Index: client.scm
==================================================================
--- client.scm
+++ client.scm
@@ -51,16 +51,19 @@
 ;;     ((http) (http:client-connect iface port))
 ;;     ((zmq)  (zmq:client-connect  iface port))
 ;;     (else   (rpc:client-connect  iface port))))
 
 (define (client:setup run-id #!key (remaining-tries 10))
+  (BB> "Entered client:setup with run-id="run-id" and remaining-tries="remaining-tries)
+   
   (debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "client:setup remaining-tries=" remaining-tries)
   (let* ((server-dat (tasks:bb-get-server-info run-id))
-         (transport (if server-dat (string->symbol (tasks:hostinfo-get-transport server-dat)) 'noserver)))
-
+         (transport (if (and server-dat (vector? server-dat)) (string->symbol (tasks:hostinfo-get-transport server-dat)) 'noserver)))
+    
     (case transport
       ((noserver) ;; no server registered
+       (BB> "noserver")
        (if (<= remaining-tries 0)
            (begin
              (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "failed to start or connect to server for run-id " run-id)
              (exit 1))
            (begin    
@@ -68,12 +71,12 @@
                (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "client:setup, no server registered, remaining-tries=" remaining-tries " num-available=" num-available)
                (if (< num-available 2)
                    (server:try-running run-id))
                (thread-sleep! (+ 5 (random (- 20 remaining-tries))))  ;; give server a little time to start up, randomize a little to avoid start storms.
                (client:setup run-id remaining-tries: (- remaining-tries 1))))))
-      ((http)(client:setup-http run-id server-dat remaining-tries))
-      ((rpc) (rpc-transport:client-setup run-id server-dat remtries: remaining-tries)) 
+      ((http) (BB> "have http") (client:setup-http run-id server-dat remaining-tries))
+      ((rpc) (BB> "have rpc") (rpc-transport:client-setup run-id server-dat remtries: remaining-tries)) 
       (else
        (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "(6) Transport ["
                           transport "] specified for run-id [" run-id "] is not implemented in client:setup.  Cannot proceed.")
        (exit 1)))))
 
@@ -90,17 +93,17 @@
 
          (start-res (http-transport:client-connect iface port))
          (ping-res  (rmt:login-no-auto-client-setup start-res run-id)))
     (if (and start-res ping-res)
         (begin
-          (hash-table-set! *runremote* run-id start-res) ;; side-effect - *runremote* cache init fpr rmt:*
+          (rmt:set-cinfo run-id start-res) ;; (hash-table-set! *runremote* run-id start-res) ;; side-effect - *runremote* cache init fpr rmt:*
           (debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "connected to " (http-transport:server-dat-make-url start-res))
           start-res)
         (begin    ;; login failed but have a server record, clean out the record and try again
           (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "client:setup-http, login failed, will attempt to start server ... start-res=" start-res ", run-id=" run-id ", server-dat=" server-dat)
           (http-transport:close-connections run-id)
-          (hash-table-delete! *runremote* run-id) ;; BB: suspect there is nothing to delete ...
+          (rmt:del-cinfo run-id) ;; (hash-table-delete! *runremote* run-id) ;; BB: suspect there is nothing to delete ...
           (tasks:kill-server-run-id run-id) ;; -9 so the hung processes dont eat 100% when not responding to sigterm.
           (tasks:bb-server-force-clean-run-record  run-id iface port
                                                    " client:setup-http (server-dat = #t)")
           (if (> remaining-tries 8)
               (thread-sleep! (+ 1 (random 5))) ;; spread out the starts a little

Index: ezsteps.scm
==================================================================
--- ezsteps.scm
+++ ezsteps.scm
@@ -164,11 +164,11 @@
 					  new-state
 					  new-status
 					  (args:get-arg "-m") #f)
 		  ;; need to update the top test record if PASS or FAIL and this is a subtest
 		  (if (not (equal? item-path ""))
-		      (cdb:roll-up-pass-fail-counts *runremote* run-id test-name item-path new-status))))
+		      (cdb:roll-up-pass-fail-counts *runremote* run-id test-name item-path new-status)))) ;; BB> I think this is dead code.  cdb:roll-up-pass-fail-counts does not exist anywhere.
 	    ;; for automated creation of the rollup html file this is a good place...
 	    (if (not (equal? item-path ""))
 		(tests:summarize-items #f run-id test-id test-name #f)) ;; don't force - just update if no
 	    )))
     (pop-directory)

