Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -357,17 +357,17 @@
                              (cond
                               ((eq? 0 res)
                                #t)
                               (else
                                (set! ok-flag #f)
-                               (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: Command failed with exit code "
+                               (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: ["(common:human-time)"] Command failed with exit code "
                                             (if (< res 0)
                                                 res
                                                 (/ res 8)) " ["cmd"]" )
                                #f))))
                           (else
-                           (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: Nor runnining command due to prior error. ["cmd"]")
+                           (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: ["(common:human-time)"] Not runnining command due to prior error. ["cmd"]")
                            #f))))
              (copy     (lambda (src dest) (docmd (conc "/bin/cp '"src"' '"dest"'"))))
              (copy+zip (lambda (src dest) (docmd (conc "gzip -c - < '"src"' > '"dest"'"))))
              (fullpath (realpath filepath))
              (basedir  (pathname-directory fullpath))
@@ -831,15 +831,19 @@
 
 
 
 (define *wdnum* 0)
 (define *wdnum*mutex (make-mutex))
+
+
+(define (common:human-time)
+  (time->string (seconds->local-time (current-seconds)) "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"))
+
+
 ;; currently the primary job of the watchdog is to run the sync back to megatest.db from the db in /tmp
 ;; if we are on the homehost and we are a server (by definition we are on the homehost if we are a server)
 ;;
-
-
 (define (common:readonly-watchdog dbstruct)
   (thread-sleep! 0.05) ;; delay for startup
   (debug:print-info 13 *default-log-port* "common:readonly-watchdog entered.")
   ;; sync megatest.db to /tmp/.../megatst.db
   (let* ((sync-cool-off-duration   3)
@@ -1242,16 +1246,16 @@
 			 (handle-exceptions
 			     exn
 			     (if (> trynum 0)
 				 (let ((delay-time (* (- 5 trynum) 5)))
 				   (mutex-unlock! *homehost-mutex*)
-				   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: Failed to read .homehost file, delaying " delay-time " seconds and trying again, message: "  ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
+				   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: ["(common:human-time)"] Failed to read .homehost file, delaying " delay-time " seconds and trying again, message: "  ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
 				   (thread-sleep! delay-time)
 				   (common:get-homehost trynum: (- trynum 1)))
 				 (begin
 				   (mutex-unlock! *homehost-mutex*)
-				   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: Failed to read .homehost file after trying five times. Giving up and exiting, message: "  ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
+				   (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: ["(common:human-time)"] Failed to read .homehost file after trying five times. Giving up and exiting, message: "  ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
 				   (exit 1)))
 			   (let ((hhf (conc *toppath* "/.homehost")))
 			     (if (common:file-exists? hhf)
 				 (with-input-from-file hhf read-line)
 				 (if (file-write-access? *toppath*)
@@ -2768,11 +2772,11 @@
 			       command:   command
 			       host-port: host-port
 			       params:    params)))
 		  (queue-push cmddat) 		;; put request into the queue
 		  (nn-send soc "queued"))         ;; reply with "queued"
-		(print "ERROR: BAD request " dat))
+		(print "ERROR: ["(common:human-time)"] BAD request " dat))
 	    (loop (nn-recv soc)))))
     (nn-close soc)))
   
 
 

Index: server.scm
==================================================================
--- server.scm
+++ server.scm
@@ -516,26 +516,33 @@
 	 (min-intersync-delay (configf:lookup-number *configdat* "server" "minimum-intersync-delay" default: 30)))
     (if (and (not (args:get-arg "-sync-to-megatest.db")) ;; conditions under which we do not run the sync
 	     (args:get-arg "-server"))
 	(let loop ()
 	  (thread-sleep! min-intersync-delay)
-	  (if (not (common:file-exists? lockfile))
+	  (if (common:simple-file-lock lockfile)
 	      (begin
+                
                 (if (not (configf:lookup *configdat* "server" "disable-db-snapshot"))
                     (common:snapshot-file mtdbfile subdir: ".db-snapshot"))
 		(delete-file* staging-file)
 		(let ((start-time (current-milliseconds))
                       (res (system sync-cmd)))
                   (cond
                    ((eq? 0 res)
 		    (delete-file* (conc mtdbfile ".backup"))
 		    (system (conc "/bin/mv " staging-file " " mtdbfile))
-                    (debug:print 1 *default-log-port* "INFO: SYNC took "(/ (- (current-milliseconds) start-time))" sec")
+                    (debug:print 1 *default-log-port* "INFO: ["(common:human-time)"] SYNC took "(/ (- (current-milliseconds) start-time))" sec")
                     #t)
                    (else
-                    (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: Sync failed. See log at "sync-log)
-                    (system (conc "mv "mtdbfile ".backup" mtdbfile)))))))
+                    (system (conc "/bin/cp "sync-log" "sync-log".fail"))
+                    (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "ERROR: ["(common:human-time)"] Sync failed. See log at "sync-log".fail")
+                    (if (file-exists? (conc mtdbfile ".backup"))
+                        (system (conc "/bin/cp "mtdbfile ".backup " mtdbfile)))))
+                  (common:simple-file-release-lock lockfile)))
+              ;; else
+              (debug:print 1 *default-log-port* "INFO: ["(common:human-time)"] other sync in progres; not syncing.")
+              ) ;; end if got lockfile
 	  
 	  ;; keep going unless time to exit
 	  ;;
 	  (if (not *time-to-exit*)
 	      (let delay-loop ((count 0))