Index: dbfile.scm
==================================================================
--- dbfile.scm
+++ dbfile.scm
@@ -198,10 +198,14 @@
           )
           #f
   )
 )
 
+(define (dbfile:make-tmpdir-name areapath)
+  (let* ((dname (conc "/tmp/"(current-user-name)"/" (string-translate areapath "/" "."))))
+    (create-directory dname #t)
+    dname))
 
 (define (dbfile:run-id->path apath run-id)
   (conc apath"/"(dbfile:run-id->dbname run-id)))
 
 (define (db:dbname->path apath dbname)

Index: dbmod.scm
==================================================================
--- dbmod.scm
+++ dbmod.scm
@@ -173,22 +173,19 @@
 ;; * This routine creates the db if not found
 ;; * Probably can get rid of the dbstruct-in
 ;; 
 (define (dbmod:open-dbmoddb areapath run-id dbfname-in init-proc keys
 			    #!key (dbstruct-in #f)
-			    (syncdir 'todisk))
+			    ;; (dbcontext 'megatest) ;; use dashboard to do the dashboard 
+			    (syncdir 'todisk)) ;; todisk is used when caching in /tmp and writing data back to MTRAH
   (let* ((dbstruct     (or dbstruct-in (make-dbr:dbstruct areapath: areapath)))
 	 (dbfname      (or dbfname-in (dbmod:run-id->dbfname run-id)))
 	 (dbpath       (dbmod:get-dbdir dbstruct))             ;; directory where all the .db files are kept
 	 (dbfullname   (conc dbpath"/"dbfname)) ;; (dbmod:run-id->full-dbfname dbstruct run-id))
 	 (dbexists     (file-exists? dbfullname))
-	 (tmpdir       (conc "/tmp/"(current-user-name)))
-	 (tmpdb        (let* ((fname (conc tmpdir"/" (string-translate areapath "/" ".") ;; "-"(current-process-id)
-					   "-"dbfname)))
-			 (if (not (file-exists? tmpdir))(create-directory tmpdir))
-			 ;; check if tmpdb already exists, either delete it or
-			 ;; add something to the name
+	 (tmpdir       (dbfile:make-tmpdir-name areapath))
+	 (tmpdb        (let* ((fname (conc tmpdir"/"dbfname)))
 			 fname))
 	 (cachedb        (dbmod:open-cachedb-db init-proc
 					    ;; (if (eq? (dbfile:cache-method) 'cachedb)
 					    ;; 	#f
 					    tmpdb