Index: dbmod.scm
==================================================================
--- dbmod.scm
+++ dbmod.scm
@@ -1714,13 +1714,13 @@
                               state        TEXT DEFAULT 'new',
                               status       TEXT DEFAULT 'n/a',
                               archive_type TEXT DEFAULT 'bup',
                               du           INTEGER,
                               archive_path TEXT);")))
-         (print "creating triggers from init") 
-        (db:create-triggers db)    
-     db)) ;; )
+    (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "creating triggers from init")
+    (db:create-triggers db)    
+    db)) ;; )
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; A R C H I V E S
 ;;======================================================================
 
@@ -3029,12 +3029,10 @@
   (db:with-db
    dbstruct #f #f
    (lambda (db)
           (sqlite3:execute db "UPDATE runs SET status=?,state=? WHERE id=?;" status state run-id))))
 
-
-
 (define (db:get-run-status dbstruct run-id)
   (let ((res "n/a"))
     (db:with-db
      dbstruct #f #f
      (lambda (db)
@@ -4275,22 +4273,26 @@
 (define (db:set-state-status-and-roll-up-run dbstruct run-id curr-state curr-status)
   ;; (mutex-lock! *db-transaction-mutex*)
     (db:with-db
      dbstruct #f #f
      (lambda (db)
-       (let ((tr-res
+;;       (let ((tr-res
               (sqlite3:with-transaction
                db
                (lambda ()
                  (let* ((state-status-counts  (db:get-all-state-status-counts-for-run dbstruct run-id))
 			(state-statuses       (db:roll-up-rules state-status-counts #f #f ))
                         (newstate             (car state-statuses))
                         (newstatus            (cadr state-statuses))) 
                    (if (or (not (eq? newstate curr-state)) (not (eq?  newstatus curr-status)))
-                       (db:set-run-state-status dbstruct run-id newstate newstatus )))))))
+                       (begin
+			 (db:set-run-state-status dbstruct run-id newstate newstatus)
+			 #t) ;; changes made
+		       #f) ;; no changes
+		   ))))))
          ;; (mutex-unlock! *db-transaction-mutex*)
-         tr-res))))
+;;          tr-res))))
 
 
 (define (db:get-all-state-status-counts-for-run dbstruct run-id)
  (let* ((test-count-recs (db:with-db
                           dbstruct #f #f

Index: ulex-simple/ulex.scm
==================================================================
--- ulex-simple/ulex.scm
+++ ulex-simple/ulex.scm
@@ -63,10 +63,11 @@
 	chicken.base
 	chicken.file
 	chicken.io
 	chicken.time
 	chicken.condition
+	chicken.port
 	chicken.string
 	chicken.sort
 	chicken.pretty-print
 	chicken.tcp
 	
@@ -84,10 +85,15 @@
 	srfi-69
 	system-information
 	;; tcp6
 	tcp-server
 	typed-records
+
+	md5
+	message-digest
+	(prefix base64 base64:)
+	z3
 	)
 
 ;; udat struct, used by both caller and callee
 ;; instantiated as uconn by convention
 ;;
@@ -108,10 +114,57 @@
   (numthreads 10)
   (cmd-thread #f)
   (work-queue-thread #f)
   (num-threads-running 0)
   ) 
+
+;;======================================================================
+;; serialization
+;;   NOTE: I've had problems with read/write and s11n serialize, deserialize
+;;         thus the inefficient method here
+;;======================================================================
+
+(define serializing-method (make-parameter 'complex))
+
+;; NOTE: Can remove the regex and base64 encoding for zmq
+(define (obj->string obj)
+  (case (serializing-method)
+    ((complex)
+     (string-substitute
+      (regexp "=") "_"
+      (base64:base64-encode 
+       (z3:encode-buffer
+        (with-output-to-string
+          (lambda ()(serialize obj))))) ;; BB: serialize - this is
+					;; what causes problems
+					;; between different builds of
+					;; megatest communicating.
+					;; serialize is sensitive to
+					;; binary image of mtest.
+      #t))
+    ((write)(with-output-to-string (lambda ()(write obj))))
+    ((s11n) (with-output-to-string (lambda ()(serialize obj))))
+    (else obj))) ;; rpc
+
+(define (string->obj msg #!key (transport 'http))
+  (case (serializing-method)
+    ((complex)
+     (if (string? msg)
+         (with-input-from-string 
+             (z3:decode-buffer
+              (base64:base64-decode
+               (string-substitute 
+                (regexp "_") "=" msg #t)))
+           (lambda ()(deserialize)))
+         (begin
+           (print "ULEX ERROR: cannot translate received data \""msg"\"")
+           (print-call-chain (current-error-port))
+           msg))) ;; crude reply for when things go awry
+    ((write)(with-input-from-string msg (lambda ()(read))))
+    ((s11n)(with-input-from-string msg (lambda ()(deserialize))))
+    (else msg))) ;; rpc
+
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; listener
 ;;======================================================================
 
@@ -153,13 +206,13 @@
     (udat-work-proc-set! uconn handler-proc)
     (if (setup-listener uconn port-suggestion)
 	((make-tcp-server
 	  (udat-socket uconn)
 	  (lambda ()
-	    (let* ((rdat  (deserialize)) ;; '(my-host-port qrykey cmd params)
+	    (let* ((rdat  (string->obj (read)) #;(deserialize)) ;; '(my-host-port qrykey cmd params)
 		   (resp  (do-work uconn rdat)))
-	      (serialize resp)))))
+	      (write (obj->string resp)) #;(serialize resp)))))
 	(assert #f "ERROR: run-listener called without proper setup."))))
 
 (define (wait-and-close uconn)
   (thread-join! (udat-cmd-thread uconn))
   (tcp-close (udat-socket uconn)))
@@ -187,26 +240,29 @@
 	 (dat          (list my-host-port 'qrykey cmd params #;(cons (current-seconds)(current-milliseconds)))))
     (cond
      (isme (do-work udata dat)) ;; no transmission needed
      (else
       (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 ((res (if (and inp oup)
-			   (begin
-			     (serialize dat oup)
-			     (close-output-port oup)
-			     (deserialize inp))
-			   (begin
-			     (print "ERROR: send called but no receiver has been setup. Please call setup first!")
-			     #f))))
-	      (close-input-port inp)
-	      ;; (mutex-unlock! *send-mutex*) ;; DOESN'T SEEM TO HELP
-	      res)))))))) ;; res will always be 'ack unless return-method is direct
+       exn
+       (begin
+         (print "ULEX send-receive: exn="exn)
+         (message exn))
+       (begin
+	 ;; (mutex-lock! *send-mutex*) ;; DOESN'T SEEM TO HELP
+	 (let-values (((inp oup)(tcp-connect host port)))
+	   (let ((res (if (and inp oup)
+			  (begin
+			    (write (obj->string dat) oup) ;; (write dat oup);; (serialize dat oup)
+			    (close-output-port oup)
+			    (string->obj (read inp))) ;; (deserialize inp))
+			  (begin
+			    (print "ERROR: send called but no receiver has been setup. Please call setup first!")
+			    #f))))
+	     ;; (close-output-port oup)
+	     (close-input-port inp)
+	     ;; (mutex-unlock! *send-mutex*) ;; DOESN'T SEEM TO HELP
+	     res)))))))) ;; res will always be 'ack unless return-method is direct
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; work queues - this is all happening on the listener side
 ;;======================================================================