round(weight * 100)
        if bucket < acc:
            return name
    return last
def check(label, actual, expected):
    observations.append({"check": label, "actual": actual, "expected": expected, "passed": actual == expected})
fixtures = [[('bucket at first cumulative edge goes to second arm',
   [[['control', 50], ['treatment', 50]], 5000],
   'treatment'),
  ('bucket just below first edge stays in first arm',
   [[['control', 50], ['treatment', 50]], 4999],
   'control'),
  ('zero weight arm is never selected', [[['control', 0], ['treatment', 100]], 0], 'treatment'),
  ('trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remainder',
   [[['control', 40], ['treatment', 40], ['off', 0]], 9000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('three way split middle arm', [[['a', 33.33], ['b', 33.33], ['c', 33.34]], 5000], 'b'),
  ('weight table sample 1',
   [[['green', 1.15], ['holdout', 0], ['alpha', 1.15], ['blue', 50]], 1135],
   'blue')],
 [('bucket just below first edge stays in first arm',
   [[['control', 50], ['treatment', 50]], 4999],
   'control'),
  ('zero weight arm is never selected', [[['control', 0], ['treatment', 100]], 0], 'treatment'),
  ('trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remainder',
   [[['control', 40], ['treatment', 40], ['off', 0]], 9000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('three way split middle arm', [[['a', 33.33], ['b', 33.33], ['c', 33.34]], 5000], 'b'),
  ('weight table sample 13',
   [[['alpha', -5], ['green', 12.5], ['treatment', 50], ['blue', 33.34]], 7194],
   'blue'),
  ('weight table sample 28', [[['alpha', 1.15], ['holdout', 4.35]], 1437], 'holdout')],
 [('zero weight arm is never selected', [[['control', 0], ['treatment', 100]], 0], 'treatment'),
  ('trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remainder',
   [[['control', 40], ['treatment', 40], ['off', 0]], 9000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('no positive weights yields None', [[['a', 0], ['b', 0]], 10], None),
  ('weight table sample 11', [[['holdout', 12.5], ['blue', 12.5], ['alpha', 0.57]], 2500], 'alpha'),
  ('weight table sample 31', [[['green', 1.15], ['blue', 33.33], ['treatment', 4.35]], 3447], 'blue'),
  ('weight table sample 46',
   [[['control', 0], ['alpha', 4.35], ['green', 33.33], ['holdout', 33.33]], 6769],
   'holdout')],
 [('trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remainder',
   [[['control', 40], ['treatment', 40], ['off', 0]], 9000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('no positive weights yields None', [[['a', 0], ['b', 0]], 10], None),
  ('three way split middle arm', [[['a', 33.33], ['b', 33.33], ['c', 33.34]], 5000], 'b'),
  ('weight table sample 16', [[['green', 0.57], ['alpha', 12.5], ['control', 25]], 1307], 'control'),
  ('weight table sample 17', [[['treatment', 1.15], ['control', 0.29], ['blue', 0.29]], 2597], 'blue'),
  ('weight table sample 53',
   [[['treatment', 33.33], ['holdout', 33.34], ['control', 4.35]], 0],
   'treatment')],
 [('bucket at first cumulative edge goes to second arm',
   [[['control', 50], ['treatment', 50]], 5000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('no positive weights yields None', [[['a', 0], ['b', 0]], 10], None),
  ('three way split middle arm', [[['a', 33.33], ['b', 33.33], ['c', 33.34]], 5000], 'b'),
  ('weight table sample 3', [[['treatment', 12.5], ['control', 10], ['holdout', 0.57]], 6309], 'holdout'),
  ('weight table sample 21', [[['green', 33.33], ['treatment', 0]], 0], 'green'),
  ('weight table sample 31', [[['green', 1.15], ['blue', 33.33], ['treatment', 4.35]], 3447], 'blue')]]
for label, args, expected in fixtures[N - 1]:
    check(label, solve(*args), expected)
print(json.dumps({"observations": observations, "passed": all(x["passed"] for x in observations)}, ensure_ascii=False))
raise SystemExit(0 if all(x["passed"] for x in observations) else 1)
Boundary fixtureActualExpectedOutcome
bucket at first cumulative edge goes to second armtreatmenttreatmentPassed
bucket just below first edge stays in first armcontrolcontrolPassed
zero weight arm is never selectedtreatmenttreatmentPassed
trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remaindertreatmenttreatmentPassed
declared order beats alphabetical orderalphazetaFailed
fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 bucketsresttinyFailed
three way split middle armbbPassed
weight table sample 1bluebluePassed

