Index: dbfile.scm
==================================================================
--- dbfile.scm
+++ dbfile.scm
@@ -192,11 +192,11 @@
   (conc apath"/"(dbfile:run-id->dbname run-id)))
 
 (define (db:dbname->path apath dbname)
   (conc apath"/"dbname))
 
-(define num-run-dbs (make-parameter 2))
+(define num-run-dbs (make-parameter 4))
 
 (define (dbfile:run-id->dbnum run-id)
   (cond
    ((number? run-id)
     (modulo run-id (num-run-dbs)))
@@ -1015,11 +1015,18 @@
     dbdat))
 
 (define dbfile:db-init-proc (make-parameter #f))
 
 (define keep-age-param (make-parameter 10))
-(define qif-slope      (make-parameter 100))
+
+;; in xmaxima this gives a curve close to what I want:
+;;    plot2d ((exp(x/1.2)-1)/300, [x, 0, 10])$
+;;    plot2d ((exp(x/1.5)-1)/40, [x, 0, 10])$
+;;    plot2d ((exp(x/5)-1)/40, [x, 0, 20])$
+(define (dbfile:droop x)
+  (/ (- (exp (/ x 5)) 1) 40))
+  ;; (* numqrys (/ 1 (qif-slope))))
 
 ;; create a dropping near the db file in a qif dir
 ;; use count of such files to gate queries (queries in flight)
 ;;
 (define (dbfile:wait-for-qif fname run-id params)
@@ -1052,11 +1059,11 @@
 					  exn
 					#t
 					(file-move f destf #t)))))
 			      currlks))
 			 1) ;; 50 and above => 1
-			((> numqrys 10) (* numqrys (/ 1 (qif-slope)))) ;; slope of 1/100
+			((> numqrys 10)  (dbfile:droop numqrys)) ;; slope of 1/100
 			;; ((> numqrys 30) 0.50)
 			;; ((> numqrys 25) 0.20)
 			;; ((> numqrys 20) 0.10)
 			;; ((> numqrys 15) 0.05)
 			;; ((> numqrys 10) 0.01)

ADDED   ext-tests/sixtyfivek/run-four.sh
Index: ext-tests/sixtyfivek/run-four.sh
==================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ ext-tests/sixtyfivek/run-four.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+baserunname=$(date +ww%U.%w)
+for x in a b c d;do
+  runname=$baserunname$x
+  NBFAKE_LOG=$runname.log nbfake megatest -run -testpatt % -target mrdp/ip-xsc-2.0/fast -runname $runname -clean-cache
+  sleep 5
+done
+