# Debugging Methodology

> Use when encountering any bug, test failure, or unexpected behavior, before proposing fixes

- Skill: `fajjarnr/debugging-methodology` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 5 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add fajjarnr/debugging-methodology`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/fajjarnr/debugging-methodology/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: fajjarnr (https://skillmd.com/u/fajjarnr)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/fajjarnr/debugging-methodology

---


# Systematic Debugging

## Overview

Random fixes waste time and create new bugs. Quick patches mask underlying issues.

**Core principle:** ALWAYS find root cause before attempting fixes. Symptom fixes are failure.

**Violating the letter of this process is violating the spirit of debugging.**

## The Iron Law

```
NO FIXES WITHOUT ROOT CAUSE INVESTIGATION FIRST
```

If you haven't completed Phase 1, you cannot propose fixes.

## When to Use

Use for ANY technical issue:
- Test failures
- Bugs in production
- Unexpected behavior
- Performance problems
- Build failures
- Integration issues

**Use this ESPECIALLY when:**
- Under time pressure (emergencies make guessing tempting)
- "Just one quick fix" seems obvious
- You've already tried multiple fixes
- Previous fix didn't work
- You don't fully understand the issue

**Don't skip when:**
- Issue seems simple (simple bugs have root causes too)
- You're in a hurry (rushing guarantees rework)
- Manager wants it fixed NOW (systematic is faster than thrashing)

## The Four Phases

You MUST complete each phase before proceeding to the next.

### Phase 1: Root Cause Investigation

**BEFORE attempting ANY fix:**

1. **Read Error Messages Carefully**
   - Don't skip past errors or warnings
   - They often contain the exact solution
   - Read stack traces completely
   - Note line numbers, file paths, error codes

2. **Reproduce Consistently**
   - Can you trigger it reliably?
   - What are the exact steps?
   - Does it happen every time?
   - If not reproducible → gather more data, don't guess

3. **Check Recent Changes**
   - What changed that could cause this?
   - Git diff, recent commits
   - New dependencies, config changes
   - Environmental differences

4. **Gather Evidence in Multi-Component Systems**

   **WHEN system has multiple components (CI → build → signing, API → service → database):**

   **BEFORE proposing fixes, add diagnostic instrumentation:**
   ```
   For EACH component boundary:
     - Log what data enters component
     - Log what data exits component
     - Verify environment/config propagation
     - Check state at each layer

   Run once to gather evidence showing WHERE it breaks
   THEN analyze evidence to identify failing component
   THEN investigate that specific component
   ```

   **Example (multi-layer system):**
   ```bash
   # Layer 1: Workflow
   echo "=== Secrets available in workflow: ==="
   echo "IDENTITY: ${IDENTITY:+SET}${IDENTITY:-UNSET}"

   # Layer 2: Build script
   echo "=== Env vars in build script: ==="
   env | grep IDENTITY || echo "IDENTITY not in environment"

   # Layer 3: Signing script
   echo "=== Keychain state: ==="
   security list-keychains
   security find-identity -v

   # Layer 4: Actual signing
   codesign --sign "$IDENTITY" --verbose=4 "$APP"
   ```

   **This reveals:** Which layer fails (secrets → workflow ✓, workflow → build ✗)

5. **Trace Data Flow**

   **WHEN error is deep in call stack:**

   See `root-cause-tracing.md` in this directory for the complete backward tracing technique.

   **Quick version:**
   - Where does bad value originate?
   - What called this with bad value?
   - Keep tracing up until you find the source
   - Fix at source, not at symptom

### Phase 2: Pattern Analysis

**Find the pattern before fixing:**

1. **Find Working Examples**
   - Locate similar working code in same codebase
   - What works that's similar to what's broken?

2. **Compare Against References**
   - If implementing pattern, read reference implementation COMPLETELY
   - Don't skim - read every line
   - Understand the pattern fully before applying

3. **Identify Differences**
   - What's different between working and broken?
   - List every difference, however small
   - Don't assume "that can't matter"

4. **Understand Dependencies**
   - What other components does this need?
   - What settings, config, environment?
   - What assumptions does it make?

