# Region Merge And Scheduling

## Question

Is merge progress blocked before operator creation or while an operator is
being consumed, and what exact checker or stage prevents it?

## Enter When

Use for low/stalled merge-region progress, unexpected region-count growth,
merge checker rejection, or repeated merge operators.

## First Batch

1. Compare eligible/small-region population with merge operator creation and
   completion.
2. If operators are missing, inspect one direct checker rejection reason:
   paused/recently split, hot/abnormal region, placement rule, deny label,
   cross-table, no target, or target size.
3. If operators exist, inspect the failing operator stage and TiKV
   apply/storage counterpart.

## Decision

Do not treat the absence of completed merges as proof of one scheduler bug.
Separate eligibility, operator generation, and consumption. Placement rules
and safety restrictions can intentionally block a merge.

## Strongest Alternative And Stop

Check one representative region/operator and the most common rejection reason.
Stop after the stage and reason are supported; do not enumerate all regions or
change scheduling configuration.