Bug: Using the 'limit' field to buy multiple numbers at once for Twilio from Spoke interface doesn't work--you only buy 1

[mayefsky]

https://youtu.be/2yIg1lm66YU <-- Screen recording

When I try and buy many numbers at once using the 'limit' field I only get one. This is a consistent experience and doesn't seem to tie to availability in the area code, since when I make another request right after I get another number no problem. I think most of my users are experiencing this as well. This is on vanilla Spoke 8.0 but also was something I saw on 7.1.

[ibrand]

@bobbyoderek I've managed to buy more than 1 number with the interface so I want to ask a few troubleshooting questions for clarity:

1. Have you tried with multiple area codes?
2. Any server log errors when you try?
3. For the area codes you have tried, when you go to twilio and search for them, do you see more than 1 available?

I don't mean to be condescending with these questions, but I want to make sure I have the full picture

[mayefsky]

No condescension taken! :-) I did try with multiple area codes, there were numbers in Twilio, and I don't recall any errors...but the good news is that I just tried again with a couple of area codes and it worked! Very exciting :-) I still don't know what was going on--this was pretty consistent for me--but I think we can close this if nobody is experiencing it, unless you feel otherwise.

[matteosb]

There are a few reasons this could be happening if there are numbers in Twilio, did you see any errors in the logs @bobbyoderek ?

The main cause of this issue, that I know of, is when a number gets purchased between the search and buy api calls, Twilio doesn't have a "transactional" api for buying numbers. Now that there are a lot of organizations buying numbers we definitely need to catch that exception and keep buying, should be an easy fix.

[mayefsky]

@matteosb I don't recall seeing any errors in the logs and in isn't reproing right now; just to say it back to you, you're saying that if someone else buys the number between the two API calls that's what might be doing it? I do know it was happening consistently for me--e.g. it happened at least a couple of times right before I started recording to make the video at the top of this thread, and then it happened when I was recording of course.

[matteosb]

@bobbyoderek did you kick off multiple jobs for the same area code by any chance?

[mayefsky]

Interesting--probably, but they would have been at least 20-30 seconds apart, and only for buying say 5 numbers.

[matteosb]

That could do it, in any case, we need to make the buying process more robust.

• this statement should be surrounded with a try/catch: https://github.com/MoveOnOrg/Spoke/blob/main/src/server/api/lib/twilio.js#L616
• rather than looking at the total purchased, we should look at the total returned by twilio and only break if twilio returns 0 numbers: https://github.com/MoveOnOrg/Spoke/blob/main/src/server/api/lib/twilio.js#L630

[Frydafly]

Checking in with folks to see if this bug has re-emerged at all? Should this issue otherwise be closed?