Repository: kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension

Issue:
test flake in weighted random picker
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**What happened**:
test flakes in random weighted picker.
example here: 
https://prow.k8s.io/view/gs/kubernetes-ci-logs/pr-logs/pull/kubernetes-sigs_gateway-api-inference-extension/1537/pull-gateway-api-inference-extension-test-unit-main/1963873589643972608
**What you expected to happen**:
tests to pass
**How to reproduce it (as minimally and precisely as possible)**:

**Anything else we need to know?**:

**Environment**:
- Kubernetes version (use `kubectl version`):
- Inference extension version (use `git describe --tags --dirty --always`):
- Cloud provider or hardware configuration:
- Install tools:
- Others:


Hints from issue comments:
@rockswe: /assign@nirrozenbaum: @rockswe any update on this issue?
unfortunately it seems like this flake is hitting us on every other PR.
we need a fix asap.

please let me know if you don't have the capacity so we can take care of this issue soon.@nirrozenbaum: since I got no response and this is an urgent fix that blocks incoming PRs (flake hits us almost on every PR), I have to push a fix.
apologize @rockswe, if you want we can find more good first issues to work on 🙏@rockswe: I ran into some delays and couldn’t prioritize it properly, so I couldn’t deliver the fix as quickly as needed. Sorry about that.