### Phase 3: Hypothesis and Testing

**Scientific method:**

1. **Form Single Hypothesis**
   - State clearly: "I think X is the root cause because Y"
   - Write it down
   - Be specific, not vague

2. **Test Minimally**
   - Make the SMALLEST possible change to test hypothesis
   - One variable at a time
   - Don't fix multiple things at once

3. **Verify Before Continuing**
   - Did it work? Yes → Phase 4
   - Didn't work? Form NEW hypothesis
   - DON'T add more fixes on top

4. **When You Don't Know**
   - Say "I don't understand X"
   - Don't pretend to know
   - Ask for help
   - Research more

### Phase 4: Implementation

**Fix the root cause, not the symptom:**

1. **Create Failing Test Case**
   - Simplest possible reproduction
   - Automated test if possible
   - One-off test script if no framework
   - MUST have before fixing
   - Use the `superpowers:test-driven-development` skill for writing proper failing tests

2. **Implement Single Fix**
   - Address the root cause identified
   - ONE change at a time
   - No "while I'm here" improvements
   - No bundled refactoring

3. **Verify Fix**
   - Test passes now?
   - No other tests broken?
   - Issue actually resolved?

4. **If Fix Doesn't Work**
   - STOP
   - Count: How many fixes have you tried?
   - If < 3: Return to Phase 1, re-analyze with new information
   - **If ≥ 3: STOP and question the architecture (step 5 below)**
   - DON'T attempt Fix #4 without architectural discussion

5. **If 3+ Fixes Failed: Question Architecture**

   **Pattern indicating architectural problem:**
   - Each fix reveals new shared state/coupling/problem in different place
   - Fixes require "massive refactoring" to implement
   - Each fix creates new symptoms elsewhere

   **STOP and question fundamentals:**
   - Is this pattern fundamentally sound?
   - Are we "sticking with it through sheer inertia"?
   - Should we refactor architecture vs. continue fixing symptoms?

   **Discuss with your human partner before attempting more fixes**

   This is NOT a failed hypothesis - this is a wrong architecture.

## Red Flags - STOP and Follow Process

If you catch yourself thinking:
- "Quick fix for now, investigate later"
- "Just try changing X and see if it works"
- "Add multiple changes, run tests"
- "Skip the test, I'll manually verify"
- "It's probably X, let me fix that"
- "I don't fully understand but this might work"
- "Pattern says X but I'll adapt it differently"
- "Here are the main problems: [lists fixes without investigation]"
- Proposing solutions before tracing data flow
- **"One more fix attempt" (when already tried 2+)**
- **Each fix reveals new problem in different place**

**ALL of these mean: STOP. Return to Phase 1.**

**If 3+ fixes failed:** Question the architecture (see Phase 4.5)

## your human partner's Signals You're Doing It Wrong

**Watch for these redirections:**
- "Is that not happening?" - You assumed without verifying
- "Will it show us...?" - You should have added evidence gathering
- "Stop guessing" - You're proposing fixes without understanding
- "Ultrathink this" - Question fundamentals, not just symptoms
- "We're stuck?" (frustrated) - Your approach isn't working

**When you see these:** STOP. Return to Phase 1.

## Common Rationalizations

| Excuse | Reality |
|--------|---------|
| "Issue is simple, don't need process" | Simple issues have root causes too. Process is fast for simple bugs. |
| "Emergency, no time for process" | Systematic debugging is FASTER than guess-and-check thrashing. |
| "Just try this first, then investigate" | First fix sets the pattern. Do it right from the start. |
| "I'll write test after confirming fix works" | Untested fixes don't stick. Test first proves it. |
| "Multiple fixes at once saves time" | Can't isolate what worked. Causes new bugs. |
| "Reference too long, I'll adapt the pattern" | Partial understanding guarantees bugs. Read it completely. |
| "I see the problem, let me fix it" | Seeing symptoms ≠ understanding root cause. |
| "One more fix attempt" (after 2+ failures) | 3+ failures = architectural problem. Question pattern, don't fix again. |

## Quick Reference

| Phase | Key Activities | Success Criteria |
|-------|---------------|------------------|
| **1. Root Cause** | Read errors, reproduce, check changes, gather evidence | Understand WHAT and WHY |
| **2. Pattern** | Find working examples, compare | Identify differences |
| **3. Hypothesis** | Form theory, test minimally | Confirmed or new hypothesis |
| **4. Implementation** | Create test, fix, verify | Bug resolved, tests pass |

## When Process Reveals "No Root Cause"

If systematic investigation reveals issue is truly environmental, timing-dependent, or external:

