Index: api.scm
==================================================================
--- api.scm
+++ api.scm
@@ -51,11 +51,13 @@
 ;; These are called by the server on recipt of /api calls
 ;;    - keep it simple, only return the actual result of the call, i.e. no meta info here
 ;;
 (define (api:execute-requests dbstruct cmd params)
   (let ((res
-	 (case (string->symbol cmd)
+	 (case (if (symbol? cmd) 
+		   cmd
+		   (string->symbol cmd))
 	   ;; SERVERS
 	   ((start-server)                 (apply server:kind-run params))
 	   ((kill-server)                  (set! *server-run* #f))
 
 	   ;; KEYS

Index: client.scm
==================================================================
--- client.scm
+++ client.scm
@@ -61,26 +61,30 @@
     (if (<= remaining-tries 0)
 	(begin
 	  (debug:print 0 "ERROR: failed to start or connect to server for run-id " run-id)
 	  (exit 1))
 	(let ((host-info (hash-table-ref/default *runremote* run-id #f)))
-	  (if host-info
+	  (if host-info ;; this is a bit circular. the host-info *is* the start-res FIXME
 	      (let* ((iface     (http-transport:server-dat-get-iface host-info))
 		     (port      (http-transport:server-dat-get-port  host-info))
-		     (start-res (http-transport:client-connect iface port))
-		     (ping-res  (rmt:login-no-auto-client-setup start-res run-id)))
+		     (start-res (case *transport-type* 
+				  ((http)(http-transport:client-connect iface port))
+				  ((nmsg) host-info) ;; (http-transport:server-dat-get-socket host-info))
+				  (else #f)))
+		     (ping-res  (case *transport-type*
+				  ((http)(rmt:login-no-auto-client-setup start-res run-id))
+				  ((nmsg)(nmsg-transport:ping iface port timeout: 2 socket: ))
+				  (else #f))))
 		(if ping-res   ;; sucessful login?
 		    (begin
 		      (debug:print-info 2 "client:setup, ping is good using host-info=" host-info ", remaining-tries=" remaining-tries)
-		      ;; Why add the close-connections here?
-		      ;; (http-transport:close-connections run-id)
-		      (hash-table-set! *runremote* run-id start-res)
 		      start-res)  ;; return the server info
 		    ;; have host info but no ping. shutdown the current connection and try again
 		    (begin    ;; login failed
 		      (debug:print-info 1 "client:setup, ping is bad for start-res=" start-res " and *runremote*=" host-info)
-		      (http-transport:close-connections run-id)
+		      (case *transport-type*
+			((http)(http-transport:close-connections run-id)))
 		      (hash-table-delete! *runremote* run-id)
 		      (if (< remaining-tries 8)
 			  (thread-sleep! 5)
 			  (thread-sleep! 1))
 		      (client:setup run-id remaining-tries: (- remaining-tries 1)))))
@@ -87,22 +91,28 @@
 	      ;; YUK: rename server-dat here
 	      (let* ((server-dat (tasks:get-server (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) run-id)))
 		(debug:print-info 4 "client:setup server-dat=" server-dat ", remaining-tries=" remaining-tries)
 		(if server-dat
 		    (let* ((iface     (tasks:hostinfo-get-interface server-dat))
+			   (hostname  (tasks:hostinfo-get-hostname  server-dat))
 			   (port      (tasks:hostinfo-get-port      server-dat))
-			   (start-res (http-transport:client-connect iface port))
-			   (ping-res  (rmt:login-no-auto-client-setup start-res run-id)))
+			   (start-res (case *transport-type*
+					((http)(http-transport:client-connect iface port))
+					((nmsg)(nmsg-transport:client-connect hostname port))))
+			   (ping-res  (case *transport-type* 
+					((http)(rmt:login-no-auto-client-setup start-res run-id))
+					((nmsg)(http-transport:server-dat-get-socket start-res))))) ;; socket is the result of a ping
 		      (if (and start-res
 			       ping-res)
 			  (begin
 			    (hash-table-set! *runremote* run-id start-res)
 			    (debug:print-info 2 "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 "client:setup, 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)
+			    (case *transport-type* 
+			      ((http)(http-transport:close-connections run-id)))
 			    (hash-table-delete! *runremote* run-id)
 			    (tasks:server-force-clean-run-record (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat)
 								 run-id 
 								 (tasks:hostinfo-get-interface server-dat)
 								 (tasks:hostinfo-get-port      server-dat)

Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -65,11 +65,11 @@
 (define *db-access-allowed*   #t) ;; flag to allow access
 (define *db-access-mutex*     (make-mutex))
 
