Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -485,10 +485,13 @@
     (for-each
      (lambda (run-id)
 
        ;; in RUNNING or REMOTEHOSTSTART for more than 10 minutes
        ;;
+       ;; THIS CANNOT WORK. The run_duration is not updated in the central db due to performance concerns.
+       ;;                   The testdat.db file must be consulted.
+       ;;
        (sqlite3:for-each-row 
 	(lambda (test-id)
 	  (set! incompleted (cons test-id incompleted)))
 	db
 	"SELECT id FROM tests WHERE run_id=? AND (strftime('%s','now') - event_time - run_duration) > ? AND state IN ('RUNNING','REMOTEHOSTSTART');"
@@ -1129,11 +1132,11 @@
 ;; this one is a bit broken BUG FIXME
 (define (db:delete-test-step-records db test-id #!key (work-area #f))
   ;; Breaking it into two queries for better file access interleaving
   (let* ((tdb (db:open-test-db-by-test-id db test-id work-area: work-area)))
     ;; test db's can go away - must check every time
-    (if tdb
+    (if (sqlite3:database? tdb)
 	(begin
 	  (sqlite3:execute tdb "DELETE FROM test_steps;")
 	  (sqlite3:execute tdb "DELETE FROM test_data;")
 	  (sqlite3:finalize! tdb)))))
 
@@ -2002,11 +2005,11 @@
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (define (db:csv->test-data db test-id csvdata #!key (work-area #f))
   (debug:print 4 "test-id " test-id ", csvdata: " csvdata)
   (let ((tdb     (db:open-test-db-by-test-id db test-id work-area: work-area)))
-    (if tdb
+    (if (sqlite3:database? tdb)
 	(let ((csvlist (csv->list (make-csv-reader
 				   (open-input-string csvdata)
 				   '((strip-leading-whitespace? #t)
 				     (strip-trailing-whitespace? #t)) )))) ;; (csv->list csvdata)))
 	  (for-each 
@@ -2062,11 +2065,11 @@
 	  (sqlite3:finalize! tdb)))))
 
 ;; get a list of test_data records matching categorypatt
 (define (db:read-test-data db test-id categorypatt #!key (work-area #f))
   (let ((tdb  (db:open-test-db-by-test-id db test-id work-area: work-area)))
-    (if tdb
+    (if (sqlite3:database? tdb)
 	(let ((res '()))
 	  (sqlite3:for-each-row 
 	   (lambda (id test_id category variable value expected tol units comment status type)
 	     (set! res (cons (vector id test_id category variable value expected tol units comment status type) res)))
 	   tdb
@@ -2094,11 +2097,11 @@
 ;;    if one or more are fail (any case) then set test status to PASS, non "pass" or "fail" are ignored
 (define (db:test-data-rollup db test-id status #!key (work-area #f))
   (let ((tdb (db:open-test-db-by-test-id db test-id work-area: work-area))
 	(fail-count 0)
 	(pass-count 0))
-    (if tdb
+    (if (sqlite3:database? tdb)
 	(begin
 	  (sqlite3:for-each-row
 	   (lambda (fcount pcount)
 	     (set! fail-count fcount)
 	     (set! pass-count pcount))
@@ -2147,11 +2150,11 @@
 
 ;; db-get-test-steps-for-run
 (define (db:get-steps-for-test db test-id #!key (work-area #f))
   (let* ((tdb (db:open-test-db-by-test-id db test-id work-area: work-area))
 	 (res '()))
-    (if tdb
+    (if (sqlite3:database? tdb)
 	(handle-exceptions
 	 exn
 	 (debug:print 0 "ERROR: error on access to testdat for test with id " test-id)
 	 '()
 	 (sqlite3:for-each-row 
@@ -2389,19 +2392,18 @@
 		 (set! result (append (if (null? tests)(list waitontest-name) tests) result)))))
 	 waitons)
 	(delete-duplicates result))))
 