Solution patch:
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 1db64b8..cddf7e7 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -23,14 +23,14 @@ require (
 	google.golang.org/grpc v1.75.0
 	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.36.8
 	k8s.io/api v0.34.0
-	k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver v0.33.4
+	k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver v0.34.0
 	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.34.0
 	k8s.io/client-go v0.34.0
 	k8s.io/code-generator v0.34.0
 	k8s.io/component-base v0.34.0
 	k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20250604170112-4c0f3b243397
 	sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.21.0
-	sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.18.0
+	sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.19.0
 	sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api v1.3.0
 	sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v6 v6.3.0
 	sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.6.0
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/envoyproxy/protoc-gen-validate v1.2.1 // indirect
 	github.com/evanphx/json-patch/v5 v5.9.11 // indirect
 	github.com/felixge/httpsnoop v1.0.4 // indirect
-	github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.8.0 // indirect
+	github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.9.0 // indirect
 	github.com/fxamacker/cbor/v2 v2.9.0 // indirect
 	github.com/go-logr/stdr v1.2.2 // indirect
 	github.com/go-logr/zapr v1.3.0 // indirect
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/goccy/go-yaml v1.18.0 // indirect
 	github.com/gogo/protobuf v1.3.2 // indirect
 	github.com/google/btree v1.1.3 // indirect
-	github.com/google/cel-go v0.23.2 // indirect
+	github.com/google/cel-go v0.26.0 // indirect
 	github.com/google/gnostic-models v0.7.0 // indirect
 	github.com/google/pprof v0.0.0-20250607225305-033d6d78b36a // indirect
 	github.com/gorilla/websocket v1.5.4-0.20250319132907-e064f32e3674 // indirect
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.1-0.20181226105442-5d4384ee4fb2 // indirect
 	github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.16.1 // indirect
 	github.com/spf13/cobra v1.9.1 // indirect
-	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.6 // indirect
+	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.7 // indirect
 	github.com/stoewer/go-strcase v1.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/x448/float16 v0.8.4 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/auto/sdk v1.1.0 // indirect
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ require (
 	gopkg.in/inf.v0 v0.9.1 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 // indirect
-	k8s.io/apiserver v0.33.4 // indirect
+	k8s.io/apiserver v0.34.0 // indirect
 	k8s.io/gengo/v2 v2.0.0-20250604051438-85fd79dbfd9f // indirect
 	k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.130.1 // indirect
 	k8s.io/kube-openapi v0.0.0-20250710124328-f3f2b991d03b // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 7bf7959..f1d01ec 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ github.com/evanphx/json-patch/v5 v5.9.11 h1:/8HVnzMq13/3x9TPvjG08wUGqBTmZBsCWzjT
 github.com/evanphx/json-patch/v5 v5.9.11/go.mod h1:3j+LviiESTElxA4p3EMKAB9HXj3/XEtnUf6OZxqIQTM=
 github.com/felixge/httpsnoop v1.0.4 h1:NFTV2Zj1bL4mc9sqWACXbQFVBBg2W3GPvqp8/ESS2Wg=
 github.com/felixge/httpsnoop v1.0.4/go.mod h1:m8KPJKqk1gH5J9DgRY2ASl2lWCfGKXixSwevea8zH2U=
-github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.8.0 h1:dAwr6QBTBZIkG8roQaJjGof0pp0EeF+tNV7YBP3F/8M=
-github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.8.0/go.mod h1:8jBTzvmWwFyi3Pb8djgCCO5IBqzKJ/Jwo8TRcHyHii0=
+github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.9.0 h1:2Ml+OJNzbYCTzsxtv8vKSFD9PbJjmhYF14k/jKC7S9k=
+github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.9.0/go.mod h1:8jBTzvmWwFyi3Pb8djgCCO5IBqzKJ/Jwo8TRcHyHii0=
 github.com/fxamacker/cbor/v2 v2.9.0 h1:NpKPmjDBgUfBms6tr6JZkTHtfFGcMKsw3eGcmD/sapM=
 github.com/fxamacker/cbor/v2 v2.9.0/go.mod h1:vM4b+DJCtHn+zz7h3FFp/hDAI9WNWCsZj23V5ytsSxQ=
 github.com/go-logr/logr v1.2.2/go.mod h1:jdQByPbusPIv2/zmleS9BjJVeZ6kBagPoEUsqbVz/1A=
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ github.com/golang/snappy v1.0.0 h1:Oy607GVXHs7RtbggtPBnr2RmDArIsAefDwvrdWvRhGs=
 github.com/golang/snappy v1.0.0/go.mod h1:/XxbfmMg8lxefKM7IXC3fBNl/7bRcc72aCRzEWrmP2Q=
 github.com/google/btree v1.1.3 h1:CVpQJjYgC4VbzxeGVHfvZrv1ctoYCAI8vbl07Fcxlyg=
 github.com/google/btree v1.1.3/go.mod h1:qOPhT0dTNdNzV6Z/lhRX0YXUafgPLFUh+gZMl761Gm4=
