app-server: keep the model cache warm (#28699)

## Why

The app server is long-lived, but its shared model cache otherwise
refreshes only when a caller needs it. Once the five-minute cache
expires, starting a thread or calling `model/list` can wait for
`/models` on the request path.

Refresh the cache in the background before it expires so foreground
callers normally use fresh local state.

## What changed

- Start an app-server worker that refreshes models immediately and then
every three minutes using the existing models-manager API.
- Hold only a weak reference to the models manager between refreshes, so
the worker does not extend its lifetime.
- Stop scheduling refreshes when the app-server lifecycle handle is shut
down or dropped. A refresh already in progress is allowed to finish.
- Adjust affected app-server test fixtures to distinguish the background
`/models` probe from the connection they are testing.

The existing models-manager cache, refresh strategies, auth handling,
ETag behavior, and concurrency semantics are unchanged.

## Testing

-
`models_refresh_worker::tests::refreshes_immediately_periodically_and_stops_when_dropped`
-
`suite::v2::remote_control::listen_off_honors_persisted_remote_control_enable`
-
`suite::v2::attestation::attestation_generate_round_trip_adds_header_to_responses_websocket_handshake`

codex-rs/app-server/src/lib.rs

@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ pub mod in_process;
 mod mcp_refresh;
 mod message_processor;
 mod models;
+mod models_refresh_worker;
 mod outgoing_message;
 mod request_processors;
 mod request_serialization;

codex-rs/app-server/src/message_processor.rs

@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ use tokio::time::timeout;
 use tokio_util::sync::CancellationToken;
 use tracing::Instrument;
 
+use crate::models_refresh_worker::ModelsRefreshWorker;
+
 const EXTERNAL_AUTH_REFRESH_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(10);
 const CONNECTION_RPC_DRAIN_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(/*secs*/ 30);
 
@@ -182,6 +184,7 @@ impl ExternalAuth for ExternalAuthRefreshBridge {
 
 pub(crate) struct MessageProcessor {
     outgoing: Arc<OutgoingMessageSender>,
+    models_refresh_worker: ModelsRefreshWorker,
     skills_watcher: Arc<SkillsWatcher>,
     account_processor: AccountRequestProcessor,
     apps_processor: AppsRequestProcessor,
@@ -371,6 +374,8 @@ impl MessageProcessor {
                 )),
             )
         });
+        let models_manager = thread_manager.get_models_manager();
+        let models_refresh_worker = crate::models_refresh_worker::spawn(&models_manager);
         thread_manager
             .plugins_manager()
             .set_analytics_events_client(analytics_events_client.clone());
@@ -537,6 +542,7 @@ impl MessageProcessor {
 
         Self {
             outgoing,
+            models_refresh_worker,
             skills_watcher,
             account_processor,
             apps_processor,
@@ -566,6 +572,7 @@ impl MessageProcessor {
     pub(crate) fn clear_runtime_references(&self) {
         self.account_processor.clear_external_auth();
         self.apps_processor.shutdown();
+        self.models_refresh_worker.shutdown();
         self.skills_watcher.shutdown();
     }
 
@@ -742,6 +749,7 @@ impl MessageProcessor {
     }
 
     pub(crate) async fn drain_background_tasks(&self) {
+        self.models_refresh_worker.shutdown();
         self.thread_processor.drain_background_tasks().await;
     }
 

codex-rs/app-server/src/models_refresh_worker.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use codex_models_manager::manager::RefreshStrategy;
+use codex_models_manager::manager::SharedModelsManager;
+use tokio::task::JoinHandle;
+use tokio_util::sync::CancellationToken;
+
+const MODELS_REFRESH_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_secs(3 * 60);
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub(crate) struct ModelsRefreshWorker {
+    shutdown: CancellationToken,
+    _task: JoinHandle<()>,
+}
+
+impl ModelsRefreshWorker {
+    pub(crate) fn shutdown(&self) {
+        self.shutdown.cancel();
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for ModelsRefreshWorker {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        self.shutdown();
+    }
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn spawn(models_manager: &SharedModelsManager) -> ModelsRefreshWorker {
+    spawn_with_interval(models_manager, MODELS_REFRESH_INTERVAL)
+}
+
+fn spawn_with_interval(
+    models_manager: &SharedModelsManager,
+    refresh_interval: Duration,
+) -> ModelsRefreshWorker {
+    let models_manager = Arc::downgrade(models_manager);
+    let shutdown = CancellationToken::new();
+    let worker_shutdown = shutdown.clone();
+    let task = tokio::spawn(async move {
+        loop {
+            if worker_shutdown.is_cancelled() {
+                break;
+            }
+            let Some(models_manager) = models_manager.upgrade() else {
+                break;
+            };
+            models_manager.list_models(RefreshStrategy::Online).await;
+            drop(models_manager);
+
+            tokio::select! {
+                _ = worker_shutdown.cancelled() => break,
+                _ = tokio::time::sleep(refresh_interval) => {}
+            }
+        }
+    });
+    ModelsRefreshWorker {
+        shutdown,
+        _task: task,
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+#[path = "models_refresh_worker_tests.rs"]
+mod tests;

