ns8-imapsync: operators need visibility into sync health and log access

[stephdl]

When managing IMAP sync tasks, there is no way to know if a sync succeeded or failed without SSH access.

The task list shows whether a task is currently running, but nothing more:

• No timestamp of the last completed sync
• No indication of success or failure
• No way to inspect what happened

When a sync fails silently — wrong credentials, unreachable server, IMAP error — the operator has no signal. They only find out when a user complains.

Logs exist on disk but are completely inaccessible from the UI. Diagnosing a failure requires SSH access and knowledge of where log files are stored. This is not viable for non-technical administrators.

There is also a usability gap: editing or deleting a task while it is running can corrupt its state, but nothing in the UI warns about this.

Proposed solution

• Record the timestamp and exit code of each completed sync in a status file
• Expose last sync time and result directly in the task list
• Skip writing the status when the task is stopped manually (SIGTERM), to avoid misleading data
• Add a get-log action that reads the task log and returns it to the UI, with a size cap and a truncation indicator for large files
• Add a download button so operators can retrieve the full log when needed
• Show a warning in the UI when the user tries to edit or delete a running task
• Add auto-refresh for the task list

Alternative solutions

Operators can SSH into the server and read log files directly. This is not suitable for non-technical administrators and is not consistent with the NS8 management model.

[stephdl]

QA (updated)

target is imapsync:1.2.7-dev.2

1. Last sync status

• Run a sync task to completion. The "Last sync" column shows a green "Success" tag and a timestamp.
• While the task is running, the "Last sync" column shows the previous result (or "Never" if it has never synced before).
• Simulate a sync failure ( unreachable host). The column shows a red "Error" tag and a timestamp.
• Let a task sync successfully once. Start it again and stop it manually while running. The column still shows the previous successful result — it is not overwritten.
• Create a new task that has never synced. The column shows "Never".

2. Log download

• After a successful sync, open the task menu. A "Download log" item is visible.
• Click "Download log". A .log file is downloaded with the name imapsync_<user>_<task_id>_<date>.log.
• If the log exceeds 100 KB, a warning is shown after download: only the last 100 KB is returned.

3. Edit and delete protection

• While a task is running, open the task menu. Edit and Delete are disabled.
• Hover over the disabled items. A tooltip says "Stop the service before using this action".
• Stop the task. Edit and Delete become available again.

4. Auto-refresh

• Open the task list. Start a sync from another tab of you web browser. Without any manual action, the task list updates within 10 seconds.
• Verify the page does not reset or flicker during the silent refresh.

[lucagasparini]

QA Test 1, 2, 3 and 4 passed successfully
Really great work 👍