Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -425,10 +425,11 @@
 	       (env-ovrd  (assoc/default 'env-ovrd  cmdinfo))
 	       (set-vars  (assoc/default 'set-vars  cmdinfo)) ;; pre-overrides from -setvar
 	       (runname   (assoc/default 'runname   cmdinfo))
 	       (megatest  (assoc/default 'megatest  cmdinfo))
 	       (runtlim   (assoc/default 'runtlim   cmdinfo))
+	       (contour   (assoc/default 'contour   cmdinfo))
 	       (item-path (item-list->path itemdat))
 	       (mt-bindir-path (assoc/default 'mt-bindir-path cmdinfo))
 	       (keys      #f)
 	       (keyvals   #f)
 	       (fullrunscript (if (not runscript)
@@ -440,10 +441,12 @@
                                                    (file-execute-access? fulln))
                                               fulln
                                               runscript))))) ;; assume it is on the path
 	       ) ;; (rollup-status 0)
 
+	  (if contour (setenv "MT_CONTOUR" contour))
+	  
 	  ;; NFS might not have propagated the directory meta data to the run host - give it time if needed
 	  (let loop ((count 0))
 	    (if (or (file-exists? top-path)
 		    (> count 10))
 		(change-directory top-path)
@@ -738,13 +741,14 @@
 (define (launch:setup-body #!key (force #f))
   (let* ((toppath  (or *toppath* (getenv "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME"))) ;; preserve toppath
 	 (runname  (common:args-get-runname))
 	 (target   (common:args-get-target))
 	 (linktree (common:get-linktree))
+	 (contour  (args:get-arg "-contour"))
 	 (sections (if target (list "default" target) #f)) ;; for runconfigs
 	 (mtconfig (or (args:get-arg "-config") "megatest.config")) ;; allow overriding megatest.config 
-	 (rundir   (if (and runname target linktree)(conc linktree "/" target "/" runname) #f))
+	 (rundir   (if (and runname target linktree)(conc linktree (if contour (conc "/" contour) "") "/" target "/" runname) #f))
 	 (mtcachef (and rundir (conc rundir "/" ".megatest.cfg-"  megatest-version "-" megatest-fossil-hash)))
 	 (rccachef (and rundir (conc rundir "/" ".runconfigs.cfg-"  megatest-version "-" megatest-fossil-hash)))
 	 (cancreate (and rundir (file-exists? rundir)(file-write-access? rundir)))
          (cxt       (hash-table-ref/default *contexts* toppath #f)))
 
@@ -907,10 +911,11 @@
 	 (runname   (if (string? run-info) ;; if we pass in a string as run-info use it as run-name.
 			run-info
 			(db:get-value-by-header (db:get-rows run-info)
 						(db:get-header run-info)
 						"runname")))
+	 (contour   (args:get-arg "-contour"))
 	 ;; convert back to db: from rdb: - this is always run at server end
 	 (target   (string-intersperse (map cadr keyvals) "/"))
 
 	 (not-iterated  (equal? "" item-path))
 
@@ -917,18 +922,18 @@
 	 ;; all tests are found at <rundir>/test-base or <linkdir>/test-base
 	 (testtop-base (conc target "/" runname "/" testname))
 	 (test-base    (conc testtop-base (if not-iterated "" "/") item-path))
 
 	 ;; nb// if itempath is not "" then it is prefixed with "/"
-	 (toptest-path (conc disk-path "/" testtop-base))
-	 (test-path    (conc disk-path "/" test-base))
+	 (toptest-path (conc disk-path (if contour (conc "/" contour) "") "/" testtop-base))
+	 (test-path    (conc disk-path (if contour (conc "/" contour) "") "/" test-base))
 
 	 ;; ensure this exists first as links to subtests must be created there
 	 (linktree  (let ((rd (config-lookup *configdat* "setup" "linktree")))
 		      (if rd rd (conc *toppath* "/runs"))))
 
-	 (lnkbase   (conc linktree "/" target "/" runname))
+	 (lnkbase   (conc linktree (if contour (conc "/" contour) "") "/" target "/" runname))
 	 (lnkpath   (conc lnkbase "/" testname))
 	 (lnkpathf  (conc lnkpath (if not-iterated "" "/") item-path))
 	 (lnktarget (conc lnkpath "/" item-path)))
 
