@@ -70,31 +70,47 @@
 
 (define *send-receive-mutex* (make-mutex)) ;; should have separate mutex per run-id
 
 ;; how to make area-dat
 (define (rmt:set-ttdat areapath ttdat)
-  (if (not ttdat)
+  (if ttdat
+      ttdat
       (let* ((newremote  (make-and-init-remote areapath)))
 	(set! *ttdat* newremote)
-	ttdat)))
+	newremote)))
 
 ;; NB// area-dat replaced by ttdat
 ;; 
 (define (rmt:send-receive cmd run-id params #!key (attemptnum 1)(ttdat #f))
   (assert *toppath* "FATAL: rmt:send-receive called with *toppath* not set.")
-  (assert ttdat     "FATAL: rmt:send-receive must receive initialized area-dat")
   (let* ((start-time    (current-seconds)) ;; snapshot time so all use cases get same value
          (areapath      *toppath*);; TODO - resolve from dbstruct to be compatible with multiple areas
          (attemptnum    (+ 1 attemptnum))
 	 (readonly-mode (rmtmod:calc-ro-mode ttdat *toppath*))
 	 (testsuite     (common:get-testsuite-name))
 	 (mtexe         (common:find-local-megatest))
-	 (dbfname       (conc (dbfile:run-id->dbnum run-id)".db")))
-    (rmt:set-ttdat areapath ttdat)
-    (tt:handler (rmt:set-ttdat ttdat) cmd run-id params
-		attemptnum readonly-mode dbfname
-		testsuite mtexe)))
+	 (dbfname       (conc (dbfile:run-id->dbnum run-id)".db"))
+	 (ttdat         (rmt:set-ttdat areapath ttdat))
+	 (conn          (tt:get-conn ttdat dbfname))
+	 (is-main       (equal? dbfname "main.db")) ;; why not (not run-id) ?
+	 (server-start-proc (if is-main
+				#f
+				(lambda ()
+				  ;; (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "starting server for dbfname: "dbfname)
+				  (rmt:start-server ;; tt:server-process-run
+				   areapath
+				   testsuite ;; (dbfile:testsuite-name)
+				   mtexe
+				   run-id)))))
+    ;; here we look at ttdat, if dbfname is NOT main.db we check that a conn exists for it
+    ;; and if there is no conn we first send a request to the main.db server to start a
+    ;; server for the dbfname.
+    #;(if (and (not is-main)(not conn)) ;; no existing connection to non-main server, call in a start up request
+	(begin
+	  (server-start-proc)
+	  (thread-sleep! 1)))
+    (tt:handler ttdat cmd run-id params attemptnum readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe server-start-proc)))
 
 ;; KEEP THIS HERE FOR A WHILE, WE MAY WANT TO RESURECT IT
 ;; (define (nfs-transport-handler  runremote cmd run-id params attemptnum area-dat areapath readonly-mode testsuite mtexe)
 ;;   (let* ((keys     (common:get-fields *configdat*))
 ;; 	 (dbstruct (dbmod:nfs-get-dbstruct run-id keys (dbfile:db-init-proc) areapath tmpadj: "/dashboard")))
@@ -191,12 +207,12 @@
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (define (rmt:kill-server run-id)
   (rmt:send-receive 'kill-server run-id (list run-id)))
 
-(define (rmt:start-server run-id)
-  (rmt:send-receive 'start-server 0 (list run-id)))
+(define (rmt:start-server areapath testsuite mtexe run-id) ;; run on main.db server
+  (rmt:send-receive 'start-server #f (list areapath testsuite mtexe run-id)))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;;  M I S C
 ;;======================================================================
 
@@ -205,16 +221,16 @@
 
 ;; This login does no retries under the hood - it acts a bit like a ping.
 ;; Deprecated for nmsg-transport.
 ;;
 ;; (define (rmt:login-no-auto-client-setup runremote)
-;;   (rmt:send-receive-no-auto-client-setup runremote 'login 0 (list *toppath* megatest-version (client:get-signature))))
+;;   (rmt:send-receive-no-auto-client-setup runremote 'login #f (list *toppath* megatest-version (client:get-signature))))
 
 
 ;; given a hostname, return a pair of cpu load and update time representing latest intelligence from tests running on that host
 (define (rmt:get-latest-host-load hostname)
-  (rmt:send-receive 'get-latest-host-load 0 (list hostname)))
+  (rmt:send-receive 'get-latest-host-load #f (list hostname)))
 
 (define (rmt:sdb-qry qry val run-id)
   ;; add caching if qry is 'getid or 'getstr
   (rmt:send-receive 'sdb-qry run-id (list qry val)))