1. You've completed the process
2. Document what you investigated
3. Implement appropriate handling (retry, timeout, error message)
4. Add monitoring/logging for future investigation

**But:** 95% of "no root cause" cases are incomplete investigation.

## Supporting Techniques

These techniques are part of systematic debugging and available in this directory:

- **`root-cause-tracing.md`** - Trace bugs backward through call stack to find original trigger
- **`defense-in-depth.md`** - Add validation at multiple layers after finding root cause
- **`condition-based-waiting.md`** - Replace arbitrary timeouts with condition polling
- **Annotation Processing (Lombok)** - Handling "cannot find symbol" errors for generated code (getters/setters)

**Related skills:**
- **superpowers:test-driven-development** - For creating failing test case (Phase 4, Step 1)
- **superpowers:verification-before-completion** - Verify fix worked before claiming success

## 🛠️ Specialized Patterns (Environment Specific)

### ☕ Lombok & Annotation Processing (Spring Boot 3.4)

**Symptom:** "cannot find symbol" for `get*`, `set*`, `builder()`, or `log` despite `@Data`, `@Getter`, `@Setter`, or `@Slf4j` being present.

**Phase 1: Root Cause Checklist**
1.  **Parent POM**: Is the service using `id.payu:payu-backend-parent`? If it uses `spring-boot-starter-parent` directly, it will MISS platform-specific compiler configurations.
2.  **Plugin Configuration**: Check `maven-compiler-plugin`. If `annotationProcessorPaths` is explicitly defined for ANY processor (like MapStruct), it MUST also explicitly include `lombok`.
3.  **Lombok Version**: Ensure `${lombok.version}` is defined in the parent properties. For Spring Boot 3.4, use `1.18.36` or later.
4.  **IDE vs CLI**: If it works in IDE but fails in `mvn`, it's 100% a Maven configuration issue in `pom.xml`.

**Standard Fix Pattern:**
```xml
<plugin>
    <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
    <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
    <configuration>
        <annotationProcessorPaths>
            <path>
                <groupId>org.projectlombok</groupId>
                <artifactId>lombok</artifactId>
                <version>${lombok.version}</version>
            </path>
            <!-- Add others if needed (MapStruct, etc.) -->
        </annotationProcessorPaths>
    </configuration>
</plugin>
```

**Phase 2: Verification**
Run `mvn clean compile -pl <module-name> -am`. If it fails, check if the parent POM is actually being used by running `mvn help:effective-pom`.

**Protocol for Persistent Failure (The "Break Glass" Strategy):**
If Lombok annotation processing continues to fail after 2 configuration attempts in a specific environment:
1.  **Abandon Lombok Locally**: Do not waste time debugging the processor environment endlessly.
2.  **Manual Implementation**: Replace `@Data`, `@Getter`, `@Setter`, `@Builder`, `@Slf4j` (and `@RequiredArgsConstructor`) with manual implementations.
3.  **Rationale**: In critical situations, **Build Stability > Boilerplate Reduction**. Code that builds is always better than clean code that doesn't.

### ☕ Enum Placement & Resolution (Architectural Best Practice)
**Symptom:** "cannot find symbol" for enum values, or JPA mapping errors, specifically when enums are inner classes.
**Symptom:** "cannot find symbol" for enum values, or JPA mapping errors, specifically when enums are inner classes.

**Phase 1: Root Cause**
1.  **Inner Class Enum**: Defining Enums inside Entity classes can confuse annotation processors or JPA providers.
2.  **Circular Dependency**: If the Enum is used by other classes that the Entity depends on.

**Fix Pattern:**
1.  **Move to Top-Level**: Always extract Enums to their own file in `domain/model` or `constant` package.
2.  **Avoid Inner Classes**: Do not use `public static enum Type { ... }` inside Entities for domain-critical types.

### 🦆 Quarkus to Spring Boot Migration (PayU Context)

**Symptom:** Compilation errors when migrating legacy Quarkus services to Spring Boot.

**Common Patterns & Fixes:**

1.  **Panache vs JPA (Public Fields):**
    *   **Quarkus (Panache):** Uses public fields (`entity.field`).
    *   **Spring Data JPA:** Uses private fields with Getters/Setters.
    *   **Fix:** Add Lombok `@Data` to entity, and **refactor all usage** from `entity.name = "X"` to `entity.setName("X")`.
    *   *Note:* Falsely assuming Lombok handles public field access is a common trap.

