Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -1704,10 +1704,21 @@
 	path) ;; just give up
     (with-input-from-pipe
 	(conc "/bin/readlink -f " path)
       (lambda ()
 	(read-line)))))
+
+(define (common:get-intercept onemin fivemin)
+  (let* ((load-change (- onemin fivemin))
+         (tchange     (- 300 60)))
+  (max (+ onemin (* 60 (/ load-change tchange)))0))
+)
+
+(define (common:get-delay load-in numcpus)
+  (max (/ (expt 5 (* 4 (/ load-in numcpus))) 10) 0)
+)
+
 
 (define (get-cpu-load #!key (remote-host #f))
   (car (common:get-cpu-load remote-host)))
 ;;   (let* ((load-res (process:cmd-run->list "uptime"))
 ;; 	 (load-rx  (regexp "load average:\\s+(\\d+)"))

Index: dashboard.scm
==================================================================
--- dashboard.scm
+++ dashboard.scm
@@ -581,11 +581,11 @@
 ;;
 (define (dboard:get-tests-for-run-duplicate tabdat run-id run testnamepatt key-vals)
   (let* ((start-time   (current-seconds))
 	 (access-mode  (dboard:tabdat-access-mode tabdat))
          (num-to-get   (string->number (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "num-tests-to-get")
-                                           "200")))
+                                           "50"))) ;; was 200, which is fine in a normal run area.
 	 (states       (hash-table-keys (dboard:tabdat-state-ignore-hash tabdat)))
 	 (statuses     (hash-table-keys (dboard:tabdat-status-ignore-hash tabdat)))
          (do-not-use-db-file-timestamps #t) ;; (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "do-not-use-db-file-timestamps")) ;; this still hosts runs-summary-tab
          (do-not-use-query-timestamps   #t) ;; (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "do-not-use-query-timestamps")) ;; this no longer troubles runs-summary-tab
 	 (sort-info    (get-curr-sort))

Index: genexample.scm
==================================================================
--- genexample.scm
+++ genexample.scm
@@ -470,13 +470,13 @@
 			      (print "[ezsteps]")
 			      (for-each
 			       (lambda (teststep)
 				 (let* ((step-name  (vector-ref teststep 0)))
 				   (print (obfuscate step-name)
-					  " sleep [refdb lookup #{getenv MT_RUN_AREA_HOME}/stepsinfo "
+					  " sleep $(refdb lookup #{getenv MT_RUN_AREA_HOME}/stepsinfo "
 					  (obfuscate testname) " $MT_ITEMPATH "
-					  (obfuscate step-name) "]")))
+					  (obfuscate step-name) ")")))
 			       test-steps)
 
 			      ;; now the requirements section
 			      (if testconfig
 				  (begin
@@ -490,11 +490,11 @@
 					   (else      (print key " " val)))))
 				     (configf:get-section testconfig "requirements")))
 				  #;(print "WARNING: No testconfig data for " testname ", " item-path))
 				    
 			      (print "\n[items]")
-			      (print "THE_ITEM [refdb getrow #{getenv MT_RUN_AREA_HOME}/miscinfo itemsinfo " (obfuscate testname)" | awk '{print $1}']")
+			      (print "THE_ITEM [system refdb getrow #{getenv MT_RUN_AREA_HOME}/miscinfo itemsinfo " (obfuscate testname)" | awk '{print $1}']")
 			      )))
 
 		      ;; fill the stepsrdb
 		      (for-each
 		       (lambda (teststep)