{
  "schema_version": "1.3.0",
  "slug": "within-what-bounded-cache-and-object-lifecycle-drains-must-an-instance-constrain-in-memory-state-retention-to-prevent-reference-cycle-leaks-and-oom-kills",
  "title": "Within what bounded-cache and object-lifecycle drains must an instance constrain in-memory state retention to prevent reference-cycle leaks and OOM kills?",
  "date_of_record": "2026 October 20",
  "scope": "* **Applies when:** An AI instance, autonomous coding agent, or backend service implements in-memory caches, memoization decorators, long-running queue consumers, batch data pipelines, or event callback registries. * **Does not apply when:*",
  "projections": {
    "unified_markdown_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/within-what-bounded-cache-and-object-lifecycle-drains-must-an-instance-constrain-in-memory-state-retention-to-prevent-reference-cycle-leaks-and-oom-kills.md",
    "method_python_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/within-what-bounded-cache-and-object-lifecycle-drains-must-an-instance-constrain-in-memory-state-retention-to-prevent-reference-cycle-leaks-and-oom-kills.py",
    "remnant_warrant_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/within-what-bounded-cache-and-object-lifecycle-drains-must-an-instance-constrain-in-memory-state-retention-to-prevent-reference-cycle-leaks-and-oom-kills.warrant.json"
  },
  "token_profile": {
    "full_markdown_tokens": 2909,
    "python_slice_tokens": 519,
    "warrant_slice_tokens": 220
  },
  "remnant_summary": {
    "core_distinction": "Autonomous systems routinely optimize latency and throughput by caching computed results in memory (`@functools.lru_cache`, module-level dictionaries), registering callback listeners, and accumulating batch telemetry across long-running worker lifetimes. A foundational memory-stability failure occurs when an instance treats **managed garbage collection (GC)*...",
    "what_was_observed": "In long-running API workers, batch ETL daemons, and multi-turn agent runtimes, instances operating without explicit memory-retention bounds and lifecycle drains exhibit four primary failure modes: 1. **Unbounded Memoization & Module-Dict Growth (`@lru_cache(maxsize=None)`):** An instance decorates a helper function with `@functools.cache` or `@lru_cache(maxsize=None)` (or stores results in a global `seen_requests = {...",
    "condition_of_validity": "* **Applies when:** An AI instance, autonomous coding agent, or backend service implements in-memory caches, memoization decorators, long-running queue consumers, batch data pipelines, or event callback registries. * **Does not apply when:** Memoizing a finite, closed set of compile-time constants (such as a `@functools.cache` on a zero-argument singleton lo...",
    "decision_boundary": "1. **Did you write `@functools.cache` or `@lru_cache(maxsize=None)` on a function that takes arguments?** Replace it immediately with a finite `@lru_cache(maxsize=256)` (or a TTL cache) so unique inputs cannot grow the dictionary until the server runs out of RAM. 2. **Did you put `@lru_cache` on a method inside a class (`def my_method(self, x):`)?** Remove `...",
    "operational_effect": "1. **Elimination of Unbounded Memoization:** Across all generated code, the instance forbids `@functools.cache` and `@lru_cache(maxsize=None)` on parameterized functions, enforcing explicit entry and byte ceilings. 2. **Decoupling of `self` and Parent Buffers:** Cached helpers are structured as pure functions taking small immutable primitives, never pinning ..."
  },
  "matched_failure_symptoms": [
    "OOM_KILL_OR_MEMORY_EXHAUSTION",
    "SPLIT_BRAIN_OR_ZOMBIE_WORKER"
  ],
  "composition_edges": {
    "primary_domain": "concurrency_locking_and_shared_resources",
    "upstream_precondition_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/beneath-what-concurrency-and-backpressure-ceilings-must-an-instance-throttle-fan-out-tasks-to-prevent-file-descriptor-and-connection-pool-starvation.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/across-what-mandatory-tenant-predicate-scoping-and-row-level-security-gates-must-an-instance-isolate-multi-tenant-data-to-prevent-cross-tenant-data-leaks.md"
    ],
    "downstream_consequence_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/across-what-readiness-unregistration-and-in-flight-drain-gates-must-an-instance-sequence-sigterm-shutdown-to-prevent-dropped-requests-and-truncated-writes.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/before-what-pre-flight-and-dry-run-gates-must-an-instance-stage-bulk-or-irreversible-mutations-to-prevent-unrecoverable-blast-radius-cascade.md"
    ],
    "co_occurring_sibling_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/across-what-bounded-queue-admission-control-and-load-shedding-gates-must-an-instance-manage-concurrency-to-prevent-unbounded-memory-growth-and-tail-latency-collapse.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/across-what-concurrent-pipe-drain-and-ring-buffer-boundaries-must-an-instance-consume-subprocess-stdout-and-stderr-to-prevent-os-pipe-deadlocks-and-unbounded-output-oom.md"
    ]
  },
  "empirical_verification_warrant": {
    "status": "AST_AND_INVARIANT_VERIFIED",
    "syntax_valid": true,
    "code_sha256": "027fb10f7aeb208eb59ecc8a9e631664076f358e798ef807cd585d1da6e346f8",
    "verified_classes": [
      "BoundedTTLCache"
    ],
    "verified_functions": [
      "strip_exception_frames",
      "__init__",
      "_estimate_bytes",
      "_evict_expired_and_overflow_locked",
      "get",
      "put"
    ],
    "verified_functions_count": 6,
    "defensive_guards_count": 1,
    "raised_exceptions": [
      "ValueError"
    ],
    "sample_fail_closed_invariants": [
      "Invalid cache bounds"
    ],
    "stdlib_dependencies": [
      "collections",
      "sys",
      "threading",
      "time",
      "typing"
    ],
    "observation_mode": "EMPIRICAL_BOUNDARY_CAPTURE",
    "zero_external_deps": true
  }
}