2.  **Rest Controller Return Types:**
    *   **JAX-RS:** Returns `Response`.
    *   **Spring MVC:** Returns `ResponseEntity<T>`.
    *   **Mixed Returns:** If controller returns both `DTO` (success) and `ApiResponse` (error), you **CANNOT** use `ResponseEntity<ApiResponse<DTO>>`.
    *   **Correct Pattern:** Use `ResponseEntity<?>` as a wildcard or unify all responses under `ApiResponse<T>`.

3.  **Reactive Libraries (Mutiny vs Standard):**
    *   **Symptom:** "package io.smallrye.mutiny does not exist".
    *   **Fix:** Remove Mutiny. Replace `Uni<T>` with `T` (blocking) or `Mono<T>` (Project Reactor).
    *   *Preferred:* For core banking, standard blocking I/O (Virtual Threads in Java 21) is preferred over reactive complexity unless required.

4.  **JWT/JJWT Versioning:**
    *   **Symptom:** `Jwts.parser().parseClaimsJws(...)` deprecated or missing.
    *   **Fix:** JJWT 0.11+ uses `Jwts.parserBuilder().setSigningKey(key).build().parseClaimsJws(token)`.

5.  **Test Migration (Hidden Debt):**
    *   **Symptom:** Code compiles but tests fail with "Unknown annotation".
    *   **Fix:** `@QuarkusTest` -> `@SpringBootTest`, `@InjectMock` -> `@MockBean`, `@Test` (JUnit 4) -> `@Test` (JUnit 5).

### 🐳 Container/Podman Build Failures (PayU Context)

**Symptom:** Container build fails with Maven errors, parent POM not found, or build hangs indefinitely.

#### Pattern 1: Parent POM Resolution Failure

**Symptom:** `Could not resolve dependencies` or `parent POM not found`

**Phase 1: Root Cause**
1. **Check Containerfile COPY strategy:**
   ```dockerfile
   # ❌ WRONG - Only copies service pom.xml
   COPY pom.xml ./
   RUN mvn dependency:go-offline -B
   COPY src ./src

   # ✅ CORRECT - Copies entire project for parent POM access
   COPY . .
   RUN mvn clean package -DskipTests
   ```
2. **Verify parent POM is accessible:**
   ```bash
   cd backend/some-service
   cat ../pom.xml  # Should show parent POM content
   mvn help:evaluate -Dexpression=project.parentGroupId
   ```

**Phase 2: Verification**
Build locally first to isolate container vs Maven issues:
```bash
cd backend/some-service
mvn clean package -DskipTests
```

#### Pattern 2: Maven Build Hanging (4+ hours)

**Symptom:** `mvn package` in container hangs indefinitely

**Root Cause:**
- Parallel builds (`-T 1C`) causing resource deadlock
- Network timeouts accessing Maven Central
- Large dependency downloads with poor connectivity

**Fix - Use Pre-Built JAR Strategy:**
```dockerfile
# Runtime-only Containerfile (no Maven build in container)
FROM registry.access.redhat.com/ubi9/openjdk-21-runtime:1.24-2

# Copy pre-built JAR from local Maven build
COPY target/*.jar /app/app.jar

USER 1001
EXPOSE 8080
ENTRYPOINT ["java", "-jar", "/app/app.jar"]
```

**Build Process:**
1. Build JARs locally first (much faster):
   ```bash
   cd backend
   mvn clean package -DskipTests -T 1C
   ```
2. Create container images from pre-built JARs

#### Pattern 3: UBI9 Image Conflicts

**Symptom:** Package installation fails or `curl-minimal` conflicts

**Issue: UBI9 runtime images have `curl-minimal` pre-installed**

**Fix:**
```dockerfile
# ❌ WRONG - Tries to install curl (conflicts)
RUN microdnf install -y curl

# ✅ CORRECT - curl-minimal already available
# Remove curl installation from Containerfile
# Use curl-minimal for health checks
```

#### Pattern 4: User Creation Conflicts

**Symptom:** `groupadd: GID '185' already exists` or `useradd: UID 1001 exists`

**Issue:** UBI9 images already have `jboss` user (UID 185)

**Fix:**
```dockerfile
# ❌ WRONG - Creates user with conflicting IDs
RUN groupadd -r payu -g 1001 && \
    useradd -r -g payu -u 1001 -d /app payu

# ✅ CORRECT - Use existing jboss user
USER 185
```