-github.com/google/cel-go v0.23.2 h1:UdEe3CvQh3Nv+E/j9r1Y//WO0K0cSyD7/y0bzyLIMI4=
-github.com/google/cel-go v0.23.2/go.mod h1:52Pb6QsDbC5kvgxvZhiL9QX1oZEkcUF/ZqaPx1J5Wwo=
+github.com/google/cel-go v0.26.0 h1:DPGjXackMpJWH680oGY4lZhYjIameYmR+/6RBdDGmaI=
+github.com/google/cel-go v0.26.0/go.mod h1:A9O8OU9rdvrK5MQyrqfIxo1a0u4g3sF8KB6PUIaryMM=
 github.com/google/gnostic-models v0.7.0 h1:qwTtogB15McXDaNqTZdzPJRHvaVJlAl+HVQnLmJEJxo=
 github.com/google/gnostic-models v0.7.0/go.mod h1:whL5G0m6dmc5cPxKc5bdKdEN3UjI7OUGxBlw57miDrQ=
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.7.0 h1:wk8382ETsv4JYUZwIsn6YpYiWiBsYLSJiTsyBybVuN8=
@@ -228,8 +228,9 @@ github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.13.1/go.mod h1:uMEvuHeurkdAXX61udpOXGD/AzZDWN
 github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0/go.mod h1:+Rmxgy9KzJVeS9/2gXHxylqXiyQDYRxCVz55jmeOWTM=
 github.com/spf13/cobra v1.9.1 h1:CXSaggrXdbHK9CF+8ywj8Amf7PBRmPCOJugH954Nnlo=
 github.com/spf13/cobra v1.9.1/go.mod h1:nDyEzZ8ogv936Cinf6g1RU9MRY64Ir93oCnqb9wxYW0=
-github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.6 h1:jFzHGLGAlb3ruxLB8MhbI6A8+AQX/2eW4qeyNZXNp2o=
 github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.6/go.mod h1:McXfInJRrz4CZXVZOBLb0bTZqETkiAhM9Iw0y3An2Bg=
+github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.7 h1:vN6T9TfwStFPFM5XzjsvmzZkLuaLX+HS+0SeFLRgU6M=
+github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.7/go.mod h1:McXfInJRrz4CZXVZOBLb0bTZqETkiAhM9Iw0y3An2Bg=
 github.com/stoewer/go-strcase v1.3.0 h1:g0eASXYtp+yvN9fK8sH94oCIk0fau9uV1/ZdJ0AVEzs=
 github.com/stoewer/go-strcase v1.3.0/go.mod h1:fAH5hQ5pehh+j3nZfvwdk2RgEgQjAoM8wodgtPmh1xo=
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.1.0/go.mod h1:HFkY916IF+rwdDfMAkV7OtwuqBVzrE8GR6GFx+wExME=
@@ -362,12 +363,12 @@ gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 h1:fxVm/GzAzEWqLHuvctI91KS9hhNmmWOoWu0XTYJS7CA=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
 k8s.io/api v0.34.0 h1:L+JtP2wDbEYPUeNGbeSa/5GwFtIA662EmT2YSLOkAVE=
 k8s.io/api v0.34.0/go.mod h1:YzgkIzOOlhl9uwWCZNqpw6RJy9L2FK4dlJeayUoydug=
-k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver v0.33.4 h1:rtq5SeXiDbXmSwxsF0MLe2Mtv3SwprA6wp+5qh/CrOU=
-k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver v0.33.4/go.mod h1:mWXcZQkQV1GQyxeIjYApuqsn/081hhXPZwZ2URuJeSs=
+k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver v0.34.0 h1:B3hiB32jV7BcyKcMU5fDaDxk882YrJ1KU+ZSkA9Qxoc=
+k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver v0.34.0/go.mod h1:hLI4GxE1BDBy9adJKxUxCEHBGZtGfIg98Q+JmTD7+g0=
 k8s.io/apimachinery v0.34.0 h1:eR1WO5fo0HyoQZt1wdISpFDffnWOvFLOOeJ7MgIv4z0=
 k8s.io/apimachinery v0.34.0/go.mod h1:/GwIlEcWuTX9zKIg2mbw0LRFIsXwrfoVxn+ef0X13lw=
-k8s.io/apiserver v0.33.4 h1:6N0TEVA6kASUS3owYDIFJjUH6lgN8ogQmzZvaFFj1/Y=
-k8s.io/apiserver v0.33.4/go.mod h1:8ODgXMnOoSPLMUg1aAzMFx+7wTJM+URil+INjbTZCok=
+k8s.io/apiserver v0.34.0 h1:Z51fw1iGMqN7uJ1kEaynf2Aec1Y774PqU+FVWCFV3Jg=
+k8s.io/apiserver v0.34.0/go.mod h1:52ti5YhxAvewmmpVRqlASvaqxt0gKJxvCeW7ZrwgazQ=
 k8s.io/client-go v0.34.0 h1:YoWv5r7bsBfb0Hs2jh8SOvFbKzzxyNo0nSb0zC19KZo=
 k8s.io/client-go v0.34.0/go.mod h1:ozgMnEKXkRjeMvBZdV1AijMHLTh3pbACPvK7zFR+QQY=
 k8s.io/code-generator v0.34.0 h1:Ze2i1QsvUprIlX3oHiGv09BFQRLCz+StA8qKwwFzees=
@@ -386,8 +387,8 @@ sigs.k8s.io/apiserver-network-proxy/konnectivity-client v0.31.2 h1:jpcvIRr3GLoUo
 sigs.k8s.io/apiserver-network-proxy/konnectivity-client v0.31.2/go.mod h1:Ve9uj1L+deCXFrPOk1LpFXqTg7LCFzFso6PA48q/XZw=
 sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.21.0 h1:CYfjpEuicjUecRk+KAeyYh+ouUBn4llGyDYytIGcJS8=
 sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.21.0/go.mod h1:OSg14+F65eWqIu4DceX7k/+QRAbTTvxeQSNSOQpukWM=
-sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.18.0 h1:rGxGZCZTV2wJreeRgqVoWab/mfcumTMmSwKzoM9xrsE=
-sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.18.0/go.mod h1:gLKoiGBriyNh+x1rWtUQnakUYEujErjXs9pf+x/8n1U=
+sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.19.0 h1:OU7jrPPiZusryu6YK0jYSjPqg8Vhf8cAzluP9XGI5uk=
+sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.19.0/go.mod h1:y5HY/iNDFkmFla2CfQoVb2AQXMsBk4ad84iR1PLANB0=
 sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api v1.3.0 h1:q6okN+/UKDATola4JY7zXzx40WO4VISk7i9DIfOvr9M=
 sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api v1.3.0/go.mod h1:d8NV8nJbaRbEKem+5IuxkL8gJGOZ+FJ+NvOIltV8gDk=
 sigs.k8s.io/json v0.0.0-20241014173422-cfa47c3a1cc8 h1:gBQPwqORJ8d8/YNZWEjoZs7npUVDpVXUUOFfW6CgAqE=