codex-rs/app-server/src/models_refresh_worker_tests.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize;
+use std::sync::atomic::Ordering;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use codex_models_manager::manager::ModelsEndpointClient;
+use codex_models_manager::manager::ModelsEndpointFuture;
+use codex_models_manager::manager::OpenAiModelsManager;
+use codex_models_manager::manager::SharedModelsManager;
+use codex_protocol::error::CodexErr;
+use codex_protocol::error::Result as CoreResult;
+use codex_protocol::openai_models::ModelInfo;
+use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
+use tempfile::tempdir;
+use tokio::sync::Notify;
+
+use super::*;
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct TestModelsEndpoint {
+    fetch_count: AtomicUsize,
+    fetched: Notify,
+    release_second_fetch: Notify,
+}
+
+impl TestModelsEndpoint {
+    fn new() -> Arc<Self> {
+        Arc::new(Self {
+            fetch_count: AtomicUsize::new(0),
+            fetched: Notify::new(),
+            release_second_fetch: Notify::new(),
+        })
+    }
+
+    async fn wait_for_fetch_count(&self, expected: usize) {
+        tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(1), async {
+            while self.fetch_count.load(Ordering::SeqCst) < expected {
+                self.fetched.notified().await;
+            }
+        })
+        .await
+        .unwrap_or_else(|_| panic!("expected {expected} model fetches"));
+    }
+}
+
+impl ModelsEndpointClient for TestModelsEndpoint {
+    fn has_command_auth(&self) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
+
+    fn uses_codex_backend(&self) -> ModelsEndpointFuture<'_, bool> {
+        Box::pin(async { false })
+    }
+
+    fn list_models<'a>(
+        &'a self,
+        _client_version: &'a str,
+    ) -> ModelsEndpointFuture<'a, CoreResult<(Vec<ModelInfo>, Option<String>)>> {
+        Box::pin(async move {
+            let fetch_index = self.fetch_count.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
+            self.fetched.notify_one();
+            if fetch_index == 0 {
+                return Err(CodexErr::Io(std::io::Error::other("test failure")));
+            }
+            if fetch_index == 1 {
+                self.release_second_fetch.notified().await;
+            }
+            Ok((Vec::new(), None))
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn refreshes_immediately_periodically_and_stops_when_dropped() {
+    let codex_home = tempdir().expect("temp dir");
+    let endpoint = TestModelsEndpoint::new();
+    let models_manager: SharedModelsManager = Arc::new(OpenAiModelsManager::new(
+        codex_home.path().to_path_buf(),
+        endpoint.clone(),
+        /*auth_manager*/ None,
+    ));
+    let worker = spawn_with_interval(&models_manager, Duration::from_millis(10));
+
+    endpoint.wait_for_fetch_count(/*expected*/ 2).await;
+    drop(worker);
+    endpoint.release_second_fetch.notify_one();
+    tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(30)).await;
+
+    assert_eq!(endpoint.fetch_count.load(Ordering::SeqCst), 2);
+}

codex-rs/app-server/tests/suite/v2/attestation.rs

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use app_test_support::ChatGptAuthFixture;
 use app_test_support::TestAppServer;
 use app_test_support::to_response;
 use app_test_support::write_chatgpt_auth;
+use app_test_support::write_models_cache;
 use codex_app_server_protocol::AttestationGenerateResponse;
 use codex_app_server_protocol::ClientInfo;
 use codex_app_server_protocol::InitializeCapabilities;
@@ -36,36 +37,26 @@ async fn attestation_generate_round_trip_adds_header_to_responses_websocket_hand
 {
     skip_if_no_network!(Ok(()));
 
-    let websocket_server = start_websocket_server_with_headers(vec![
+    let websocket_server = start_websocket_server_with_headers(vec![WebSocketConnectionConfig {
-        // App-server refreshes `/models` over HTTP during thread startup. It points at the same
+        requests: vec![
-        // local test base URL, so let that non-websocket probe consume one connection before the
+            vec![
-        // websocket handshake under test arrives.
+                responses::ev_response_created("warm-1"),
-        WebSocketConnectionConfig {
+                responses::ev_completed("warm-1"),
-            requests: Vec::new(),
-            response_headers: Vec::new(),
-            accept_delay: None,
-            close_after_requests: true,
-        },
-        WebSocketConnectionConfig {
-            requests: vec![
-                vec![
-                    responses::ev_response_created("warm-1"),
-                    responses::ev_completed("warm-1"),
-                ],
-                vec![
-                    responses::ev_response_created("resp-1"),
-                    responses::ev_assistant_message("msg-1", "Done"),
-                    responses::ev_completed("resp-1"),
-                ],
             ],
-            response_headers: Vec::new(),
+            vec![
-            accept_delay: None,
+                responses::ev_response_created("resp-1"),
-            close_after_requests: true,
+                responses::ev_assistant_message("msg-1", "Done"),
-        },
+                responses::ev_completed("resp-1"),
-    ])
+            ],
+        ],
+        response_headers: Vec::new(),
+        accept_delay: None,
+        close_after_requests: true,
+    }])
     .await;
 
