Add retry logic with exponential backoff for transient failures

README.md

@@ -36,6 +36,22 @@ jobs:
           command: make build
 ```
 
+### Configuring Retry Behavior
+
+By default, the action will retry failed commands up to 2 times with a 5-second initial delay and exponential backoff. You can customize this behavior:
+
+```yaml
+- name: Witness Run with Custom Retries
+  uses: testifysec/witness-run-action@v1
+  with:
+    step: build
+    command: npm ci
+    retries: 3              # Retry up to 3 times (4 total attempts)
+    retry-delay: 10         # Start with 10-second delay (10s → 20s → 40s)
+```
+
+This is particularly useful for handling transient network failures when connecting to package registries or external services.
+
 ## Using Reusable Workflows
 
 For a streamlined setup, you can use our reusable workflow. This is especially useful when you need to pass secrets like API tokens for authentication:
@@ -135,3 +151,5 @@ host your own instances.
 | timestamp-servers        | Timestamp Authority Servers to use when signing envelope, space-separated                           | No       |                                       |
 | trace                    | Enable tracing for the command                                                                       | No       | false                                 |
 | workingdir               | Directory from which commands will run                                                               | No       |                                       |
+| retries                  | Maximum number of retry attempts for transient failures                                              | No       | 2                                     |
+| retry-delay              | Initial delay in seconds between retry attempts (uses exponential backoff)                           | No       | 5                                     |

action.yml

@@ -92,6 +92,14 @@ inputs:
   workingdir:
     description: "Directory from which commands will run"
     required: false
+  retries:
+    description: "Maximum number of retry attempts for transient failures"
+    required: false
+    default: "2"
+  retry-delay:
+    description: "Initial delay in seconds between retry attempts (uses exponential backoff)"
+    required: false
+    default: "5"
 
 runs:
   using: "node20"

dist/index.js

@@ -30115,6 +30115,10 @@ async function run() {
   const workingdir = core.getInput("workingdir");
   const fullWorkspacePath = path.join(index_process.env.GITHUB_WORKSPACE, workingdir);
   const witnessInstallDir = core.getInput('witness-install-dir') || fullWorkspacePath;
+
+  // Retry configuration
+  const maxRetries = parseInt(core.getInput("retries") || "2", 10);
+  const retryDelay = parseInt(core.getInput("retry-delay") || "5", 10);
 
   // Download Witness
   const version = core.getInput("version");
@@ -30281,18 +30285,25 @@ async function run() {
     commandString = runArray.join(" ");
 
   let output = "";
-  await exec.exec("sh", ["-c", commandString], {
-    cwd: index_process.cwd(),
-    env: index_process.env,
-    listeners: {
-      stdout: (data) => {
-        output += data.toString();
-      },
-      stderr: (data) => {
-        output += data.toString();
-      },
+  await executeWithRetry(
+    async () => {
+      output = "";
+      await exec.exec("sh", ["-c", commandString], {
+        cwd: index_process.cwd(),
+        env: index_process.env,
+        listeners: {
+          stdout: (data) => {
+            output += data.toString();
+          },
+          stderr: (data) => {
+            output += data.toString();
+          },
+        },
+      });
     },
-  });
+    maxRetries,
+    retryDelay
+  );
 
   // Find the GitOID from the output
   const gitOIDs = extractDesiredGitOIDs(output);
@@ -30335,6 +30346,34 @@ async function run() {
   exit(0);
 }
 
+async function executeWithRetry(fn, maxRetries, retryDelay) {
+  let lastError;
+
+  for (let attempt = 0; attempt <= maxRetries; attempt++) {
+    try {
+      await fn();
+      return; // Success, exit the retry loop
+    } catch (error) {
+      lastError = error;
+
+      if (attempt < maxRetries) {
+        const delay = retryDelay * Math.pow(2, attempt); // Exponential backoff
+        core.warning(`Command failed (attempt ${attempt + 1}/${maxRetries + 1}). Retrying in ${delay} seconds...`);
+        core.warning(`Error: ${error.message}`);
+        await sleep(delay * 1000);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  // If we've exhausted all retries, throw the last error
+  core.error(`Command failed after ${maxRetries + 1} attempts`);
+  throw lastError;
+}
+
+function sleep(ms) {
+  return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
+}
+
 function extractDesiredGitOIDs(output) {
   const lines = output.split("\n");
   const desiredSubstring = "Stored in archivista as ";

index.js

@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ async function run() {
   const workingdir = core.getInput("workingdir");
   const fullWorkspacePath = path.join(process.env.GITHUB_WORKSPACE, workingdir);
   const witnessInstallDir = core.getInput('witness-install-dir') || fullWorkspacePath;
+
+  // Retry configuration
+  const maxRetries = parseInt(core.getInput("retries") || "2", 10);
+  const retryDelay = parseInt(core.getInput("retry-delay") || "5", 10);
 
   // Download Witness
   const version = core.getInput("version");
@@ -178,18 +182,25 @@ async function run() {
     commandString = runArray.join(" ");
 
   let output = "";
-  await exec.exec("sh", ["-c", commandString], {
-    cwd: process.cwd(),
-    env: process.env,
-    listeners: {
-      stdout: (data) => {
-        output += data.toString();
-      },
-      stderr: (data) => {
-        output += data.toString();
-      },
+  await executeWithRetry(
+    async () => {
+      output = "";
+      await exec.exec("sh", ["-c", commandString], {
+        cwd: process.cwd(),
+        env: process.env,
+        listeners: {
+          stdout: (data) => {
+            output += data.toString();
+          },
+          stderr: (data) => {
+            output += data.toString();
+          },
+        },
+      });
     },
-  });
+    maxRetries,
+    retryDelay
+  );
 
   // Find the GitOID from the output
   const gitOIDs = extractDesiredGitOIDs(output);
@@ -232,6 +243,34 @@ async function run() {
   exit(0);
 }
 
+async function executeWithRetry(fn, maxRetries, retryDelay) {
+  let lastError;
+
+  for (let attempt = 0; attempt <= maxRetries; attempt++) {
+    try {
+      await fn();
+      return; // Success, exit the retry loop
+    } catch (error) {
+      lastError = error;
+
+      if (attempt < maxRetries) {
+        const delay = retryDelay * Math.pow(2, attempt); // Exponential backoff
+        core.warning(`Command failed (attempt ${attempt + 1}/${maxRetries + 1}). Retrying in ${delay} seconds...`);
+        core.warning(`Error: ${error.message}`);
+        await sleep(delay * 1000);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  // If we've exhausted all retries, throw the last error
+  core.error(`Command failed after ${maxRetries + 1} attempts`);
+  throw lastError;
+}
+
+function sleep(ms) {
+  return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
+}
+
 function extractDesiredGitOIDs(output) {
   const lines = output.split("\n");
   const desiredSubstring = "Stored in archivista as ";