Index: http-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- http-transport.scm
+++ http-transport.scm
@@ -265,11 +265,11 @@
 					   exn
 					   (begin
 					     (set! success #f)
 					     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: failure in with-input-from-request to " fullurl ".")
 					     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* " message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
-					     (hash-table-delete! *runremote* run-id)
+					     (rmt:del-cinfo run-id) ;;(hash-table-delete! *runremote* run-id)
 					     ;; Killing associated server to allow clean retry.")
 					     ;; (tasks:kill-server-run-id run-id)  ;; better to kill the server in the logic that called this routine?
 					     (mutex-unlock! *http-mutex*)
 					     ;;; (signal (make-composite-condition
 					     ;;;          (make-property-condition 'commfail 'message "failed to connect to server")))
@@ -312,11 +312,11 @@
 		       'message "nmsg-transport:client-api-send-receive-raw timed out talking to server")))))))
 
 ;; careful closing of connections stored in *runremote*
 ;;
 (define (http-transport:close-connections run-id)
-  (let* ((server-dat (hash-table-ref/default *runremote* run-id #f)))
+  (let* ((server-dat (rmt:get-connection-info run-id))) ;;(hash-table-ref/default *runremote* run-id #f)))
     (if (vector? server-dat)
 	(let ((api-dat (http-transport:server-dat-get-api-uri server-dat)))
 	  (close-connection! api-dat)
 	  #t)
 	#f)))

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -60,23 +60,50 @@
 	     #f))))
 
 ;; if a server is either running or in the process of starting call client:setup
 ;; else return #f to let the calling proc know that there is no server available
 ;;
-(define (rmt:get-connection-info run-id)
-  (let ((cinfo (hash-table-ref/default *runremote* run-id #f)))
+
+(define *rrr-mutex* (make-mutex))
+(define (rmt:get-cinfo rid)
+  (mutex-lock! *rrr-mutex*)
+  (let* ((run-id (if rid rid 0))
+         (cinfo (hash-table-ref/default *runremote* run-id #f)))
+    (mutex-unlock! *rrr-mutex*)
+    cinfo))
+
+(define (rmt:set-cinfo rid server-dat)
+  (mutex-lock! *rrr-mutex*)
+  (let* ((run-id (if rid rid 0))
+         (res (hash-table-set! *runremote* run-id server-dat)))
+    (mutex-unlock! *rrr-mutex*)
+    res))
+
+(define (rmt:del-cinfo rid)
+  (mutex-lock! *rrr-mutex*)
+  (let* ((run-id (if rid rid 0))
+         (res (hash-table-delete! *runremote* run-id)))
+    (mutex-unlock! *rrr-mutex*)
+    res))
+
+
+
+
+(define (rmt:get-connection-info-start-server-if-none run-id)
+  (let ((cinfo (rmt:get-cinfo run-id)))
     (if cinfo
-	cinfo
+        cinfo
 	;; NB// can cache the answer for server running for 10 seconds ...
 	;;  ;; (and (not (rmt:write-frequency-over-limit? cmd run-id))
 	(if (tasks:server-running-or-starting? (db:delay-if-busy (tasks:open-db)) run-id)
 	    (client:setup run-id)
 	    #f))))
 
-(define (rmt:run-id->transport-type rid)
-  (let* ((run-id          (if rid rid 0))
-	 (connection-info (hash-table-ref/default *runremote* run-id #f)))
+
+
+(define (rmt:run-id->transport-type run-id)
+  (let* ((connection-info (rmt:get-cinfo run-id)))
     ;; the nmsg method does the encoding under the hood (the http method should be changed to do this also)
 
