@@ -10,10 +10,11 @@
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (declare (unit api))
 (declare (uses rmt))
 (declare (uses db))
+(declare (uses tasks))
 
 ;; allow these queries through without starting a server
 ;;
 (define api:read-only-queries
   '(get-key-val-pairs
@@ -49,95 +50,111 @@
     testmeta-get-record))
 
 ;; These are called by the server on recipt of /api calls
 ;;    - keep it simple, only return the actual result of the call, i.e. no meta info here
 ;;
-(define (api:execute-requests dbstruct cmd params)
-  (case (string->symbol cmd)
-    ;; SERVERS
-    ((start-server)                 (apply server:kind-run params))
-    ((kill-server)                  (set! *server-run* #f))
-
-    ;; KEYS
-    ((get-key-val-pairs)            (apply db:get-key-val-pairs dbstruct params))
-    ((get-keys)                     (db:get-keys dbstruct))
-
-    ;; TESTS
-    ((test-toplevel-num-items)         (apply db:test-toplevel-num-items dbstruct params))
-    ((get-test-info-by-id)	       (apply db:get-test-info-by-id dbstruct params))
-    ((test-get-rundir-from-test-id)    (apply db:test-get-rundir-from-test-id dbstruct params))
-    ((test-set-state-status-by-id)     (apply db:test-set-state-status-by-id dbstruct params))
-    ((get-count-tests-running)         (apply db:get-count-tests-running dbstruct params))
-    ((get-count-tests-running-in-jobgroup) (apply db:get-count-tests-running-in-jobgroup dbstruct params))
-    ((delete-test-records)             (apply db:delete-test-records dbstruct params))
-    ;; ((delete-test-step-records)        (apply db:delete-test-step-records dbstruct params))
-    ((delete-old-deleted-test-records) (apply db:delete-old-deleted-test-records dbstruct params))
-    ((test-set-status-state)           (apply db:test-set-status-state dbstruct params))
-    ((get-previous-test-run-record)    (apply db:get-previous-test-run-record dbstruct params))
-    ((get-matching-previous-test-run-records)(apply db:get-matching-previous-test-run-records dbstruct params))
-    ((test-get-logfile-info)           (apply db:test-get-logfile-info dbstruct params))
-    ((test-get-records-for-index-file)  (apply db:test-get-records-for-index-file dbstruct params))
-    ((get-testinfo-state-status)       (apply db:get-testinfo-state-status dbstruct params))
-    ((test-set-top-process-pid)        (apply db:test-set-top-process-pid dbstruct params))
-    ((test-get-top-process-pid)        (apply db:test-get-top-process-pid dbstruct params))
-    ((test-get-paths-matching-keynames-target-new) (apply db:test-get-paths-matching-keynames-target-new dbstruct params))
-    ((get-prereqs-not-met)             (apply db:get-prereqs-not-met dbstruct params))
-    ((roll-up-pass-fail-counts)        (apply db:roll-up-pass-fail-counts dbstruct params))
-    ((update-fail-pass-counts)         (apply db:general-call dbstruct 'update-pass-fail-counts params))
-    ((get-count-tests-running-for-run-id) (apply db:get-count-tests-running-for-run-id dbstruct params))
-
-    ;; RUNS
-    ((get-run-info)                 (apply db:get-run-info dbstruct params))
-    ((get-run-status)               (apply db:get-run-status dbstruct params))
-    ((set-run-status)               (apply db:set-run-status dbstruct params))
-    ((register-run)                 (apply db:register-run dbstruct params))
-    ((set-tests-state-status)       (apply db:set-tests-state-status dbstruct params))
-    ((get-tests-for-run)            (apply db:get-tests-for-run dbstruct params))
-    ((get-test-id)                  (apply db:get-test-id dbstruct params))
+;;    - returns #( flag result )
+;;
+(define (api:execute-requests dbstruct dat)
+  (handle-exceptions
+   exn
+   (let ((call-chain (get-call-chain)))
+     (print-call-chain (current-error-port))
+     (debug:print 0 " message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))       
+     (vector #f (vector exn call-chain dat))) ;; return some stuff for debug if an exception happens
+   (if (not (vector? dat))                    ;; it is an error to not receive a vector
+       (vector #f #f "remote must be called with a vector")       
+       (vector                                   ;; return a vector + the returned data structure
+	#t 
+	(let ((cmd    (vector-ref dat 0))
+	      (params (vector-ref dat 1)))
+	  (case (if (symbol? cmd)
+		    cmd
+		    (string->symbol cmd))
+	    ;; SERVERS
+	    ((start-server)                 (apply server:kind-run params))
+	    ((kill-server)                  (set! *server-run* #f))
+	    
+	    ;; KEYS
