[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #50305: Heartbeat/auth-check interval consistency (wp_auth_check_interval does not have the stated effect)

[WordPress Trac]

#50305: Heartbeat/auth-check interval consistency (wp_auth_check_interval does not
have the stated effect)
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 Reporter:  dsixinetu                   |      Owner:  (none)
     Type:  defect (bug)                |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal                      |  Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Administration              |    Version:  trunk
 Severity:  normal                      |   Keywords:
  Focuses:  javascript, administration  |
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 **TL;DR**:
 [https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/hooks/wp_auth_check_interval/
 wp_auth_check_interval] currently has no effect and should be fixed or
 deprecated/removed.



 == History
 Originally, the `auth_check` code run when a heartbeat was received
 checked for **'wp-auth-check'** in the heartbeat data. This value was
 added to the heartbeat request based on some scheduling in `auth-
 check.js`, with `wp_auth_check_interval` providing a filter to control the
 timing. Note that this timing is independent of the scheduling of the
 heartbeat itself.
 * [24738] stopped checking for this value as a part of other changes to
 auth-check
 * [27153] changed `auth_check` to run on `heartbeat_send` rather than
 `heartbeat_received`, so the heartbeat data was not available and the
 `data` argument was removed in [27154]

 == Current State
 `wp_auth_check_interval` and the timing code in `auth-check.js` still
 control the timing of when the **'wp-auth-check'** data is added to the
 heartbeat request, but nothing on the server side is checking for this
 value and the **'wp-auth-check'** data is included in the heartbeat
 response every time.

 Based on #27081, it seems that we want `auth_check` to run on every
 heartbeat as it now does. Assuming that this is correct, the **'wp-auth-
 check'** ''request'' data, timing code, and the filter
 `wp_auth_check_interval` are no longer required and have been non-
 functional since 2014.

 == Proposed Changes

 * Remove timing code in `auth-check.js`
 * Remove `wp_auth_check_interval` filter (can we skip deprecating it since
 it has not worked for the past 6 years?)
 * Recommend controlling heartbeat interval rather than auth-check:
   * Through the **'interval'** setting with the `heartbeat_settings`
 filter
   * Through the **'heartbeat_interval'** value in heartbeat response

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/50305>
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