 ;; SERVER
 (define *my-client-signature* #f)
-(define *transport-type*    'nm)
+(define *transport-type*    'nmsg)
 (define *runremote*         (make-hash-table)) ;; if set up for server communication this will hold <host port>
 (define *max-cache-size*    0)
 (define *logged-in-clients* (make-hash-table))
 (define *client-non-blocking-mode* #f)
 (define *server-id*         #f)

Index: http-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- http-transport.scm
+++ http-transport.scm
@@ -318,17 +318,18 @@
 	  (close-connection! api-dat)
 	  #t)
 	#f)))
 
 
-(define (make-http-transport:server-dat)(make-vector 5))
+(define (make-http-transport:server-dat)(make-vector 6))
 (define (http-transport:server-dat-get-iface         vec)    (vector-ref  vec 0))
 (define (http-transport:server-dat-get-port          vec)    (vector-ref  vec 1))
 (define (http-transport:server-dat-get-api-uri       vec)    (vector-ref  vec 2))
 (define (http-transport:server-dat-get-api-url       vec)    (vector-ref  vec 3))
 (define (http-transport:server-dat-get-api-req       vec)    (vector-ref  vec 4))
 (define (http-transport:server-dat-get-last-access   vec)    (vector-ref  vec 5))
+(define (http-transport:server-dat-get-socket        vec)    (vector-ref  vec 6))
 
 (define (http-transport:server-dat-make-url vec)
   (if (and (http-transport:server-dat-get-iface vec)
 	   (http-transport:server-dat-get-port  vec))
       (conc "http://" 

Index: nmsg-transport.scm
==================================================================
--- nmsg-transport.scm
+++ nmsg-transport.scm
@@ -70,11 +70,12 @@
 					 (nmsg-transport:try-start-server dbstruct run-id start-port server-id))
 				       "server thread"))
 	 (tdbdat          (tasks:open-db)))
     (thread-start! server-thread)
     (if (nmsg-transport:ping hostn start-port timeout: 2 expected-key: (current-process-id))
-	(begin
+	(let ((interface (if (equal? hostn "-")(get-host-name) hostn)))
+	  (tasks:server-set-interface-port (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) server-id interface start-port)
 	  (tasks:server-set-state! (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) server-id "dbprep")
 	  (set! *server-info* (list hostn start-port)) ;; probably not needed anymore? currently used by keep-running
 	  (thread-sleep! 3) ;; give some margin for queries to complete before switching from file based access to server based access
 	  (set! *inmemdb*  dbstruct)
 	  (tasks:server-set-state! (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) server-id "running")
@@ -142,12 +143,13 @@
 		      (exit 0))))
 	      (begin
 		;; since we didn't get the server lock we are going to clean up and bail out
 		(debug:print-info 2 "INFO: server pid=" (current-process-id) ", hostname=" (get-host-name) " not starting due to other candidates ahead in start queue")
 		(tasks:server-delete-records-for-this-pid (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) " http-transport:launch")
-		)))
-      (nmsg-transport:run dbstruct hostn run-id server-id)
+		))
+	  ;; locked in a server id, try to start up
+	  (nmsg-transport:run dbstruct hostn run-id server-id))
       (set! *didsomething* #t)
       (exit))))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; S E R V E R   U T I L I T I E S 
@@ -167,13 +169,13 @@
 ;; ping the server at host:port
 ;;   return the open socket if successful (return-socket == #t)
 ;;   expect the key expected-key returned in payload
 ;;   send our-key or #f as payload
 ;;
-(define (nmsg-transport:ping hostn port #!key (timeout 3)(return-socket #t)(expected-key #f)(our-key #f))
+(define (nmsg-transport:ping hostn port #!key (timeout 3)(return-socket #t)(expected-key #f)(our-key #f)(socket #f))
   ;; send a random number along with pid and check that we get it back
-  (let* ((req     (nn-socket 'req))
+  (let* ((req     (or socket (nn-socket 'req)))
 	 (host    (if (or (not hostn)
 			  (equal? hostn "-")) ;; use localhost
 		      (get-host-name)
 		      hostn))
 	 (success #f)
@@ -203,11 +205,11 @@
 				 (if keepwaiting
 				     (begin
 				       (print "timeout waiting for ping")
 				       (thread-terminate! ping))))
 			       "timeout")))
-    (nn-connect req (conc "tcp://" host ":" port))
+    (if (not socket)(nn-connect req (conc "tcp://" host ":" port)))
     (handle-exceptions
      exn
      (begin
        ;; (print-call-chain)
        ;; (print 0 " message: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
@@ -218,30 +220,13 @@
      (thread-join! ping)
      (if success (thread-terminate! timeout)))
     (if return-socket
 	(if success req #f)
 	(begin
-	  (nn-close req)
+	  (nn-close req) ;; should it be closed if we were handed a socket?
 	  success))))
 