 (define (db:teststep-set-status! db test-id teststep-name state-in status-in comment logfile #!key (work-area #f))
-  (debug:print 4 "test-id: " test-id " teststep-name: " teststep-name)
   ;;                 db:open-test-db-by-test-id does cdb:remote-run
   (let* ((tdb       (db:open-test-db-by-test-id db test-id work-area: work-area))
 	 (state     (items:check-valid-items "state" state-in))
 	 (status    (items:check-valid-items "status" status-in)))
     (if (or (not state)(not status))
 	(debug:print 3 "WARNING: Invalid " (if status "status" "state")
 		     " value \"" (if status state-in status-in) "\", update your validvalues section in megatest.config"))
-    (if tdb
+    (if (sqlite3:database? tdb)
 	(begin
 	  (sqlite3:execute 
 	   tdb
 	   "INSERT OR REPLACE into test_steps (test_id,stepname,state,status,event_time,comment,logfile) VALUES(?,?,?,?,?,?,?);"
 	   test-id teststep-name state-in status-in (current-seconds) (if comment comment "") (if logfile logfile ""))

Index: runs.scm
==================================================================
--- runs.scm
+++ runs.scm
@@ -208,11 +208,13 @@
 	 (required-tests    '())
 	 (test-records       (make-hash-table))
 	 (all-tests-registry (tests:get-all)) ;; (tests:get-valid-tests (make-hash-table) test-search-path)) ;; all valid tests to check waiton names
 	 (all-test-names     (hash-table-keys all-tests-registry))
 	 (test-names         (tests:filter-test-names all-test-names test-patts)))
+
     ;; Update the synchronous setting in the db based on the default or what is set by the user
+    ;; This is done once here on a call to run tests rather than on every call to open-db
     (cdb:remote-run db:set-sync #f)
 
     (set-megatest-env-vars run-id inkeys: keys) ;; these may be needed by the launching process
     (if (file-exists? runconfigf)
 	(setup-env-defaults runconfigf run-id *already-seen-runconfig-info* keyvals "pre-launch-env-vars")

Index: tests.scm
==================================================================
--- tests.scm
+++ tests.scm
@@ -726,21 +726,21 @@
     ;; (tests:update-central-meta-info test-id cpuload diskfree minutes #f #f)
   ))
 	 
 (define (tests:update-testdat-meta-info db test-id work-area cpuload diskfree minutes)
   (let ((tdb         (db:open-test-db-by-test-id db test-id work-area: work-area)))
-    (if tdb
+    (if (sqlite3:database? tdb)
 	(begin
 	  (sqlite3:execute tdb "INSERT INTO test_rundat (update_time,cpuload,diskfree,run_duration) VALUES (strftime('%s','now'),?,?,?);"
 			   cpuload diskfree minutes)
 	  (sqlite3:finalize! tdb))
 	(debug:print 2 "Can't update testdat.db for test " test-id " read-only or non-existant"))))
     
 (define (tests:testdat-get-testinfo db test-id work-area)
    (let ((tdb         (db:open-test-db-by-test-id db test-id work-area: work-area))
 	 (res         '()))
-     (if tdb
+     (if (sqlite3:database? tdb)
 	 (sqlite3:for-each-row
 	  (lambda (update-time cpuload diskfree run-duration)
 	    (set! res (cons (vector update-time cpuload diskfree run-duration) res)))
 	  tdb
 	  "SELECT update_time,cpuload,diskfree,run_duration FROM test_rundat ORDER BY update_time ASC;")

Index: tests/fdktestqa/testqa/megatest.config
==================================================================
--- tests/fdktestqa/testqa/megatest.config
+++ tests/fdktestqa/testqa/megatest.config
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 [setup]
 testcopycmd cp --remove-destination -rlv TEST_SRC_PATH/. TEST_TARG_PATH/. >> TEST_TARG_PATH/mt_launch.log 2>> TEST_TARG_PATH/mt_launch.log
 runqueue 20
-transport http
+# transport http
 launchwait no
 
 [include ../fdk.config]
 
 [server]

Index: tests/fullrun/megatest.config
==================================================================
--- tests/fullrun/megatest.config
+++ tests/fullrun/megatest.config
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@
 # Set launchwait to no to use the more agressive code that does not wait for the launch to complete before proceeding
 # this may save a few milliseconds on launching tests
 # launchwait no
 
 # Use http instead of direct filesystem access
-# transport http
-transport fs
+transport http
+# transport fs
 
 # If set to "default" the old code is used. Otherwise defaults to 200 or uses
 # numeric value given.
 #
 runqueue 20