Build a useful investigation brief
Build an explicit dependency fixture
Create a parent and dependent pair, an already existing parent control, and a genuinely missing reference. Preserve exact identifiers and intended links. Arrange the pair in both orders or supported file sequences so expected behavior can be compared without changing the source meaning or relying on a large production dataset.
Trace acceptance and lookup boundaries
Inspect when the parent becomes available to the lookup used by the dependent. Record validation, persistence, and relationship assignment separately. Check whether processing concurrency changes availability despite source order, and whether a successful parent write in one stage is visible to the actual resolution path at that point.
Observe unresolved-reference handling
Follow any documented deferred-resolution or retry step after the parent is accepted. Compare final links and unresolved reports. Test one implicated ordering or resolution change against the missing-parent control so a fix does not silently attach a dependent to a different record merely because its intended reference was unavailable.
What to carry forward
Produce a dependency timeline, order comparison, and final relationship matrix. Identify the earliest supported resolution boundary that fails. Keep missing references and identity mismatches distinct, and avoid proposing a broad retry as proof of correctness until the controlled dependent resolves to its exact intended parent under the documented import contract.
Technical background: PostgreSQL documentation.
Keep the decision with the work.
Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.
Create an account See the product workflow