SHA-256 / 499eafd4601363dbb05aa753fc3c96b3b4350911f0216a3d1c90861565a79ab9

2 / The unsuccessful fix

Exit 1
"""Failure Map reference implementation. Python standard library only."""
import json

N = 1
observations = []
def solve(variants, bucket):
    acc = 0
    last = None
    for name, weight in sorted(variants, key=lambda v: -v[1]):
        if weight <= 0:
            continue
        last = name
        acc += round(weight * 100)
        if bucket < acc:
            return name
    return last
def check(label, actual, expected):
    observations.append({"check": label, "actual": actual, "expected": expected, "passed": actual == expected})
fixtures = [[('bucket at first cumulative edge goes to second arm',
   [[['control', 50], ['treatment', 50]], 5000],
   'treatment'),
  ('bucket just below first edge stays in first arm',
   [[['control', 50], ['treatment', 50]], 4999],
   'control'),
  ('zero weight arm is never selected', [[['control', 0], ['treatment', 100]], 0], 'treatment'),
  ('trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remainder',
   [[['control', 40], ['treatment', 40], ['off', 0]], 9000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('three way split middle arm', [[['a', 33.33], ['b', 33.33], ['c', 33.34]], 5000], 'b'),
  ('weight table sample 1',
   [[['green', 1.15], ['holdout', 0], ['alpha', 1.15], ['blue', 50]], 1135],
   'blue')],
 [('bucket just below first edge stays in first arm',
   [[['control', 50], ['treatment', 50]], 4999],
   'control'),
  ('zero weight arm is never selected', [[['control', 0], ['treatment', 100]], 0], 'treatment'),
  ('trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remainder',
   [[['control', 40], ['treatment', 40], ['off', 0]], 9000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('three way split middle arm', [[['a', 33.33], ['b', 33.33], ['c', 33.34]], 5000], 'b'),
  ('weight table sample 13',
   [[['alpha', -5], ['green', 12.5], ['treatment', 50], ['blue', 33.34]], 7194],
   'blue'),
  ('weight table sample 28', [[['alpha', 1.15], ['holdout', 4.35]], 1437], 'holdout')],
 [('zero weight arm is never selected', [[['control', 0], ['treatment', 100]], 0], 'treatment'),
  ('trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remainder',
   [[['control', 40], ['treatment', 40], ['off', 0]], 9000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('no positive weights yields None', [[['a', 0], ['b', 0]], 10], None),
  ('weight table sample 11', [[['holdout', 12.5], ['blue', 12.5], ['alpha', 0.57]], 2500], 'alpha'),
  ('weight table sample 31', [[['green', 1.15], ['blue', 33.33], ['treatment', 4.35]], 3447], 'blue'),
  ('weight table sample 46',
   [[['control', 0], ['alpha', 4.35], ['green', 33.33], ['holdout', 33.33]], 6769],
   'holdout')],
 [('trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remainder',
   [[['control', 40], ['treatment', 40], ['off', 0]], 9000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('no positive weights yields None', [[['a', 0], ['b', 0]], 10], None),
  ('three way split middle arm', [[['a', 33.33], ['b', 33.33], ['c', 33.34]], 5000], 'b'),
  ('weight table sample 16', [[['green', 0.57], ['alpha', 12.5], ['control', 25]], 1307], 'control'),
  ('weight table sample 17', [[['treatment', 1.15], ['control', 0.29], ['blue', 0.29]], 2597], 'blue'),
  ('weight table sample 53',
   [[['treatment', 33.33], ['holdout', 33.34], ['control', 4.35]], 0],
   'treatment')],
 [('bucket at first cumulative edge goes to second arm',
   [[['control', 50], ['treatment', 50]], 5000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('no positive weights yields None', [[['a', 0], ['b', 0]], 10], None),
  ('three way split middle arm', [[['a', 33.33], ['b', 33.33], ['c', 33.34]], 5000], 'b'),
  ('weight table sample 3', [[['treatment', 12.5], ['control', 10], ['holdout', 0.57]], 6309], 'holdout'),
  ('weight table sample 21', [[['green', 33.33], ['treatment', 0]], 0], 'green'),
  ('weight table sample 31', [[['green', 1.15], ['blue', 33.33], ['treatment', 4.35]], 3447], 'blue')]]
for label, args, expected in fixtures[N - 1]:
    check(label, solve(*args), expected)
print(json.dumps({"observations": observations, "passed": all(x["passed"] for x in observations)}, ensure_ascii=False))
raise SystemExit(0 if all(x["passed"] for x in observations) else 1)
Boundary fixtureActualExpectedOutcome
bucket at first cumulative edge goes to second armtreatmenttreatmentPassed
bucket just below first edge stays in first armcontrolcontrolPassed
zero weight arm is never selectedtreatmenttreatmentPassed
trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remaindertreatmenttreatmentPassed
declared order beats alphabetical orderalphazetaFailed
fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 bucketsresttinyFailed
three way split middle armabFailed
weight table sample 1bluebluePassed