+	    ((get-key-val-pairs)            (apply db:get-key-val-pairs dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-keys)                     (db:get-keys dbstruct))
+
+	    ;; TESTS
+	    ((test-toplevel-num-items)         (apply db:test-toplevel-num-items dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-test-info-by-id)	       (apply db:get-test-info-by-id dbstruct params))
+	    ((test-get-rundir-from-test-id)    (apply db:test-get-rundir-from-test-id dbstruct params))
+	    ((test-set-state-status-by-id)     (apply db:test-set-state-status-by-id dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-count-tests-running)         (apply db:get-count-tests-running dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-count-tests-running-in-jobgroup) (apply db:get-count-tests-running-in-jobgroup dbstruct params))
+	    ((delete-test-records)             (apply db:delete-test-records dbstruct params))
+	    ;; ((delete-test-step-records)        (apply db:delete-test-step-records dbstruct params))
+	    ((delete-old-deleted-test-records) (apply db:delete-old-deleted-test-records dbstruct params))
+	    ((test-set-status-state)           (apply db:test-set-status-state dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-previous-test-run-record)    (apply db:get-previous-test-run-record dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-matching-previous-test-run-records)(apply db:get-matching-previous-test-run-records dbstruct params))
+	    ((test-get-logfile-info)           (apply db:test-get-logfile-info dbstruct params))
+	    ((test-get-records-for-index-file)  (apply db:test-get-records-for-index-file dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-testinfo-state-status)       (apply db:get-testinfo-state-status dbstruct params))
+	    ((test-set-top-process-pid)        (apply db:test-set-top-process-pid dbstruct params))
+	    ((test-get-top-process-pid)        (apply db:test-get-top-process-pid dbstruct params))
+	    ((test-get-paths-matching-keynames-target-new) (apply db:test-get-paths-matching-keynames-target-new dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-prereqs-not-met)             (apply db:get-prereqs-not-met dbstruct params))
+	    ((roll-up-pass-fail-counts)        (apply db:roll-up-pass-fail-counts dbstruct params))
+	    ((update-fail-pass-counts)         (apply db:general-call dbstruct 'update-pass-fail-counts params))
+	    ((get-count-tests-running-for-run-id) (apply db:get-count-tests-running-for-run-id dbstruct params))
+
+	    ;; RUNS
+	    ((get-run-info)                 (apply db:get-run-info dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-run-status)               (apply db:get-run-status dbstruct params))
+	    ((set-run-status)               (apply db:set-run-status dbstruct params))
+	    ((register-run)                 (apply db:register-run dbstruct params))
+	    ((set-tests-state-status)       (apply db:set-tests-state-status dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-tests-for-run)            (apply db:get-tests-for-run dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-test-id)                  (apply db:get-test-id dbstruct params))
 	    ((get-tests-for-run-mindata)    (apply db:get-tests-for-run-mindata dbstruct params))
-    ((get-run-name-from-id)         (apply db:get-run-name-from-id dbstruct params))
-    ((delete-run)                   (apply db:delete-run dbstruct params))
-    ((get-runs)                     (apply db:get-runs dbstruct params))
-    ((get-all-run-ids)              (db:get-all-run-ids dbstruct))
-    ((get-prev-run-ids)             (apply db:get-prev-run-ids dbstruct params))
-    ((get-run-ids-matching-target)  (apply db:get-run-ids-matching-target dbstruct params))
-    ((get-runs-by-patt)             (apply db:get-runs-by-patt dbstruct params))
-    ((lock/unlock-run)              (apply db:lock/unlock-run dbstruct params))
-    ((update-run-event_time)        (apply db:update-run-event_time dbstruct params))
-    ((find-and-mark-incomplete)     (apply db:find-and-mark-incomplete dbstruct params))
-
-    ;; STEPS
-    ((teststep-set-status!)         (apply db:teststep-set-status! dbstruct params))
-
-    ;; TEST DATA
-    ((test-data-rollup)             (apply db:test-data-rollup dbstruct params))
-    ((csv->test-data)               (apply db:csv->test-data dbstruct params))
-    ((get-steps-data)               (apply db:get-steps-data dbstruct params))
-
-    ;; MISC
-    ((login)                        (apply db:login dbstruct params))
