Megatest

	(let* ((testpath  (assoc/default 'testpath  cmdinfo))  ;; testpath is the test spec area
	       (top-path  (assoc/default 'toppath   cmdinfo))
	       (work-area (assoc/default 'work-area cmdinfo))  ;; work-area is the test run area
	       (test-name (assoc/default 'test-name cmdinfo))
	       (runscript (assoc/default 'runscript cmdinfo))
	       (ezsteps   (assoc/default 'ezsteps   cmdinfo))
	       ;; (runremote (assoc/default 'runremote cmdinfo))
	       (transport (assoc/default 'transport cmdinfo))
	       ;; (transport (assoc/default 'transport cmdinfo))  ;; not used
	       ;; (serverinf (assoc/default 'serverinf cmdinfo))
	       (port      (assoc/default 'port      cmdinfo))
	       ;; (port      (assoc/default 'port      cmdinfo))
	       (serverurl (assoc/default 'serverurl cmdinfo))
	       (homehost  (assoc/default 'homehost  cmdinfo))
	       (run-id    (assoc/default 'run-id    cmdinfo))
	       (test-id   (assoc/default 'test-id   cmdinfo))
	       (target    (assoc/default 'target    cmdinfo))
	       (itemdat   (assoc/default 'itemdat   cmdinfo))
	       (env-ovrd  (assoc/default 'env-ovrd  cmdinfo))
	       (set-vars  (assoc/default 'set-vars  cmdinfo)) ;; pre-overrides from -setvar
	       (runname   (assoc/default 'runname   cmdinfo))

                                      (let ((fulln (conc testpath "/" runscript)))
	                                  (if (and (file-exists? fulln)
                                                   (file-execute-access? fulln))
                                              fulln
                                              runscript))))) ;; assume it is on the path
	       ) ;; (rollup-status 0)

	  ;; On NFS it can be slow and unreliable to get needed startup information.
	  ;;  i. Check if we are on the homehost, if so, proceed
	  ;; ii. Check if host and port passed in via CMDINFO are valid and if
	  ;;     possible use them.
	  (let ((bestadrs (server:get-best-guess-address (get-host-name))))
	    (if (equal? homehost bestadrs) ;; we are likely on the homehost
		(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "test " test-name " appears to be running on the homehost " homehost)
		(let ((host-port (if serverurl (string-split serverurl ":") #f)))
		  (if (not *runremote*)(set! *runremote* (make-remote))) ;; init *runremote*
		  (if (string? homehost)
		      (if (and host-port
			       (> (length host-port) 1))
			  (match-let* (((host port) host-port)
				       ((start-res) (http-transport:client-connect host port))
				       (ping-res    (rmt:login-no-auto-client-setup start-res)))
			    (if (and start-res
				     ping-res)
				(let ((url  (http-transport:server-dat-make-url start-res)))
				  (remote-conndat-set! *runremote* start-res)
				  (remote-url-set! *runremote* url)
				  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "connected to " url " using CMDINFO data."))
				(debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "received " host ":" port " for url but could not connect.")
				)))))))
	  ;; NFS might not have propagated the directory meta data to the run host - give it time if needed
	  (let loop ((count 0))
	    (if (or (file-exists? top-path)
		    (> count 10))
		(change-directory top-path)
		(begin
		  (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: Not starting job yet - directory " top-path " not found")

	    (create-directory work-area #t)
	    (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: No disk work area specified - running in the test directory under tmp_run")))
      (set! cmdparms (base64:base64-encode 
		      (z3:encode-buffer 
		       (with-output-to-string
			 (lambda () ;; (list 'hosts     hosts)
			   (write (list (list 'testpath  test-path)
					(list 'transport (conc *transport-type*))
					;; (list 'transport (conc *transport-type*))
					;; (list 'serverinf *server-info*)
					(list 'homehost  (let* ((hhdat (common:get-homehost)))
							   (if hhdat
							       (car hhdat)
							       #f)))
					(list 'serverurl (if *runremote*
							     (remote-server-url *runremote*)
							     #f)) ;; 
					(list 'toppath   *toppath*)
					(list 'work-area work-area)
					(list 'test-name test-name) 
					(list 'runscript runscript) 
					(list 'run-id    run-id   )
					(list 'test-id   test-id  )
					;; (list 'item-path item-path )

;;  S U P P O R T   F U N C T I O N S
;;======================================================================

;; if a server is either running or in the process of starting call client:setup
;; else return #f to let the calling proc know that there is no server available
;;
(define (rmt:get-connection-info areapath #!key (area-dat #f)) ;; TODO: push areapath down.
  (let* ((runremote (or area-dat *runremote*))
	 (cinfo     (remote-conndat runremote))
        (run-id 0))
    (if cinfo
	cinfo
	(if (server:check-if-running areapath)
	    (client:setup areapath)
	    #f))))
  (let* ((runremote (or area-dat *runremote*)))
    (if runremote
	(let* ((cinfo  (remote-conndat runremote))
	       (run-id 0))
	  (if cinfo
	      cinfo
	      (if (server:check-if-running areapath)
		  (client:setup areapath)
		  #f)))
	#f)))

(define *send-receive-mutex* (make-mutex)) ;; should have separate mutex per run-id

;; RA => e.g. usage (rmt:send-receive 'get-var #f (list varname))
;;
(define (rmt:send-receive cmd rid params #!key (attemptnum 1)(area-dat #f)) ;; start attemptnum at 1 so the modulo below works as expected