ADDED   tests/simplerun/simple.scm
Index: tests/simplerun/simple.scm
==================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ tests/simplerun/simple.scm
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+(rmt:get-keys)
+

Index: ulex-simple/dbmgr.scm
==================================================================
--- ulex-simple/dbmgr.scm
+++ ulex-simple/dbmgr.scm
@@ -700,11 +700,11 @@
 		      (thread-sleep! 0.2)
 		      (exit)))
 		sdat))
 	    (begin ;; sdat not yet contains server info
 	      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Still waiting, last-sdat=" last-sdat)
-	      (sleep 4)
+	      (thread-sleep! 4)
 	      (if (> (- (current-seconds) start-time) 120) ;; been waiting for two minutes
 		  (begin
 		    (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "transport appears to have died, exiting server")
 		    (exit))
 		  (loop start-time

Index: ulex-simple/ulex.scm
==================================================================
--- ulex-simple/ulex.scm
+++ ulex-simple/ulex.scm
@@ -176,11 +176,14 @@
 ;;
 ;;     retval tells send to expect and wait for return data (one line) and return it or time out
 ;;       this is for ping where we don't want to necessarily have set up our own server yet.
 ;;
 (define (send-receive udata host-port cmd params)
-  (let* ((my-host-port (udat-host-port udata))          ;; remote will return to this
+  (let* ((host-port-lst (string-split host-port ":"))
+	 (host          (car host-port-lst))
+	 (port          (string->number (cadr host-port-lst)))
+	 (my-host-port (and udata (udat-host-port udata)))          ;; remote will return to this
 	 (isme         (equal? host-port my-host-port)) ;; calling myself?
 	 ;; dat is a self-contained work block that can be sent or handled locally
 	 (dat          (list my-host-port 'qrykey cmd params #;(cons (current-seconds)(current-milliseconds)))))
     (cond
      (isme (do-work udata dat)) ;; no transmission needed
@@ -188,11 +191,11 @@
       (handle-exceptions ;; TODO - MAKE THIS EXCEPTION CMD SPECIFIC?
 	  exn
 	  (message exn)
 	(begin
 	  ;; (mutex-lock! *send-mutex*) ;; DOESN'T SEEM TO HELP
-	  (let-values (((inp oup)(tcp-connect host-port)))
+	  (let-values (((inp oup)(tcp-connect host port)))
 	    (let ((res (if (and inp oup)
 			   (begin
 			     (serialize dat oup)
 			     (close-output-port oup)
 			     (deserialize inp))
@@ -208,19 +211,23 @@
 ;;======================================================================
 
 ;; move the logic to return the result somewhere else?
 ;;
 (define (do-work uconn rdat)
-  (let* ((proc (udat-work-proc uconn))) ;; get it each time - conceivebly it could change
+  (let* () ;; get it each time - conceivebly it could change
     ;; put this following into a do-work procedure
     (match rdat
       ((rem-host-port qrykey cmd params)
-       (let* ((start-time (current-milliseconds))
-	      (result (proc rem-host-port qrykey cmd params))
-	      (end-time (current-milliseconds))
-	      (run-time (- end-time start-time)))
-	 result))
+       (case cmd
+	 ((ping) #t) ;; bypass calling the proc
+	 (else
+	  (let* ((proc       (udat-work-proc uconn))
+		 (start-time (current-milliseconds))
+		 (result     (proc rem-host-port qrykey cmd params))
+		 (end-time   (current-milliseconds))
+		 (run-time   (- end-time start-time)))
+	    result))))
       (else
        (print "ERROR: rdat "rdat", did not match rem-host-port qrykey cmd params")))))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; misc utils