-(define (nmsg-transport:client-connect iface portnum)
-  (let* ((reqsoc      (nmsg-transport:ping iface portnum))
-	 (login-res   #f))
-    (nn-connect reqsoc (conc "tcp://" iface ":" portnum))
-    (debug:print-info 11 "nmsg-transport:client-connect started. Next is login")
-    (set! login-res (client:login serverdat nmsg-sockets))
-    (if (and (not (null? login-res))
-	     (car login-res))
-	(begin
-	  (debug:print-info 2 "Logged in and connected to " iface ":" pullport "/" pubport ".")
-	  (set!  *nm-port* nmsg-sockets)
-	  nmsg-sockets)
-	(begin
-	  (debug:print-info 2 "Failed to login or connect to " conurl)
-	  (set! *runremote* #f)
-	  #f))))
-
 ;; run nmsg-transport:keep-running in a parallel thread to monitor that the db is being 
 ;; used and to shutdown after sometime if it is not.
 ;;
 (define (nmsg-transport:keep-running server-id)
   ;; if none running or if > 20 seconds since 
@@ -292,11 +277,30 @@
               (tasks:server-delete-record (db:delay-if-busy tdbdat) server-id " http-transport:keep-running")
               (debug:print-info 0 "Server shutdown complete. Exiting")
               ;; (exit)
 	      ))))))
 
+;;======================================================================
+;; C L I E N T S
+;;======================================================================
+
+(define (nmsg-transport:client-connect iface portnum)
+  (let* ((reqsoc      (nmsg-transport:ping iface portnum return-socket: #t)))
+    (vector iface portnum #f #f #f (current-seconds) reqsoc)))
+
+(define (nmsg-transport:client-api-send-receive run-id connection-info cmd param)
+  (let ((packet  (vector cmd param))
+	(reqsoc  (http-transport:server-dat-get-socket connection-info)))
+    (nn-send reqsoc (db:obj->string packet transport: 'nmsg))
+    (db:string->obj (nn-recv reqsoc) transport: 'nmsg)))
+
+;;======================================================================
+;; J U N K 
+;;======================================================================
 
+;; DO NOT USE
+;;
 (define (nmsg-transport:client-signal-handler signum)
   (handle-exceptions
    exn
    (debug:print " ... exiting ...")
    (let ((th1 (make-thread (lambda ()

Index: rmt.scm
==================================================================
--- rmt.scm
+++ rmt.scm
@@ -82,21 +82,24 @@
      (hash-table-keys *runremote*)))
   (mutex-unlock! *db-multi-sync-mutex*)
   (let* ((run-id          (if rid rid 0))
 	 (connection-info (rmt:get-connection-info run-id))
 	 (jparams         (db:obj->string params)))
+    ;; 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* ((dat     (case *transport-type*
 			  ((http)(http-transport:client-api-send-receive run-id connection-info cmd jparams))
-			  ((nmsg)(nmsg-transport:client-api-send-receive   run-id connection-info cmd jparams))
+			  ((nmsg)(nmsg-transport:client-api-send-receive run-id connection-info cmd params))
 			  (else  (exit))))
 	       (res     (if (vector? dat) (vector-ref dat 1) #f))
 	       (success (if (vector? dat) (vector-ref dat 0) #f)))
 	  (http-transport:server-dat-update-last-access connection-info)
 	  (if success
-	      (db:string->obj res)
+	      (case *transport-type* 
+		((http)(db:string->obj res))
+		((nmsg) res))
 	      (begin ;; let ((new-connection-info (client:setup run-id)))
 		(debug:print 0 "WARNING: Communication failed, trying call to http-transport:client-api-send-receive again.")
 		(hash-table-delete! *runremote* run-id) ;; don't keep using the same connection
 
 		;; no longer killing the server in http-transport:client-api-send-receive

Index: server.scm
==================================================================
--- server.scm
+++ server.scm
@@ -50,11 +50,11 @@
 ;; start_server
 ;;
 (define (server:launch run-id)
   (case *transport-type*
     ((http)(http-transport:launch run-id))
-    ((nm)  (nmsg-transport:launch run-id))
+    ((nmsg)(nmsg-transport:launch run-id))
     (else (debug:print 0 "ERROR: unknown server type " *transport-type*))))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; Q U E U E   M A N A G E M E N T
 ;;======================================================================

Index: tasks.scm
==================================================================
--- tasks.scm
+++ tasks.scm
@@ -185,11 +185,11 @@
    -1                         ;; pubport
    (random 1000)              ;; priority (used a tiebreaker on get-available)
    "available"                ;; state
    (common:version-signature) ;; mt_version
    -1                         ;; interface
-   "http"                     ;; transport
+   (conc *transport-type*)    ;; transport
    run-id
    ))
 
 (define (tasks:num-in-available-state mdb run-id)
   (let ((res 0))