Index: apimod.scm
==================================================================
--- apimod.scm
+++ apimod.scm
@@ -374,11 +374,11 @@
     ((general-call)                 (let ((stmtname   (car params))
 					  (run-id     (cadr params))
 					  (realparams (cddr params)))
 				      (db:general-call dbstruct stmtname run-id realparams)))
     ((sdb-qry)                      (apply sdb:qry params))
-    ((ping)                         (current-process-id))
+    ((ping)                         `(#t ,(current-process-id) (cadr params))) ;; (current-process-id))
     ((get-changed-record-ids)       (apply db:get-changed-record-ids dbstruct params))
     ((get-run-record-ids) 	   (apply db:get-run-record-ids dbstruct params))	
     ;; TESTMETA
     ((testmeta-get-record)       (apply db:testmeta-get-record dbstruct params))
 

Index: rmtmod.scm
==================================================================
--- rmtmod.scm
+++ rmtmod.scm
@@ -159,12 +159,12 @@
 
 ;; set up the api proc, seems like there should be a better place for this?
 ;;
 ;; IS THIS NEEDED ANYMORE? TODO - REMOVE IF POSSIBLE
 ;;
-(define api-proc (make-parameter conc))
-(api-proc api:execute-requests)
+;; (define api-proc (make-parameter conc))
+;; (api-proc api:execute-requests)
 
 ;; do we have a connection to apath dbname and
 ;; is it not expired? then return it
 ;;
 ;; else setup a connection
@@ -175,11 +175,12 @@
   (let* ((fullname (db:dbname->path apath dbname))
 	 (conn     (hash-table-ref/default (servdat-conns remdat) fullname #f)))
     (if (and conn
 	     (< (current-seconds) (conndat-expires conn)))
 	conn
-	#f)))
+	#f ;; TODO - convert this to a refresh for the given db? (server could have moved)
+	)))
 
 (define (rmt:find-main-server uconn apath dbname)
   (let* ((pktsdir     (get-pkts-dir apath))
 	 (all-srvpkts (get-all-server-pkts pktsdir *srvpktspec*))
 	 ;; (dbpath      (conc apath "/" dbname))
@@ -231,11 +232,12 @@
 			       (mutex-lock! *connstart-mutex*)
 			       (if (> (- (current-seconds) *last-main-start*) 5) ;; at least four seconds since last attempt to start main server
 				   (begin
 				     (api:run-server-process apath dbname)
 				     (set! *last-main-start* (current-seconds))
-				     (thread-sleep! 1)))
+				     (thread-sleep! 1))
+				   (thread-sleep! 0.25))
 			       (mutex-unlock! *connstart-mutex*)
 			       (rmt:open-main-connection remdat apath) ;; TODO: Add limit to number of tries
 			       )))
 	(if (not the-srv) ;; have server, try connecting to it
 	    (start-main-srv)
@@ -354,20 +356,21 @@
 
 ;; db is at apath/.db/dbname, rid is an intermediary solution and will be removed
 ;; sometime in the future
 ;;
 (define (rmt:send-receive-real sinfo apath dbname cmd params)
-  (let* ((conn (rmt:get-conn sinfo apath dbname)))
-    (assert conn "FATAL: rmt:send-receive-real called without the needed channels opened")
+  (let* ((cdat (rmt:get-conn sinfo apath dbname)))
+    (assert cdat "FATAL: rmt:send-receive-real called without the needed channels opened")
     (let* ((key     #f)
 	   (payload `((cmd    . ,cmd)
-		      (key    . ,(conndat-srvkey conn))
+		      (key    . ,(conndat-srvkey cdat))
 		      (params . ,params)))
-	   (res      (send-receive conn cmd payload)))
+	   (uconn    (servdat-uconn sinfo))
+	   (res      (send-receive uconn (conndat-hostport cdat) cmd payload)))
       (if (member res '("#<unspecified>")) ;; TODO - fix this in string->sexpr
 	  #f
-	  (string->sexpr res)))))
+	  res))))
 
