Index: http-transportmod.scm
==================================================================
--- http-transportmod.scm
+++ http-transportmod.scm
@@ -175,10 +175,14 @@
 				  ((equal? (uri-path (request-uri (current-request))) 
 					   '(/ "ping"))
 				   (send-response body: (conc *toppath*"/"(args:get-arg "-db"))
 						  headers: '((content-type text/plain))))
 				  ((equal? (uri-path (request-uri (current-request))) 
+					   '(/ "loop-test"))
+				   (send-response body: (alist-ref 'data ($))
+						  headers: '((content-type text/plain))))
+				  ((equal? (uri-path (request-uri (current-request))) 
 					   '(/ ""))
 				   (send-response body: ((http-get-function 'http-transport:main-page))))
 				  ((equal? (uri-path (request-uri (current-request))) 
 					   '(/ "json_api"))
 				   (send-response body: ((http-get-function 'http-transport:main-page))))
@@ -298,10 +302,18 @@
   (mutex-unlock! *http-mutex*))
 
 (define (http-transport:inc-requests-and-prep-to-close-all-connections)
   (mutex-lock! *http-mutex*)
   (set! *http-requests-in-progress* (+ 1 *http-requests-in-progress*)))
+
+(define (sexpr->string data)
+  (with-output-to-string
+    (lambda ()(write data))))
+
+(define (string->sexpr instr)
+  (with-input-from-string instr
+      (lambda ()(read))))
 
 ;; serverdat contains uuid to be used for connection validation
 ;;
 ;; NOTE: serverdat must be initialized or created by servdat-init
 ;;
@@ -483,11 +495,23 @@
 	#t
 	(begin
 	  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "server-ready? key="key", received="res)
 	  #f))))
 	      
-;; from the pkts return servers associated with dbpath
+(define (loop-test host port data) ;; server-address is host:port
+  ;; ping the server and ask it
+  ;; if it ready
+  ;; (let* ((sdat (servdat-init #f host port #f)))
+  ;;   (http-transport:send-receive sdat "abc" 'ping '())))
+  (let* ((payload (sexpr->string data))
+	 (res     (with-input-from-request
+		   (conc "http://"host":"port"/loop-test") ;; returns *toppath*/dbname
+		   `((data . ,payload))
+		   read-string)))
+    (string->sexpr res)))
+	      
+; from the pkts return servers associated with dbpath
 ;; NOTE: Only one can be alive - have to check on each
 ;;       in the list of pkts returned
 ;;
 (define (get-viable-servers serv-pkts dbpath)
   (let loop ((tail serv-pkts)

Index: rmtmod.scm
==================================================================
--- rmtmod.scm
+++ rmtmod.scm
@@ -157,10 +157,13 @@
 (defstruct rmt:conn
   (apath    #f)
   (dbname   #f)
   (fullname #f)
   (hostport #f)
+  (ipaddr   #f)
+  (port     #f)
+  (srvpkt   #f)
   (lastmsg  0)
   (expires  0))
 
 ;; replaces *runremote*
 (define *rmt:remote* (make-rmt:remote))
@@ -174,14 +177,14 @@
 ;; else setup a connection
 ;;
 ;; if that fails, return '(#f "some reason") ;; NB// convert to raising an exception
 ;;
 (define (rmt:get-connection remote apath dbname)
-  (let* ((fullname (db:dbname->path apath dbname))
-	 (conn     (hash-table-ref/default (rmt:remote-conns remote) fullname #f)))
+  (let* ((fullname (db:dbname->path apath dbname)) ;; we'll switch to full name later
+	 (conn     (hash-table-ref/default (rmt:remote-conns remote) dbname #f)))
     (if (and conn
-	     (> (current-seconds) (rmt:conn-expires conn)))
+	     (< (current-seconds) (rmt:conn-expires conn)))
 	conn
 	#f)))
 
 (define (rmt:find-main-server apath dbname)
   (let* ((pktsdir     (get-pkts-dir apath))
@@ -198,11 +201,11 @@
 	 (the-srv        (rmt:find-main-server apath dbname))
 	 (start-main-srv (lambda ()
 			   ;; srv not ready, delay a little and try again
 			   (system (conc "nbfake megatest -server - -area "apath
 					 " -db "dbname))
-			   (thread-sleep! 1.5)
+			   (thread-sleep! 2)
 			   (rmt:open-main-connection remote apath) ;; TODO: Add limit to number of tries
 			   )))
     (if the-srv ;; yes, we have a server, now try connecting to it
 	(let* ((srv-addr (server-address the-srv))
 	       (ipaddr   (alist-ref 'ipaddr the-srv))
@@ -210,16 +213,19 @@
 	       (fullpath (db:dbname->path apath dbname))
 	       (srvready (server-ready? ipaddr port fullpath)))
 	  (if srvready
 	      (begin
 		(hash-table-set! (rmt:remote-conns remote)
-				 fullpath
+				 dbname ;; fullpath ;; yes, I'd prefer it to be fullpath - FIXME later
 				 (make-rmt:conn
 				  apath:   apath
 				  dbname:  dbname
 				  fullname: fullpath
 				  hostport: srv-addr
+				  ipaddr: ipaddr
+				  port: port
+				  srvpkt: the-srv
 				  lastmsg: (current-seconds)
 				  expires: (+ (current-seconds) 60) ;; this needs to be gathered during the ping
 				  ))
 		#t)
 	      (start-main-srv)))

Index: tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
==================================================================
--- tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
+++ tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@
 
 ;; Run like this:
 ;;
 ;;  ./rununittest.sh server 1;(cd simplerun;megatest -stop-server 0)
 
-(import rmtmod trace)
+(import rmtmod trace http-transportmod)
 (trace-call-sites #t)
 (trace
  ;; rmt:find-main-server
  )
 
@@ -32,10 +32,15 @@
 			   (set! *rmt:remote* r)
 			   r)))
 (test #f #f (rmt:get-connection *rmt:remote* *toppath* ".db/main.db"))
 (test #f #f (rmt:find-main-server *toppath* ".db/main.db"))
 (test #f #t (rmt:open-main-connection *rmt:remote* *toppath*))
+(pp (hash-table->alist (rmt:remote-conns *rmt:remote*)))
+(test #f #t (rmt:conn? (rmt:get-connection *rmt:remote* *toppath* ".db/main.db")))
+(define *main*  (rmt:get-connection *rmt:remote* *toppath* ".db/main.db"))
+
+(test #f 'a (loop-test (rmt:conn-ipaddr *main*)(rmt:conn-port *main*) 'a))
 
 ;; (delete-file* "logs/1.log")
 ;; (define run-id 1)
 
 ;; (test "setup for run" #t (begin (launch:setup)