Index: ulex-simple/dbmgr.scm
==================================================================
--- ulex-simple/dbmgr.scm
+++ ulex-simple/dbmgr.scm
@@ -78,18 +78,18 @@
 (defstruct servdat
   (host #f)
   (port #f)
   (uuid #f)
   (dbfile #f)
-  (uconn   #f) ;; this is the listener *FOR THIS PROCESS*
+  (uconn   #f) ;; this is the listener for this process
   (mode    #f)
   (status 'starting)
   (trynum 0) ;; count the number of ports we've tried
   (conns  (make-hash-table)) ;; apath/dbname => conndat
   ) 
 
-(define *db-serv-info* (make-servdat))
+(define *db-serv-info* #f)
 
 (define (servdat->url sdat)
   (conc (servdat-host sdat)":"(servdat-port sdat)))
 
 ;; db servers contact info
@@ -161,11 +161,11 @@
   (let* ((fullpath (db:dbname->path apath ".db/main.db"))
 	 (conns    (servdat-conns remdat))
 	 (conn     (rmt:get-conn remdat apath ".db/main.db")) ;; (hash-table-ref/default conns fullpath #f)) ;; TODO - create call for this
 	 (myconn   (servdat-uconn remdat)))
     (cond
-     ((not (listener-running?))
+     ((not myconn)
       (servdat-uconn-set! remdat (make-udat))
       (rmt:open-main-connection remdat apath))
      ((and conn                                             ;; conn is NOT a socket, just saying ...
 	   (< (current-seconds) (conndat-expires conn)))
       #t) ;; we are current and good to go - we'll deal elsewhere with a server that was killed or died 
@@ -293,10 +293,14 @@
 ;;
 (define (rmt:send-receive cmd rid params #!key (attemptnum 1)(area-dat #f))
   (let* ((apath      *toppath*)
 	 (sinfo      *db-serv-info*)
 	 (dbname     (db:run-id->dbname rid)))
+    (if (not *db-serv-info*)
+	(begin
+	  (set! *db-serv-info* (make-servdat))
+	  (set! sinfo *db-serv-info*)))
     (rmt:open-main-connection sinfo apath)
     (if rid (rmt:general-open-connection sinfo apath dbname))
     ;; (if (not (member cmd '(log-to-main)))
     ;;     (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "rmt:send-receive "cmd" params="params))
     (let* ((cdat (rmt:get-conn sinfo apath dbname)))
@@ -542,11 +546,11 @@
   (let* ((params `((cmd . ping)(key . ,key)))
 	 (data `((cmd . ping)
 		 (key . ,key)
 		 (params . ,params))) ;; I don't get it.
 	 (res  (send-receive uconn host-port 'ping data)))
-    (if (eq? res 'ack) ;; yep, likely it is who we want on the other end
+    (if (eq? res 'ping-ack) ;; yep, likely it is who we want on the other end
 	res
 	#f)))
 ;; (begin (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "server-ready? => "res) #f))))
 
 ; from the pkts return servers associated with dbpath
@@ -625,11 +629,10 @@
 				       candidate))))) ;; use Z card as tie breaker
 	      (if (null? tail)
 		  new-best
 		  (loop (cdr tail) new-best)))))))
 	  
-
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; END NEW SERVER METHOD
 ;;======================================================================
 
 ;; sdat must be defined and the host and port set and the same as previous
@@ -645,11 +648,11 @@
 
 ;; if .db/main.db check the pkts
 ;; 
 (define (rmt:wait-for-server pkts-dir db-file server-key)
   (let* ((sdat *db-serv-info*))
-    (let loop ((start-time (current-seconds))
+    (let loop ((start-time (current-milliseconds))
 	       (changed    #t)
 	       (last-sdat  "not this")
 	       (last-host  #f)
 	       (last-port  #f))
       (begin ;; let ((sdat #f))
@@ -658,11 +661,11 @@
 	(mutex-lock! *heartbeat-mutex*)
 	(set! sdat *db-serv-info*)
 	(mutex-unlock! *heartbeat-mutex*)
 	(if (and sdat
 		 (not changed)
-		 (> (- (current-seconds) start-time) 2))
+		 (>= (- (current-milliseconds) start-time) 100))
 	    (let* ((uconn (servdat-uconn sdat)))
 	      (servdat-status-set! sdat 'iface-stable)
 	      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Received server alive signature, now attempting to lock in server")
 	      ;; create a server pkt in *toppath*/.meta/srvpkts
 	      
@@ -714,11 +717,11 @@
 		      (exit)))
 		sdat))
 	    (begin ;; sdat not yet contains server info
 	      (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Still waiting, last-sdat=" last-sdat)
 	      (thread-sleep! 0.1)
-	      (if (> (- (current-seconds) start-time) 120) ;; been waiting for two minutes
+	      (if (> (- (current-milliseconds) start-time) 120000) ;; been waiting for two minutes
 		  (begin
 		    (debug:print-error 0 *default-log-port* "transport appears to have died, exiting server")
 		    (exit))
 		  (loop start-time
 			(not (host-port-is-stable? sdat last-host last-port))

Index: ulex-simple/ulex.scm
==================================================================
--- ulex-simple/ulex.scm
+++ ulex-simple/ulex.scm
@@ -92,11 +92,11 @@
 ;; instantiated as uconn by convention
 ;;
 (defstruct udat
   ;; the listener side
   (port #f)
-  (host-port #f)
+  (host-port #f) ;; my host:port
   (socket #f)
   ;; the peers
   (peers  (make-hash-table)) ;; host:port->peer
   ;; work handling
   (work-queue (make-mailbox))
@@ -216,11 +216,11 @@
   (let* () ;; get it each time - conceivebly it could change
     ;; put this following into a do-work procedure
     (match rdat
       ((rem-host-port qrykey cmd params)
        (case cmd
-	 ((ping) #t) ;; bypass calling the proc
+	 ((ping) 'ping-ack) ;; bypass calling the proc
 	 (else
 	  (let* ((proc       (udat-work-proc uconn))
 		 (start-time (current-milliseconds))
 		 (result     (proc rem-host-port qrykey cmd params))
 		 (end-time   (current-milliseconds))
@@ -234,11 +234,10 @@
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (define (pp-uconn uconn)
   (pp (udat->alist uconn)))
 
-  
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; network utilities
 ;;======================================================================
 
 ;; NOTE: Look at address-info egg as alternative to some of this