     ;; Update the rundir path in the test record for all, rundir=physical, shortdir=logical
@@ -1076,11 +1081,12 @@
 ;;    - could be ssh to host from hosts table (update regularly with load)
 ;;    - could be netbatch
 ;;      (launch-test db (cadr status) test-conf))
 (define (launch-test test-id run-id run-info keyvals runname test-conf test-name test-path itemdat params)
   (mutex-lock! *launch-setup-mutex*) ;; setting variables and processing the testconfig is NOT thread-safe, reuse the launch-setup mutex
-  (let* ((item-path       (item-list->path itemdat)))
+  (let* ((item-path       (item-list->path itemdat))
+	 (contour         (args:get-arg "-contour")))
     (let loop ((delta        (- (current-seconds) *last-launch*))
 	       (launch-delay (string->number (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "launch-delay") "5"))))
       (if (> launch-delay delta)
 	  (begin
 	    (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Delaying launch of " test-name " for " (- launch-delay delta) " seconds")
@@ -1092,10 +1098,11 @@
       (list
        (list "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME" *toppath*)
        (list "MT_TEST_NAME" test-name)
        (list "MT_RUNNAME"   runname)
        (list "MT_ITEMPATH"  item-path)
+       (list "MT_CONTOUR"   contour)
        )
       itemdat))
     (let* ((tregistry       (tests:get-all)) ;; third param (below) is system-allowed
            ;; for tconfig, why do we allow fallback to test-conf?
 	   (tconfig         (or (tests:get-testconfig test-name item-path tregistry #t force-create: #t)
@@ -1185,10 +1192,11 @@
 					;; (list 'item-path item-path )
 					(list 'itemdat   itemdat  )
 					(list 'megatest  remote-megatest)
 					(list 'ezsteps   ezsteps) 
 					(list 'target    mt_target)
+					(list 'contour   contour)
 					(list 'runtlim   (if run-time-limit (common:hms-string->seconds run-time-limit) #f))
 					(list 'env-ovrd  (hash-table-ref/default *configdat* "env-override" '())) 
 					(list 'set-vars  (if params (hash-table-ref/default params "-setvars" #f)))
 					(list 'runname   runname)
 					(list 'mt-bindir-path mt-bindir-path))))))))

Index: margs.scm
==================================================================
--- margs.scm
+++ margs.scm
@@ -15,10 +15,14 @@
 (define (args:get-arg arg . default)
   (if (null? default)
       (hash-table-ref/default args:arg-hash arg #f)
       (hash-table-ref/default args:arg-hash arg (car default))))
 
+(define (args:any? . args)
+  (not (null? (filter (lambda (x) x)
+		      (map args:get-arg args)))))
+
 (define (args:get-arg-from ht arg . default)
   (if (null? default)
       (hash-table-ref/default ht arg #f)
       (hash-table-ref/default ht arg (car default))))
 

Index: megatest.config
==================================================================
--- megatest.config
+++ megatest.config
@@ -9,5 +9,10 @@
 [contours]
 #     mode-patt/tag-expr
 quick QUICKPATT/quick
 # full  MAXPATT/long QUICKPATT/quick
 
+[runtypes]
+#runtype areapatt:tag-expr/mode-patt/testpatt apatt2:texpr2/mpatt2/tpatt2
+smoke smoke:SMOKEPATT
+fast  smoke,fast:SMOKEPATT,FASTPATT
+stress %:%

Index: megatest.scm
==================================================================
--- megatest.scm
+++ megatest.scm
@@ -141,10 +141,11 @@
   -fields fieldspec       : fields to include in json dump; runs:id,runame+tests:testname+steps
   -sort fieldname         : in -list-runs sort tests by this field
 
 Misc 
   -start-dir path         : switch to this directory before running megatest
+  -contour cname          : add a level of hierarcy to the linktree and run paths
   -rebuild-db             : bring the database schema up to date
   -cleanup-db             : remove any orphan records, vacuum the db
   -import-megatest.db     : migrate a database from v1.55 series to v1.60 series
   -sync-to-megatest.db    : migrate data back to megatest.db
   -use-db-cache           : use cached access to db to reduce load
@@ -243,10 +244,11 @@
 			":expected"
 			":tol"
 			":units"
 			;; misc
 			"-start-dir"
+			"-contour"
 			"-server"
 			"-stop-server"
 			"-transport"
 			"-kill-server"
 			"-port"

Index: mtut.scm
==================================================================
--- mtut.scm
+++ mtut.scm
@@ -111,12 +111,11 @@
 Version " megatest-version ", built from " megatest-fossil-hash ))
 
 ;; args and pkt key specs
 ;;
 (define *arg-keys*
-  '(("-run"        . r)
-    ("-area"       . G) ;; maps to group
+  '(("-area"       . G) ;; maps to group
     ("-target"     . t)
     ("-run-name"   . n)
     ("-state"      . e)
     ("-status"     . s)
     ("-contour"    . c)
@@ -198,10 +197,16 @@
 	       (args:get-arg "-runstep")
 	       (args:get-arg "-envcap")
 	       (args:get-arg "-envdelta")
 	       )))
     (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "Unrecognised arguments: " (string-intersperse (if (list? remargs) remargs (argv))  " ")))
+
+(if (or (args:any? "-h" "help" "-help" "--help")
+	(member *action* '("-h" "-help" "--help" "help")))
+    (begin
+      (print help)
+      (exit 1)))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; pkts
 ;;======================================================================
 
@@ -295,10 +300,14 @@
     (if mtconf
 	(begin
 	  (configf:section-var-set! mtconf "dyndat" "toppath" start-dir)))
     (print "TOPPATH: " (configf:lookup mtconf "dyndat" "toppath"))
     mtconfdat))
+
+
+;; NEED TIMESTAMP ON PKTS for efficient loading of packets into db.
+
 
 ;; make a run request pkt from basic data
 ;;
 (define (create-run-pkt mtconf area runkey runname mode-patt tag-expr pktsdir reason)
   (let ((area-path (configf:lookup mtconf "areas" area)))