KNIME Hub Authenticator throws error upon reset

I would like the KNIME development team to have a look at this topic.

Summary

The KNIME Hub Authenticator node reports a configuration error based on its settings alone, even when the node is never executed, including when it sits in an inactive branch. The problem is log noise. These errors are logged at ERROR level even though nothing has actually gone wrong.

Use case

We build workflows that run both on KNIME Hub and locally. The workflow collects a list of workflows/files from a location: a Hub Space when running on the Hub, a local system folder when running in the local workspace.

The workflow detects where it is being executed and activates only the relevant branch (Local Workspace or Hub Space), so the Hub Authenticator is bypassed entirely during local execution.

Another use case could be to collect credentials from the KNIME Hub Secret Store, which could is some cases not be needed for local executions.

Current behavior

Simply loading the workflow produces:

ERROR KNIME Hub Authenticator 3:1714 Configure failed (IllegalArgumentException): Mountpoint this-is-a-test does not exist.

The message itself is clear, but the error shouldn't appear at all: the Hub isn't needed for a local run. Users who haven't set up a Hub connection, or who use a different mountpoint name, will see a workflow that looks broken even though the failing node is never reached.

Note: See simplified workflow and error in console below when the workflow is reset/not executed.

Expected behavior

The error should be raised only when:

• the node's configuration dialog is opened, or

• the node is actually executed.

A node in an inactive branch should not report a configuration error. See the examples above for the inactive branch / CASE Switch setup.

Note: no errors are thrown when the workflow is executed with the KNIME Hub Authenticator within the inactive branches.