Teach generated-spec TEST FLOW parsing to honor test-install-only runtime gates, including single-quoted Cypress.env checks, and suppress plugin branches when install-only mode disables them.
Document the 2026-04-16 install-only flow mismatch so future watcher updates keep Mattermost TEST FLOW aligned with the actual generated spec path.
Tighten `Cloud Run Finished` parsing so categorized watcher recovery only starts on real summary headers, stops at the grouped run's `Recorded Run` URL, and parses only actual summary-table host rows.
Also merge grouped per-host reporter artifacts into categorized recovery so completed grouped batches keep the correct host membership and Mattermost posts remain stable for both categorized and non-categorized runs.
Add the working vCenter placement-check pattern to the ATVM automation guide so explicit VM-list planning uses the correct lowercase govc JSON keys, resolves datastore refs to names, and ignores helper datastores such as install ISO attachments when deciding between gold and gold-2.
Adjust parent-run summary parsing so the watcher does not stop at the "Recorded Run" detection log line and miss later host rows in Mattermost status output.
Document the 2026-04-15 failure mode in ATVM run learnings so future watcher/reporting work preserves the broader Cloud Run Finished block parsing rule.
- map AutomatedTest-VMBootImg-Gold to gold and Gold-2 to gold-2
- require live vCenter placement checks for explicit VM lists
- stop mixed gold/gold-2 requests before planning ATVM runs
- return hostname-only datastore inventories by default
- tell the operator about the vCenter placement check before showing run commands
- clarify that repo inventory files are not the source of truth for current datastore membership
- update the ATVM automation guide to make watcher-first launch order explicit whenever the watcher is approved
- update the ATVM AGENTS rules so the runner is never started before the watcher for watcher-backed runs
- add a 2026-03-27 run learning documenting that the watcher helper can delete the live runner log if the runner starts first
- update the ATVM status template to replace the FUNCTIONALLY section with a TEST FLOW section that shows the generic numbered run steps once for the whole test
- update the ATVM automation guide to describe TEST FLOW as the standard status-report section instead of FUNCTIONALLY
- update the watcher-generated status output so Mattermost and local status responses use the same TEST FLOW section
- add a 2026-03-27 run learning recording the move from FUNCTIONALLY to TEST FLOW for future ATVM reporting
- update the ATVM AGENTS guidance so expected output is not called out in routine run updates
- update the ATVM automation guide to mention reset-failed output only when it actually blocks watcher startup or matters for debugging
- add a 2026-03-26 run learning recording that this reset-failed output is normal low-signal noise during successful watcher startup
- add a 2026-03-26 run learning that explains how cmc-templates.py can generate the requested spec files while a fragile verification step still misses them
- document that shell-escaped regex one-liners over SSH are not a reliable way to validate the controller specPattern
- record the preferred future workflow: verify generated .ts files and the config specPattern directly on the controller before launching run-sorry-cypress.py
- update the ATVM automation guide to require a post-template verification gate before launching run-sorry-cypress.py
- require verification that both the generated .ts files and the config specPattern include every requested VM after cmc-templates.py finishes
- document that the runner must not be launched when any requested VM is missing from the generated spec set
- update the ATVM AGENTS rules so this template-to-runner verification step is part of the default automation workflow
- update the watcher to stop trusting misleading categorized child build labels when they do not match the host/spec actually being executed
- infer the reported categorized group name from the actual host being run, so mismatched labels like ubuntu-batch for a Red Hat host are corrected in status reporting
- document the categorized watcher workaround in the ATVM guide, watcher design, and watcher README without changing the underlying ATVM runner scripts