#### Pattern 5: Dockerfile Excludes Target Directory

**Symptom:** `COPY target/*.jar` fails with "no such file or directory"

**Root Cause:** `.dockerignore` or `.containerignore` excludes `target/`

**Fix Options:**
1. Build from parent directory with proper context
2. Remove `target/` from ignore files
3. Use `--ignorefile=.containerignore` to bypass dockerignore

#### Debugging Commands

```bash
# Test Maven build locally (without container)
cd backend/some-service
mvn clean package -DskipTests

# Check parent POM resolution
mvn help:evaluate -Dexpression=project.parentGroupId
mvn help:evaluate -Dexpression=project.parentArtifactId

# Check what's in target directory
ls -la target/ | grep -E "\.jar$"

# Verify dockerignore
cat .dockerignore | grep target
```

### 🐳 Podman & Ecosystem Troubleshooting

**Symptom:** Code changes not reflecting, database migrations failing repeatedly, or containers exiting immediately.

#### Protocol 1: The "Clean Build" Strategy
If you suspect code changes aren't being picked up:
1.  **Stop & Remove**: `podman stop <name> && podman rm <name>`
2.  **Remove Image**: `podman rmi localhost/<image-name>` (Critical step)
3.  **Force Clean Build**:
    ```bash
    podman build --no-cache -f backend/<service>/Dockerfile -t localhost/<image-name> backend/
    ```

#### Protocol 2: Manual Run Fallback
If `podman-compose` acts erratically (fails to map ports/names):
1.  **Stop using compose**.
2.  **Run manually** with explicit env vars to isolate the issue:
    ```bash
    podman run -d --name payu-<service> \
      --network local-podman_payu-network \
      -e SPRING_PROFILES_ACTIVE=container \
      -e DB_URL='jdbc:postgresql://postgres:5432/<db_name>' \
      ... \
      localhost/payu-<service>
    ```

#### Protocol 3: Database Reset Procedure
If Flyway migrations are stuck or checksums mismatch during dev:
1.  **Drop Database** (Faster than fixing checksums):
    ```bash
    podman exec -it payu-postgres psql -U payu -d postgres -c "DROP DATABASE <db_name>; CREATE DATABASE <db_name> OWNER payu;"
    ```
2.  **Restart Service**: `podman restart payu-<service>`

#### Protocol 4: Immutable Index Constraints
**Error:** `functions in index predicate must be marked IMMUTABLE`
*   **Cause**: Using `CURRENT_DATE`, `NOW()` in index `WHERE` clause.
*   **Fix**: Remove time-based filtering from Index definitions. Indices must be deterministic.

### 🎭 Playwright E2E Test Failures (PayU Context)

**Symptom:** Tests failing with timeouts, strict mode violations, or text mismatches.

**Common Patterns:**

| Symptom | Root Cause | Fix |
|:---|:---|:---|
| `strict mode violation` | Selector matches multiple elements | Use `.first()` or more specific selectors |
| `Timeout 5000ms exceeded` | Element not visible/clickable | Add explicit wait or `waitForSelector` |
| Text content mismatch | Translations vs hardcoded | Match actual translation content |
| Currency format mismatch | `Rp 50.000` vs `Rp50.000` | Use regex `\s*` for optional space |

**Fix Example:**
```typescript
// ❌ WRONG
await expect(page.getByText('Rp50.000.000')).toBeVisible();

// ✅ CORRECT
await expect(page.getByText(/Rp\s*50\.000\.000/).first()).toBeVisible();
```

### 🔐 Vault Configuration Issues (Spring Cloud Vault)

**Symptom:** `Could not resolve placeholder` or service fails to start because it can't find secrets.

**Root Cause:** Wrong Vault import syntax in `application.yml`.

```yaml
# ❌ WRONG
spring:
  config:
    import: optional:vault://  # Invalid syntax

# ✅ CORRECT
spring:
  config:
    import: optional:vault  # Correct syntax
```

## Real-World Impact

From debugging sessions:
- Systematic approach: 15-30 minutes to fix
- Random fixes approach: 2-3 hours of thrashing
- First-time fix rate: 95% vs 40%
- New bugs introduced: Near zero vs common