     let codex_home = TempDir::new()?;
+    write_models_cache(codex_home.path())?;
     create_chatgpt_websocket_config(
         codex_home.path(),
         &websocket_server.uri().replacen("ws://", "http://", 1),

codex-rs/app-server/tests/suite/v2/remote_control.rs

@@ -271,7 +271,15 @@ async fn listen_off_honors_persisted_remote_control_enable() -> Result<()> {
         .await?;
 
     let _app_server = TestAppServer::new_with_args(codex_home.path(), &["--listen", "off"]).await?;
-    timeout(STARTUP_TIMEOUT, listener.accept()).await??;
+    let request = timeout(STARTUP_TIMEOUT, read_http_request(&listener)).await??;
+    assert!(
+        request
+            .request_line
+            .starts_with("GET /backend-api/wham/remote/control/server ")
+            || request
+                .request_line
+                .starts_with("POST /backend-api/wham/remote/control/server/refresh ")
+    );
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -852,9 +860,15 @@ impl BlockingRemoteControlBackend {
                     {
                         return;
                     }
-                    let Ok(_websocket) = listener.accept().await else {
+                    let Ok(request) = read_http_request(&listener).await else {
                         return;
                     };
+                    if !request
+                        .request_line
+                        .starts_with("GET /backend-api/wham/remote/control/server ")
+                    {
+                        return;
+                    }
                     std::future::pending::<()>().await;
                 }
                 Err(err) => {
@@ -1030,36 +1044,44 @@ async fn read_enroll_request(listener: &TcpListener) -> Result<(String, BufReade
 }
 
 async fn read_http_request(listener: &TcpListener) -> Result<HttpRequest> {
-    let (stream, _) = listener.accept().await?;
-    let mut reader = BufReader::new(stream);
-
-    let mut request_line = String::new();
-    reader.read_line(&mut request_line).await?;
-    let mut content_length = 0;
     loop {
-        let mut line = String::new();
+        let (stream, _) = listener.accept().await?;
-        reader.read_line(&mut line).await?;
+        let mut reader = BufReader::new(stream);
-        if line == "\r\n" {
-            break;
-        }
-        if let Some(value) = line
-            .trim_end()
-            .strip_prefix("content-length:")
-            .or_else(|| line.trim_end().strip_prefix("Content-Length:"))
-        {
-            content_length = value.trim().parse::<usize>()?;
-        }
-    }
-    let mut body = vec![0; content_length];
-    if content_length > 0 {
-        reader.read_exact(&mut body).await?;
-    }
 
-    Ok(HttpRequest {
+        let mut request_line = String::new();
-        request_line: request_line.trim_end().to_string(),
+        reader.read_line(&mut request_line).await?;
-        body: String::from_utf8(body)?,
+        let mut content_length = 0;
-        reader,
+        loop {
-    })
+            let mut line = String::new();
+            reader.read_line(&mut line).await?;
+            if line == "\r\n" {
+                break;
+            }
+            if let Some(value) = line
+                .trim_end()
+                .strip_prefix("content-length:")
+                .or_else(|| line.trim_end().strip_prefix("Content-Length:"))
+            {
+                content_length = value.trim().parse::<usize>()?;
+            }
+        }
+        let mut body = vec![0; content_length];
+        if content_length > 0 {
+            reader.read_exact(&mut body).await?;
+        }
+
+        let request_line = request_line.trim_end().to_string();
+        if request_line.starts_with("GET ") && request_line.contains("/v1/models?") {
+            respond_with_json(reader.into_inner(), serde_json::json!({ "models": [] })).await?;
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        return Ok(HttpRequest {
+            request_line,
+            body: String::from_utf8(body)?,
+            reader,
+        });
+    }
 }
 
 async fn respond_with_json(stream: TcpStream, body: serde_json::Value) -> Result<()> {

codex-rs/core/tests/common/responses.rs

@@ -1237,9 +1237,11 @@ pub async fn start_websocket_server_with_headers(
                 Ok(value) => value,
                 Err(_) => return,
             };
+            // Ordinary HTTP probes can share this listener with websocket tests. Only a
+            // successful websocket handshake should consume a scripted connection.
             let connection = {
-                let mut pending = connections.lock().unwrap();
+                let pending = connections.lock().unwrap();
-                pending.pop_front()
+                pending.front().cloned()
             };
 
             let Some(connection) = connection else {
@@ -1291,6 +1293,7 @@ pub async fn start_websocket_server_with_headers(
                 Ok(ws) => ws,
                 Err(_) => continue,
             };
+            connections.lock().unwrap().pop_front();
 
             let connection_index = {
                 let mut log = requests.lock().unwrap();