SHA-256 / 9ed3765c0425cb52cbbd901cf6a788ba6e26a5c40ce20da9cbd92f374ecb9ce7

3 / The verified repair

Exit 0
"""Failure Map reference implementation. Python standard library only."""
import json

N = 1
observations = []
def solve(variants, bucket):
    acc = 0
    last = None
    for name, weight in variants:
        if weight <= 0:
            continue
        last = name
        acc += round(weight * 100)
        if bucket < acc:
            return name
    return last
def check(label, actual, expected):
    observations.append({"check": label, "actual": actual, "expected": expected, "passed": actual == expected})
fixtures = [[('bucket at first cumulative edge goes to second arm',
   [[['control', 50], ['treatment', 50]], 5000],
   'treatment'),
  ('bucket just below first edge stays in first arm',
   [[['control', 50], ['treatment', 50]], 4999],
   'control'),
  ('zero weight arm is never selected', [[['control', 0], ['treatment', 100]], 0], 'treatment'),
  ('trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remainder',
   [[['control', 40], ['treatment', 40], ['off', 0]], 9000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('three way split middle arm', [[['a', 33.33], ['b', 33.33], ['c', 33.34]], 5000], 'b'),
  ('weight table sample 1',
   [[['green', 1.15], ['holdout', 0], ['alpha', 1.15], ['blue', 50]], 1135],
   'blue')],
 [('bucket just below first edge stays in first arm',
   [[['control', 50], ['treatment', 50]], 4999],
   'control'),
  ('zero weight arm is never selected', [[['control', 0], ['treatment', 100]], 0], 'treatment'),
  ('trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remainder',
   [[['control', 40], ['treatment', 40], ['off', 0]], 9000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('three way split middle arm', [[['a', 33.33], ['b', 33.33], ['c', 33.34]], 5000], 'b'),
  ('weight table sample 13',
   [[['alpha', -5], ['green', 12.5], ['treatment', 50], ['blue', 33.34]], 7194],
   'blue'),
  ('weight table sample 28', [[['alpha', 1.15], ['holdout', 4.35]], 1437], 'holdout')],
 [('zero weight arm is never selected', [[['control', 0], ['treatment', 100]], 0], 'treatment'),
  ('trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remainder',
   [[['control', 40], ['treatment', 40], ['off', 0]], 9000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('no positive weights yields None', [[['a', 0], ['b', 0]], 10], None),
  ('weight table sample 11', [[['holdout', 12.5], ['blue', 12.5], ['alpha', 0.57]], 2500], 'alpha'),
  ('weight table sample 31', [[['green', 1.15], ['blue', 33.33], ['treatment', 4.35]], 3447], 'blue'),
  ('weight table sample 46',
   [[['control', 0], ['alpha', 4.35], ['green', 33.33], ['holdout', 33.33]], 6769],
   'holdout')],
 [('trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remainder',