-    ((general-call)                 (let ((stmtname   (car params))
-					  (run-id     (cadr params))
-					  (realparams (cddr params)))
-				      (db:with-db dbstruct run-id #t ;; these are all for modifying the db
-						  (lambda (db)
-						    (db:general-call db stmtname realparams)))))
-    ((sync-inmem->db)               (db:sync-touched dbstruct run-id force-sync: #t))
-    ((sdb-qry)                      (apply sdb:qry params))
-
-    ;; TESTMETA
-    ((testmeta-get-record)       (apply db:testmeta-get-record dbstruct params))
-    ((testmeta-add-record)       (apply db:testmeta-add-record dbstruct params))
-    ((testmeta-update-field)     (apply db:testmeta-update-field dbstruct params))
-
-    ;; TASKS 
-    ((find-task-queue-records)   (apply tasks:find-task-queue-records dbstruct params))
-    ((tasks-add)                 (apply tasks:add dbstruct params))   
-    ((tasks-set-state-given-param-key) (apply tasks:set-state-given-param-key dbstruct params))
-
-    (else
-     (list "ERROR" 0))))
+	    ((get-run-name-from-id)         (apply db:get-run-name-from-id dbstruct params))
+	    ((delete-run)                   (apply db:delete-run dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-runs)                     (apply db:get-runs dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-all-run-ids)              (db:get-all-run-ids dbstruct))
+	    ((get-prev-run-ids)             (apply db:get-prev-run-ids dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-run-ids-matching-target)  (apply db:get-run-ids-matching-target dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-runs-by-patt)             (apply db:get-runs-by-patt dbstruct params))
+	    ((lock/unlock-run)              (apply db:lock/unlock-run dbstruct params))
+	    ((update-run-event_time)        (apply db:update-run-event_time dbstruct params))
+	    ((find-and-mark-incomplete)     (apply db:find-and-mark-incomplete dbstruct params))
+
+	    ;; STEPS
+	    ((teststep-set-status!)         (apply db:teststep-set-status! dbstruct params))
+
+	    ;; TEST DATA
+	    ((test-data-rollup)             (apply db:test-data-rollup dbstruct params))
+	    ((csv->test-data)               (apply db:csv->test-data dbstruct params))
+	    ((get-steps-data)               (apply db:get-steps-data dbstruct params))
+
+	    ;; MISC
+	    ((login)                        (apply db:login dbstruct params))
+	    ((general-call)                 (let ((stmtname   (car params))
+						  (run-id     (cadr params))
+						  (realparams (cddr params)))
+					      (db:with-db dbstruct run-id #t ;; these are all for modifying the db
+							  (lambda (db)
+							    (db:general-call db stmtname realparams)))))
+	    ((sync-inmem->db)               (let ((run-id (car params)))
+					      (db:sync-touched dbstruct run-id force-sync: #t)))
+	    ((sdb-qry)                      (apply sdb:qry params))
+	    ((ping)                         (current-process-id))
+
+	    ;; TESTMETA
+	    ((testmeta-get-record)       (apply db:testmeta-get-record dbstruct params))
+	    ((testmeta-add-record)       (apply db:testmeta-add-record dbstruct params))
+	    ((testmeta-update-field)     (apply db:testmeta-update-field dbstruct params))
+
+	    ;; TASKS 
+	    ((find-task-queue-records)   (apply tasks:find-task-queue-records dbstruct params))
+	    ((tasks-add)                 (apply tasks:add dbstruct params))   
+	    ((tasks-set-state-given-param-key) (apply tasks:set-state-given-param-key dbstruct params))))))))
+
 
 ;; http-server  send-response
 ;;                 api:process-request
 ;;                    db:*
 ;;
@@ -144,18 +161,19 @@
 ;; NB// Runs on the server as part of the server loop
 ;;
 (define (api:process-request dbstruct $) ;; the $ is the request vars proc
   (let* ((cmd     ($ 'cmd))
 	 (paramsj ($ 'params))
-	 (params  (db:string->obj paramsj)) ;; (rmt:json-str->dat paramsj))
-	 (res     (api:execute-requests dbstruct cmd params)))
+	 (params  (db:string->obj paramsj transport: 'http)) ;; (rmt:json-str->dat paramsj))
+	 (resdat  (api:execute-requests dbstruct (vector cmd params))) ;; #( flag result )
+	 (res     (vector-ref resdat 1)))
 
     ;; This can be here but needs controls to ensure it doesn't run more than every 4 seconds
     ;; (rmt:dat->json-str
     ;;  (if (or (string? res)
     ;;          (list?   res)
     ;;          (number? res)
     ;;          (boolean? res))
     ;;      res 
     ;;      (list "ERROR, not string, list, number or boolean" 1 cmd params res)))))
-    (db:obj->string res)))
+    (db:obj->string res transport: 'http)))