Hands-on 02-sonarr-series-monitoring-and-availability: Lab

name

Model Monitoring and Availability Decisions Safely

safety_scope

Every file created or changed by this lab is under /opt/lab-classroom/class41/. The exercise does not alter a real Sonarr database, library, container, service, or download queue.

steps

step

1

title

Create the isolated fixture directory

instructions

Create the class directory. If it already contains work, inspect it before proceeding and use a separate child directory if preservation is required.

command

sudo install -d -m 0755 /opt/lab-classroom/class41

step

2

title

Create the baseline episode inventory

instructions

Write a deterministic inventory using 2025-03-01 as the evaluation date. Monitoring is represented explicitly at episode level so each decision can be audited.

command

sudo tee /opt/lab-classroom/class41/baseline.json >/dev/null <<'EOF'
{
"as_of": "2025-03-01",
"quality_profile": {
"cutoff": "WEB-1080p",
"ranking": {
"SDTV": 1,
"HDTV-720p": 2,
"WEB-1080p": 3,
"Bluray-1080p": 4
}
},
"episodes": [
{
"series": "Harbor Signal",
"episode": "S01E01",
"air_date": "2025-01-10",
"availability_date": "2025-01-10",
"monitored": false,
"has_file": true,
"quality": "WEB-1080p"
},
{
"series": "Harbor Signal",
"episode": "S01E02",
"air_date": "2025-02-14",
"availability_date": "2025-02-14",
"monitored": true,
"has_file": false,
"quality": null
},
{
"series": "Harbor Signal",
"episode": "S01E03",
"air_date": "2025-03-15",
"availability_date": "2025-03-16",
"monitored": true,
"has_file": false,
"quality": null
},
{
"series": "Archive Lane",
"episode": "S02E01",
"air_date": "2024-10-01",
"availability_date": "2024-10-01",
"monitored": true,
"has_file": false,
"quality": null
},
{
"series": "Archive Lane",
"episode": "S02E02",
"air_date": "2024-10-08",
"availability_date": "2024-10-08",
"monitored": false,
"has_file": true,
"quality": "HDTV-720p"
},
{
"series": "Current Affairs",
"episode": "2025-02-21",
"air_date": "2025-02-21",
"availability_date": "2025-02-21",
"monitored": true,
"has_file": true,
"quality": "HDTV-720p"
},
{
"series": "Current Affairs",
"episode": "2025-02-28",
"air_date": "2025-02-28",
"availability_date": "2025-03-03",
"monitored": true,
"has_file": false,
"quality": null
}
]
}
EOF
sudo cp /opt/lab-classroom/class41/baseline.json /opt/lab-classroom/class41/inventory.json

step

3

title

Create the offline classifier

instructions

The classifier applies the lesson's ordered state model and prints one auditable decision for every episode.

command

sudo tee /opt/lab-classroom/class41/audit.py >/dev/null <<'PY'
import json
import sys
from collections import Counter
from datetime import date
from pathlib import Path

root = Path('/opt/lab-classroom/class41')
source = root / (sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else 'inventory.json')
source = source.resolve()
if root.resolve() not in source.parents:
raise SystemExit('Input must remain inside the class41 directory')

with source.open(encoding='utf-8') as handle:
data = json.load(handle)

as_of = date.fromisoformat(data['as_of'])
ranking = data['quality_profile']['ranking']
cutoff = data['quality_profile']['cutoff']
cutoff_rank = ranking[cutoff]
counts = Counter()

for item in data['episodes']:
air_date = date.fromisoformat(item['air_date'])
availability_date = date.fromisoformat(item['availability_date'])
if not item['monitored']:
state = 'unmonitored'
elif as_of < air_date:
state = 'waiting_future_air_date'
elif as_of < availability_date:
state = 'waiting_minimum_availability'
elif not item['has_file']:
state = 'missing_search_candidate'
elif item['quality'] not in ranking:
state = 'manual_review_unknown_quality'
elif ranking[item['quality']] < cutoff_rank:
state = 'cutoff_unmet_upgrade_candidate'
else:
state = 'satisfied'
counts[state] += 1
print(f"{item['series']} {item['episode']}: {state}")

print('SUMMARY')
for state in sorted(counts):
print(f'{state}={counts[state]}')
PY
sudo python3 /opt/lab-classroom/class41/audit.py inventory.json

step

4

title

Explain every baseline decision

instructions

For each output line, identify the first test that determined the state. Notice that Archive Lane S02E02 remains unmonitored even though its file is below the configured cutoff. Monitoring must be enabled before it becomes an upgrade candidate.

step

5

title

Model a monitoring-policy change

instructions

Create a separate scenario that stops monitoring Archive Lane S02E01 and starts monitoring Archive Lane S02E02. This represents changing intent without altering the baseline.

command

sudo python3 - <<'PY'
import json
from pathlib import Path
root = Path('/opt/lab-classroom/class41')
with (root / 'baseline.json').open(encoding='utf-8') as handle:
data = json.load(handle)
for item in data['episodes']:
key = (item['series'], item['episode'])
if key == ('Archive Lane', 'S02E01'):
item['monitored'] = False
if key == ('Archive Lane', 'S02E02'):
item['monitored'] = True
with (root / 'monitoring-scenario.json').open('w', encoding='utf-8') as handle:
json.dump(data, handle, indent=2)
handle.write('\n')
PY
sudo python3 /opt/lab-classroom/class41/audit.py monitoring-scenario.json

step

6

title

Model an availability correction

instructions

Create another scenario in which metadata says Current Affairs 2025-02-28 became available on its air date. Compare this with the baseline, where the episode waits until 2025-03-03.

command

sudo python3 - <<'PY'
import json
from pathlib import Path
root = Path('/opt/lab-classroom/class41')
with (root / 'baseline.json').open(encoding='utf-8') as handle:
data = json.load(handle)
for item in data['episodes']:
if item['series'] == 'Current Affairs' and item['episode'] == '2025-02-28':
item['availability_date'] = '2025-02-28'
with (root / 'availability-scenario.json').open('w', encoding='utf-8') as handle:
json.dump(data, handle, indent=2)
handle.write('\n')
PY
sudo python3 /opt/lab-classroom/class41/audit.py availability-scenario.json

step

7

title

Relate the model to a real Sonarr interface without changing it

instructions

If a Sonarr instance is available, use read-only observation to find one monitored episode, one unmonitored episode, one missing episode, and one episode with a file. Record the visible status, air date, profile, and any rejection reasons shown by an interactive-search view. Do not initiate a grab, edit monitoring, trigger a search, or enter credentials into the lab files.