Megatest

			      (string->number (cadr dat)) ;; port
			      (string->number (caddr dat))
                              (cadr (cddr dat))))))
                (begin 
                   (if dbprep-found
                      (begin
                         (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Server is in dbprep at " (current-seconds))
                         (thread-sleep! 0.5) ;; was 25 sec but that blocked things from starting?
                      )
                      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Unable to get server info from " logf " at " (current-seconds))
                   )
		    (list #f #f #f #f)))))))))

;; get a list of servers with all relevant data
;; ( mod-time host port start-time pid )

  ;; look for $MT_RUN_AREA_HOME/logs/server-start-last
  ;; and wait for it to be at least 3 seconds old
  (server:wait-for-server-start-last-flag areapath)
  (if (not (server:check-if-running areapath)) ;; why try if there is already a server running?
      (let* ((last-run-dat (hash-table-ref/default *server-kind-run* areapath '(0 0))) ;; callnum, whenrun
	     (call-num     (car last-run-dat))
	     (when-run     (cadr last-run-dat))
	     (run-delay    (+ (case call-num ;; NOT USED. Waiting is handled by wait-for-server
				((0)    0)
				((1)   20)
				((2)  300)
				(else 600))
			      (random 5)
                              0))   ;; add a small random number just in case a lot of jobs hit the work hosts simultaneously

	     (lock-file    (conc areapath "/logs/server-start.lock")))
	;; (if	(> (- (current-seconds) when-run) run-delay)
	(let* ((start-flag (conc areapath "/logs/server-start-last")))
	  (common:simple-file-lock-and-wait lock-file expire-time: 15)
	  (debug:print-info  0 *default-log-port* "server:kind-run: touching " start-flag)
	  (system (conc "touch " start-flag)) ;; lazy but safe
	  (server:run areapath)
	  (thread-sleep! 2) ;; don't release the lock for at least a few seconds
	  (common:simple-file-release-lock lock-file)))
      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Found server already running. NOT trying to start another.")))
	;; (hash-table-set! *server-kind-run* areapath (list (+ call-num 1)(current-seconds))))))

;; this one seems to be the general entry point
;;
(define (server:start-and-wait areapath #!key (timeout 60))
  (let ((give-up-time (+ (current-seconds) timeout)))
    (let loop ((server-info (server:check-if-running areapath))
	       (try-num    0))