 ;; db is at apath/.db/dbname, rid is an intermediary solution and will be removed
 ;; sometime in the future.
 ;;
 ;; Purpose - call the main.db server and request a server be started
@@ -1644,11 +1647,12 @@
 	   (servdat-uconn *db-serv-info*))
       (let* ((uconn (servdat-uconn *db-serv-info*)))
 	(wait-and-close uconn))
       (let* ((port            (portlogger:open-run-close portlogger:find-port))
 	     (handler-proc    (lambda (rem-host-port qrykey cmd params) ;;
-				(api:execute-requests *dbstruct-db* cmd params))))
+				(let* ((prms (alist-ref 'params params)))
+				  (api:execute-requests *dbstruct-db* cmd prms #;params)))))
 	;; (api:process-request *dbstuct-db* 
 	(if (not *db-serv-info*)
 	    (set! *db-serv-info* (make-servdat host: hostn port: port)))
 	(let* ((uconn (run-listener handler-proc port))
 	       (rport (udat-port uconn))) ;; the real port
@@ -1792,11 +1796,11 @@
   (let* ((data (sexpr->string  `((cmd . ping)
 				 (key . ,key)
 				 (params . ()))))
 	 (res  (send-receive uconn host-port 'ping data)))
     (if res
-	(string->sexpr res)
+	(car res)
 	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

Index: tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
==================================================================
--- tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
+++ tests/unittests/basicserver.scm
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@
 (import rmtmod trace http-client apimod dbmod
 	launchmod srfi-69 ulex system-information)
 
 (trace-call-sites #t)
 (trace
- get-the-server
+ ;; get-the-server
  ;; db:get-dbdat
- ;; rmt:find-main-server
+ rmt:find-main-server
 ;;  rmt:send-receive-real
 ;;  rmt:send-receive
  ;; sexpr->string
  server-ready?
  ;; rmt:register-server
@@ -48,13 +48,23 @@
  ;; rmt:run
  ;; rmt:try-start-server
  ;;
  ;; ulex
  ;;
- wait-and-close
- run-listener
+ ;; wait-and-close
+ ;; run-listener
  )
+
+(define-syntax run-in-thread
+  (syntax-rules ()
+    ((_ body ...)
+     (let ((th1 (make-thread (lambda ()
+			       body ...)
+			     "the thread")))
+       (thread-start! th1)
+       (thread-join! th1)))))
+
 
 (test #f #t (servdat? (let ((s (make-servdat)))
 			  (set! *servdat* s)
 			  s)))
 (test #f #f (rmt:get-conn *servdat* *toppath* ".db/main.db"))
@@ -68,11 +78,12 @@
 (define *uconn* (servdat-uconn *db-serv-info*))
 (print "*uconn*: " *uconn*)
 (test #f #t (ulex-listener? (servdat-uconn *db-serv-info*)))
 (test #f #t (string? (udat-host-port *uconn*)))
 
-(test #f #t (server-ready? *db-serv-dat* (udat-host-port *db-serv-dat*)))
+(run-in-thread
+ (test #f #t (server-ready? *uconn* (udat-host-port *uconn*) (servdat-uuid *db-serv-info*))))
   
 (test #f #t (rmt:open-main-connection *db-serv-info* *toppath*))
 ;; (pp (hash-table->alist (remotedat-conns *db-serv-info*)))
 (test #f #t (conndat? (rmt:get-conn *db-serv-info* *toppath* ".db/main.db")))
 (exit)

Index: ulex/ulex.scm
==================================================================
--- ulex/ulex.scm
+++ ulex/ulex.scm
@@ -25,10 +25,12 @@
 ;;
 ;;======================================================================
 
 (module ulex
     (
+     
+     ;; NOTE: looking for the handler proc - find the run-listener :)
      
      run-listener     ;; (run-listener handler-proc [port]) => uconn
 
      ;; NOTE: handler-proc params;
      ;;       (handler-proc rem-host-port qrykey cmd params)