Test patch:
diff --git a/pkg/epp/scheduling/framework/plugins/picker/picker_test.go b/pkg/epp/scheduling/framework/plugins/picker/picker_test.go
index 741a49d..022328e 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/scheduling/framework/plugins/picker/picker_test.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/scheduling/framework/plugins/picker/picker_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package picker
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"math"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
@@ -138,8 +139,8 @@ func TestPickMaxScorePicker(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestPickWeightedRandomPicker(t *testing.T) {
 	const (
-		testIterations = 1000
-		tolerance      = 0.2 // 20% tolerance in [0,1] range
+		testIterations = 10000
+		tolerance      = 0.05 // Verify within tolerance ±5%
 	)
 
 	pod1 := &types.PodMetrics{Pod: &backend.Pod{NamespacedName: k8stypes.NamespacedName{Name: "pod1"}}}
@@ -197,14 +198,14 @@ func TestPickWeightedRandomPicker(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, test := range tests {
 		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			picker := NewWeightedRandomPicker(test.maxPods)
-			selectionCounts := make(map[string]int)
 
-			// Calculate expected probabilities based on scores
+			// Summarize the total score of all pods
 			totalScore := 0.0
 			for _, pod := range test.input {
 				totalScore += pod.Score
 			}
 
+			// Calculate expected probabilities based on scores
 			expectedProbabilities := make(map[string]float64)
 			for _, pod := range test.input {
 				podName := pod.GetPod().NamespacedName.Name
@@ -216,20 +217,19 @@ func TestPickWeightedRandomPicker(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			// Initialize selection counters for each pod
+			selectionCounts := make(map[string]int)
 			for _, pod := range test.input {
 				podName := pod.GetPod().NamespacedName.Name
 				selectionCounts[podName] = 0
 			}
 
 			// Run multiple iterations to gather statistical data
-			for i := 0; i < testIterations; i++ {
+			for range testIterations {
 				result := picker.Pick(context.Background(), types.NewCycleState(), test.input)
 
 				// Count selections for probability analysis
-				if len(result.TargetPods) > 0 {
-					selectedPodName := result.TargetPods[0].GetPod().NamespacedName.Name
-					selectionCounts[selectedPodName]++
-				}
+				selectedPodName := result.TargetPods[0].GetPod().NamespacedName.Name
+				selectionCounts[selectedPodName]++
 			}
 
 			// Verify probability distribution
@@ -237,11 +237,7 @@ func TestPickWeightedRandomPicker(t *testing.T) {
 				actualCount := selectionCounts[podName]
 				actualProb := float64(actualCount) / float64(testIterations)
 
-				toleranceValue := expectedProb * tolerance
-				lowerBound := expectedProb - toleranceValue
-				upperBound := expectedProb + toleranceValue
-
-				if actualProb < lowerBound || actualProb > upperBound {
+				if math.Abs(actualProb-expectedProb) > tolerance {
 					t.Errorf("Pod %s: expected probability %.3f ±%.1f%%, got %.3f (count: %d/%d)",
 						podName, expectedProb, tolerance*100, actualProb, actualCount, testIterations)
 				} else {