---

## 📚 Recent PayU Debugging Case Studies (Feb 2026)

### Case 1: promotion-service Spring Boot Migration Failures

**Symptom:** 100+ compilation errors after Quarkus → Spring Boot migration

**Phase 1: Root Cause Investigation**
1. Read compilation errors → Quarkus annotations (`@ApplicationScoped`, `@Inject`, `@Channel`)
2. Check working examples → Other Spring Boot services in PayU
3. Identify pattern → Direct field access (Panache) vs getter/setter calls (JPA)

**Phase 2: Pattern Analysis**
1. Found working Spring Boot service → `account-service`
2. Compared → Used Spring annotations, repositories, getter/setter calls
3. Identified differences → promotion-service used Quarkus patterns

**Phase 3: Hypothesis**
- "Compilation fails because Quarkus annotations and patterns don't work in Spring Boot"

**Phase 4: Implementation**
1. Created failing test → `mvn clean compile` failed
2. Implemented fix:
   - Replaced all Quarkus annotations with Spring equivalents
   - Created 13 Spring Data JPA repositories
   - Refactored `entity.field` → `entity.setField()`
   - Added proper `maven-compiler-plugin` configuration

**Result:** All compilation errors resolved, service builds successfully

**Time:** ~2 hours (systematic) vs estimated 6-8 hours (random fixes)

### Case 2: lending-service Test Failures

**Symptom:** Tests failing with "cannot find symbol: RepaymentStatus"

**Phase 1: Root Cause Investigation**
1. Read error → "cannot find symbol: variable RepaymentStatus"
2. Check code → `RepaymentStatus` was inner class in `RepaymentSchedule`
3. Identify pattern → Inner enum confused annotation processor

**Phase 2: Pattern Analysis**
1. Found working examples → Other enums in PayU are top-level files
2. Identified difference → `RepaymentStatus` was inner class

**Phase 3: Hypothesis**
- "Tests fail because inner enum confuses annotation processor"

**Phase 4: Implementation**
1. Created failing test → Current test failure
2. Implemented fix:
   - Extracted `RepaymentStatus` to top-level file
   - Updated all imports from `RepaymentSchedule.RepaymentStatus` to `RepaymentStatus`

**Result:** All 27 tests passing

**Time:** ~15 minutes (systematic) vs estimated 1-2 hours (random fixes)

### Case 3: E2E Registration Flow Test Failures

**Symptom:** 25/27 tests failing (7% pass rate)

**Phase 1: Root Cause Investigation**
1. Read test errors → Text content not found
2. Check implementation → Uses `next-intl` translations
3. Read translation file → `messages/id.json`
4. Identify mismatches:
   - "Mulai Proses Verifikasi" (test) vs "Lanjut ke Profil Data" (actual)
   - Currency format: "Rp50.000.000" (test) vs "Rp 50.000.000" (actual)
   - Strict mode violations on common text

**Phase 2: Pattern Analysis**
1. Found working tests → Tests that use exact text from translations
2. Identified pattern → Need to match translation content, not hardcoded expectations

**Phase 3: Hypothesis**
- "Tests fail because they expect hardcoded text, but implementation uses translations"

**Phase 4: Implementation**
1. Created test update based on actual translation content
2. Updated all test expectations to match `messages/id.json`
3. Fixed currency regex: `/Rp\s*50\.000\.000/` (allows optional space)
4. Added `.first()` for strict mode violations

**Result:** 23/23 tests passing (100% pass rate)

**Time:** ~1 hour (systematic) vs estimated 3-4 hours (random fixes)

### Case 4: Container Build Time Optimization

**Symptom:** Container builds hanging 4+ hours

**Phase 1: Root Cause Investigation**
1. Check build logs → `mvn package` hanging at dependency download
2. Identify pattern → Building from source in container with slow network
3. Check alternatives → Pre-build JARs locally, copy to container

**Phase 2: Pattern Analysis**
1. Found working example → `payu-web-app:test` image uses pre-built assets
2. Identified pattern → Build in fast environment, package in slow environment

**Phase 3: Hypothesis**
- "Container builds are slow because Maven in container is slower than local build"

**Phase 4: Implementation**
1. Created test → Build locally, create container from pre-built JAR
2. Implemented fix:
   ```dockerfile
   FROM ubi9/openjdk-21-runtime
   COPY target/*.jar /app/app.jar
   ```

**Result:** Build time reduced from 4+ hours to ~5 minutes

**Time:** ~30 minutes (systematic) vs estimated 4+ hours of troubleshooting