     (if connection-info ;; if we already have a connection for this run-id, use that precendent
 	;; use the server if have connection info
 	(let* ((transport-type (vector-ref connection-info 6))) ;; BB: assumes all transport-type'-servertdat vector's item 6 ids transport type
@@ -91,20 +118,20 @@
 (define (rmt:send-receive cmd rid params #!key (attemptnum 1)) ;; start attemptnum at 1 so the modulo below works as expected
   ;; side-effect: clean out old connections
   (let ((expire-time (- (current-seconds) (server:get-timeout) 10))) ;; don't forget the 10 second margin
     (for-each 
      (lambda (run-id)
-       (let ((connection (hash-table-ref/default *runremote* run-id #f)))
+       (let ((connection (rmt:get-cinfo run-id)))
          (if (and (vector? connection)
         	  (< (http-transport:server-dat-get-last-access connection) expire-time)) ;; BB> BBTODO: make this generic, not http transport specific.
              (begin
                (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Discarding connection to server for run-id " run-id ", too long between accesses")
                (hash-table-delete! *runremote* run-id)))))
      (hash-table-keys *runremote*)))
   
   (let* ((run-id     (if rid rid 0))
-	 (connection-info (rmt:get-connection-info run-id)))
+	 (connection-info (rmt:get-connection-info-start-server-if-none run-id)))
     ;; the nmsg method does the encoding under the hood (the http method should be changed to do this also)
     (if connection-info
 	;; use the server if have connection info
 	(let* ((transport-type (rmt:run-id->transport-type run-id))
                

Index: rpc-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- rpc-transport.scm
+++ rpc-transport.scm
@@ -558,26 +558,29 @@
            
           #f))
     res))
 
 (define (rpc-transport:client-setup run-id server-dat #!key (remtries 10))
+  (BB> "entered rpc-transport:client-setup with run-id="run-id" and server-dat="server-dat" and retries="remtries)
   (tcp-buffer-size 0)
   (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "rpc-transport:client-setup run-id="run-id" server-dat=" server-dat ", remaining-tries=" remtries)
   (let* ((iface     (tasks:hostinfo-get-interface server-dat))
          (hostname  (tasks:hostinfo-get-hostname  server-dat))
          (port      (tasks:hostinfo-get-port      server-dat))
          (runremote-server-dat (vector iface port #f #f #f (current-seconds) 'rpc)) ;; http version := (vector iface port api-uri api-url api-req (current-seconds) 'http  )
          (ping-res (retry-thunk (lambda ()  ;; make 3 attempts to ping.
                                   ((rpc:procedure 'server:login iface port) *toppath*))
+                                chatty: #t
                                 retries: 3)))
     ;; we got here from rmt:get-connection-info on the condition that *runremote* has no entry for run-id...
     (if ping-res
         (begin
           (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "rpc-transport:client-setup CONNECTION ESTABLISHED run-id="run-id" server-dat=" server-dat)
-          (hash-table-set! *runremote* run-id runremote-server-dat)  ;; side-effect - *runremote* cache init fpr rmt:*
+          (rmt:set-cinfo run-id runremote-server-dat) ;; (hash-table-set! *runremote* run-id runremote-server-dat)  ;; side-effect - *runremote* cache init fpr rmt:*
           runremote-server-dat)
         (begin ;; login failed but have a server record, clean out the record and try again
+          (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "rpc-transport:client-setup UNABLE TO CONNECT run-id="run-id" server-dat=" server-dat)
           (tasks:kill-server-run-id run-id)
           (tasks:bb-server-force-clean-run-record  run-id iface port
                                                    " rpc-transport:client-setup (server-dat = #t)")
           (if (> remtries 2)
               (thread-sleep! (+ 1 (random 5))) ;; spread out the starts a little

Index: server.scm
==================================================================
--- server.scm
+++ server.scm
@@ -96,14 +96,10 @@
   ;; (send-message pubsock target send-more: #t)
   ;; (send-message pubsock 
   (case (server:get-transport)
     ((rpc)  (db:obj->string (vector success/fail query-sig result)))
     ((http) (db:obj->string (vector success/fail query-sig result)))
-    ((zmq)
-     (let ((pub-socket (vector-ref *runremote* 1)))
-       (send-message pub-socket return-addr send-more: #t)
-       (send-message pub-socket (db:obj->string (vector success/fail query-sig result)))))
     ((fs)   result)
     (else 
      (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "unrecognised transport type: " *transport-type*)
      result)))
 

Index: tests/fullrun/megatest.config
==================================================================
--- tests/fullrun/megatest.config
+++ tests/fullrun/megatest.config
@@ -151,11 +151,11 @@
 
 # force use of server always
 # required yes
 
 # Use http instead of direct filesystem access
-transport http
+# transport http
 # transport fs
 # transport nmsg
 
 synchronous 0