retry_failed_jobs · Scifinder Route MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What retry_failed_jobs does on Scifinder Route

AI agents invoke retry_failed_jobs to trigger actions in Scifinder Route. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why retry_failed_jobs needs a policy

Retrying failed jobs re-runs processing pipelines/parse operations, which constitutes executing external operations. It is not a simple read and may have side effects such as modifying state, consuming resources, or writing parsed results. Severity is medium as misuse could cause repeated resource consumption or overwrite partially-processed data, but effects are generally recoverable.

From the tool's definition 'Retry recent failed parse jobs' — triggers re-execution of previously failed parsing operations

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

retry_failed_jobs Rate-limited

retry_failed_jobs stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "retry_failed_jobs": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "retry_failed_jobs_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Scifinder Route, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about retry_failed_jobs

What does the retry_failed_jobs tool do? +

Retry recent failed parse jobs. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Scifinder Route MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on retry_failed_jobs? +

Register the Scifinder Route MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for retry_failed_jobs: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Scifinder Route. Nothing to install.

What risk level is retry_failed_jobs? +

retry_failed_jobs is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit retry_failed_jobs? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the retry_failed_jobs rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block retry_failed_jobs completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for retry_failed_jobs. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides retry_failed_jobs? +

retry_failed_jobs is provided by the Scifinder Route MCP server (kettly1260/scifinder-route-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.