   [[['control', 40], ['treatment', 40], ['off', 0]], 9000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('no positive weights yields None', [[['a', 0], ['b', 0]], 10], None),
  ('three way split middle arm', [[['a', 33.33], ['b', 33.33], ['c', 33.34]], 5000], 'b'),
  ('weight table sample 16', [[['green', 0.57], ['alpha', 12.5], ['control', 25]], 1307], 'control'),
  ('weight table sample 17', [[['treatment', 1.15], ['control', 0.29], ['blue', 0.29]], 2597], 'blue'),
  ('weight table sample 53',
   [[['treatment', 33.33], ['holdout', 33.34], ['control', 4.35]], 0],
   'treatment')],
 [('bucket at first cumulative edge goes to second arm',
   [[['control', 50], ['treatment', 50]], 5000],
   'treatment'),
  ('declared order beats alphabetical order', [[['zeta', 10], ['alpha', 90]], 500], 'zeta'),
  ('fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 buckets', [[['tiny', 0.29], ['rest', 99.71]], 28], 'tiny'),
  ('no positive weights yields None', [[['a', 0], ['b', 0]], 10], None),
  ('three way split middle arm', [[['a', 33.33], ['b', 33.33], ['c', 33.34]], 5000], 'b'),
  ('weight table sample 3', [[['treatment', 12.5], ['control', 10], ['holdout', 0.57]], 6309], 'holdout'),
  ('weight table sample 21', [[['green', 33.33], ['treatment', 0]], 0], 'green'),
  ('weight table sample 31', [[['green', 1.15], ['blue', 33.33], ['treatment', 4.35]], 3447], 'blue')]]
for label, args, expected in fixtures[N - 1]:
    check(label, solve(*args), expected)
print(json.dumps({"observations": observations, "passed": all(x["passed"] for x in observations)}, ensure_ascii=False))
raise SystemExit(0 if all(x["passed"] for x in observations) else 1)
Boundary fixtureActualExpectedOutcome
bucket at first cumulative edge goes to second armtreatmenttreatmentPassed
bucket just below first edge stays in first armcontrolcontrolPassed
zero weight arm is never selectedtreatmenttreatmentPassed
trailing zero weight arm does not absorb remaindertreatmenttreatmentPassed
declared order beats alphabetical orderzetazetaPassed
fractional weight 0.29 covers 29 bucketstinytinyPassed
three way split middle armbbPassed
weight table sample 1bluebluePassed

SHA-256 / 0a7b39cf2628b86ed5bec5e1c6e2ab4d1ed1a2362c23f2b78e02c76ee4f73e87

Verification & scope

A deterministic toy flag-evaluation model with a stipulated contract; it does not reproduce any vendor SDK byte for byte. This reproducer isolates one failure mechanism. Results cover the supplied fixtures. Variants within a family share a test contract and should remain grouped when constructing evaluation splits. Related mechanisms with a shared evaluation_group must also remain together; these controlled models are not independent production incidents.

Observations recorded using Python 3.12.14 at 2026-09-29T14:48:51.619243+00:00.

Case digest / 134fe5a5b08fdde3aed4fa30c2243f697749ca6727708ab63ee8187005175b9e