Backstage 1.55 Introduces Scaffolder Task Recovery, Removes Deprecated Catalog APIs

Automatic Task Recovery Implemented

Backstage version 1.55 introduces a new feature for automatic recovery of Software Template tasks. This functionality, configured via `scaffolder.taskRecovery`, allows tasks to resume from the last completed step if they crash or time out. It maintains task secrets and persists completed step outputs to facilitate continuation.

The release notes advise that actions used in recovered tasks should be idempotent or use checkpoints, as actions might be re-executed. This feature responds to user requests for improved resilience in the scaffolder process, partially addressing concerns about re-running entire processes due to interruptions.

Breaking Changes for Platform Teams

The 1.55 release includes several breaking changes that require attention during upgrades. The catalog backend no longer supports `catalog.enableRelationsCompatibility`, meaning entity relations will only return `targetRef`. Deprecated `CodeOwnersProcessor` and `AnnotateScmSlugEntityProcessor` have been removed, favoring community modules.

The Elasticsearch module now mandates Elasticsearch 8.19 or later, though AWS and OpenSearch providers are unaffected. Custom code interacting with raw client responses will need updates. TechDocs now enforces an allowlist for MkDocs plugins, requiring additional plugins to be explicitly listed under `techdocs.generator.mkdocs.dangerouslyAllowAdditionalPlugins`.

Workspace Serialization and Governance Updates

Optional workspace serialization is available, requiring a separate provider module. A new database provider with a 50 MB limit is included for development purposes, with production environments directed to external stores like the GCP module. Additionally, the `scaffolder.requireScmUserCredentials` option, introduced in version 1.54.6, now requires user-provided credentials.