test(live): use balanced multi-provider routing

Author: Programcode

.superset/db-gate.sh

@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ FAKE_PROVIDER=debatelab-fake-openrouter
 # the fake provider. It needs LIVE_OPENROUTER_API_KEY and LIVE_EXA_API_KEY.
 # LIVE_MODEL=as-requested runs e2e/model-matrix instead: one case per catalog model.
 LIVE_PROVIDERS="${LIVE_PROVIDERS:-0}"
-LIVE_MODEL="${LIVE_MODEL:-meta/muse-spark-1.3-contributor}"  # empty also means default
+# GLM Flash is inexpensive and has broad endpoint coverage, so OpenRouter's
+# default balanced routing can fail over between providers during this gate.
+LIVE_MODEL="${LIVE_MODEL:-z-ai/glm-5.3-flash}"  # empty also means default
 if [ "$LIVE_PROVIDERS" = 1 ] && { [ -z "${LIVE_OPENROUTER_API_KEY:-}" ] || [ -z "${LIVE_EXA_API_KEY:-}" ]; }; then
   echo "LIVE_PROVIDERS=1 requires LIVE_OPENROUTER_API_KEY and LIVE_EXA_API_KEY" >&2
   exit 1

docs/testing.md

@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ These journeys do not prove live provider behavior, web research (the local stac
 LIVE_PROVIDERS=1 LIVE_OPENROUTER_API_KEY=... LIVE_EXA_API_KEY=... ./.superset/db-gate.sh
 ```
 
-Live mode uses the same locked stack but skips pgTAP and the fake-provider specs. It runs `e2e/live/` on desktop Chromium against real OpenRouter, Jev, and Exa. Imported web pages are fetched live too. The fake provider becomes a recording proxy. It forwards every chat call to OpenRouter with the model pinned to `LIVE_MODEL` (default `meta/muse-spark-1.3-contributor`; CI reads the `LIVE_MODEL` repository variable), passes Jev decisions through unchanged, and refuses calls past `MAX_UPSTREAM_CALLS` (200). Contributor models only serve accounts that allow paid model training in OpenRouter privacy settings.
+Live mode uses the same locked stack but skips pgTAP and the fake-provider specs. It runs `e2e/live/` on desktop Chromium against real OpenRouter, Jev, and Exa. Imported web pages are fetched live too. The fake provider becomes a recording proxy. It forwards every chat call to OpenRouter with the model pinned to `LIVE_MODEL` (default `z-ai/glm-5.3-flash`; CI reads the `LIVE_MODEL` repository variable), passes Jev decisions through unchanged, and refuses calls past `MAX_UPSTREAM_CALLS` (200). The default is inexpensive and broadly hosted, so requests can use OpenRouter's balanced provider routing instead of depending on one endpoint.
 
 The specs cover web-researched case generation, verified Factoids citations, Ask with web search, URL import, streamed Ask, Attack, Brainstorm, a judged sparring round, and Crossfire with live Jev signals. Outputs vary, so tests assert structure rather than text:
 

e2e/full-stack/fake-openrouter.mjs

@@ -223,16 +223,25 @@ async function proxy(req, res, path) {
     return json(res, 429, { error: { message: `Live gate stopped after ${maxUpstreamCalls} provider calls` } });
   }
   const started = Date.now();
-  const response = await fetch(`${upstream}${path.replace(/^\/api/, "")}`, {
-    method: "POST",
-    headers: { authorization: req.headers.authorization ?? "", "content-type": "application/json" },
-    body: JSON.stringify(chat ? { ...body, model: chatModel(body.model) } : body),
-  });
-  record.status = response.status;
-  res.writeHead(response.status, { "content-type": response.headers.get("content-type") ?? "application/json" });
-  for await (const chunk of response.body ?? []) res.write(chunk);
-  res.end();
-  record.ms = Date.now() - started;
+  try {
+    const response = await fetch(`${upstream}${path.replace(/^\/api/, "")}`, {
+      method: "POST",
+      headers: { authorization: req.headers.authorization ?? "", "content-type": "application/json" },
+      body: JSON.stringify(chat ? { ...body, model: chatModel(body.model) } : body),
+    });
+    record.status = response.status;
+    res.writeHead(response.status, { "content-type": response.headers.get("content-type") ?? "application/json" });
+    for await (const chunk of response.body ?? []) res.write(chunk);
+    res.end();
+  } catch (error) {
+    record.status = 502;
+    const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : "upstream connection failed";
+    console.error(`live provider request failed: ${message}`);
+    if (!res.headersSent) json(res, 502, { error: { message: "Live provider request failed" } });
+    else res.destroy();
+  } finally {
+    record.ms = Date.now() - started;
+  }
 }
 
 createServer(async (req, res) => {