Index: common.scm
==================================================================
--- common.scm
+++ common.scm
@@ -130,10 +130,12 @@
 
 ;; Generic string database
 (define sdb:qry #f) ;; (make-sdb:qry)) ;;  'init #f)
 ;; Generic path database
 (define *fdb* #f)
+
+(define *last-launch* (current-seconds)) ;; use for throttling the launch rate. Would be better to use the db and last time of a test in LAUNCHED state.
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; V E R S I O N
 ;;======================================================================
 

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -1404,10 +1404,15 @@
     (if (and (null? incompleted)
 	     (null? oldlaunched)
 	     (null? toplevels))
 	#f
 	#t)))
+
+;; given a launch delay (minimum time from last launch) return amount of time to wait
+;;
+;; (define (db:launch-delay-left dbstruct run-id launch-delay)
+  
 
 ;;  select end_time-now from
 ;;      (select testname,item_path,event_time+run_duration as
 ;;                          end_time,strftime('%s','now') as now from tests where state in
 ;;      ('RUNNING','REMOTEHOSTSTART','LAUNCED'));

Index: launch.scm
==================================================================
--- launch.scm
+++ launch.scm
@@ -1035,10 +1035,18 @@
 ;; 4. remotely run the test on allocated host
 ;;    - could be ssh to host from hosts table (update regularly with load)
 ;;    - could be netbatch
 ;;      (launch-test db (cadr status) test-conf))
 (define (launch-test test-id run-id run-info keyvals runname test-conf test-name test-path itemdat params)
+  (let loop ((delta        (- (current-seconds) *last-launch*))
+	     (launch-delay (string->number (or (configf:lookup *configdat* "setup" "launch-delay") "5"))))
+    (if (> launch-delay delta)
+	(begin
+	  (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Delaying launch of " test-name " for " (- launch-delay delta) " seconds")
+	  (thread-sleep! (- launch-delay delta))
+	  (loop (- (current-seconds) *last-launch*) launch-delay))))
+  (set! *last-launch* (current-seconds))
   (change-directory *toppath*)
   (alist->env-vars ;; consolidate this code with the code in megatest.scm for "-execute"
    (list ;; (list "MT_TEST_RUN_DIR" work-area)
     (list "MT_RUN_AREA_HOME" *toppath*)
     (list "MT_TEST_NAME" test-name)

Index: tests/Makefile
==================================================================
--- tests/Makefile
+++ tests/Makefile
@@ -48,34 +48,34 @@
 	cd simplerun ; $(MEGATEST) -server - -debug $(DEBUG)
 
 test1 : cleanprep
 
 test2 : fullprep
-	cd fullrun;$(MEGATEST) -preclean -runtests ez_pass,runfirst/a/% -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME) -debug $(DEBUG) $(LOGGING)
-	cd fullrun;megatest -preclean -runtests % -target ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME)_01 -testpatt %/,%/ai -debug $(DEBUG)
-	cd fullrun;megatest -preclean -runtests %/,%/ai -target ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNAME)_02 -debug $(DEBUG)
-	cd fullrun;megatest -preclean -runtests runfirst/%,%/ai -target ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME)_02 -debug $(DEBUG)
-	cd fullrun;megatest -runtests %/,%/winter -target ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME)_03  -debug $(DEBUG)
-	sleep 40;cd fullrun;megatest -target ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME) -set-state-status COMPLETED,FORCED :state COMPLETED :status PASS -testpatt ez_p%s,runfirst/ -debug $(DEBUG) $(LOGGING)
+	cd fullrun;$(MEGATEST) -preclean -runtests ez_pass,runfirst/a/% -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none -runname $(RUNNAME) -debug $(DEBUG) $(LOGGING)
+	cd fullrun;megatest -preclean -runtests % -target ubuntu/nfs/none -runname $(RUNNAME)_01 -testpatt %/,%/ai -debug $(DEBUG)
+	cd fullrun;megatest -preclean -runtests %/,%/ai -target ubuntu/nfs/none -runname $(RUNAME)_02 -debug $(DEBUG)
+	cd fullrun;megatest -preclean -runtests runfirst/%,%/ai -target ubuntu/nfs/none -runname $(RUNNAME)_02 -debug $(DEBUG)
+	cd fullrun;megatest -runtests %/,%/winter -target ubuntu/nfs/none -runname $(RUNNAME)_03  -debug $(DEBUG)
+	sleep 40;cd fullrun;megatest -target ubuntu/nfs/none -runname $(RUNNAME) -set-state-status COMPLETED,FORCED :state COMPLETED :status PASS -testpatt ez_p%s,runfirst/ -debug $(DEBUG) $(LOGGING)
 
 
 test3 : fullprep test3a test3b
 
 test3a :
 	@echo Run runfirst and any waitons.
-	cd fullrun;$(MEGATEST) -preclean -runtests runfirst -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME)_b 
+	cd fullrun;$(MEGATEST) -preclean -runtests runfirst -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none -runname $(RUNNAME)_b 
 
 test3b :
 	@echo Run all_toplevel and all waitons
-	cd fullrun;$(MEGATEST) -preclean -runtests all_toplevel -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME)_c
+	cd fullrun;$(MEGATEST) -preclean -runtests all_toplevel -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none -runname $(RUNNAME)_c
 
 test4 : cleanprep
 	@echo "WARNING: No longer running fullprep, test converage may be lessened"
-	cd fullrun;time $(MEGATEST) -debug $(DEBUG) -run-wait -runtests % -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME)_b -m "This is a comment specific to a run" -v $(LOGGING)
+	cd fullrun;time $(MEGATEST) -debug $(DEBUG) -run-wait -run -testpatt % -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none -runname $(RUNNAME)_b -m "This is a comment specific to a run" -v $(LOGGING)
 
 test4a : cleanprep
-	cd fullrun;time $(MEGATEST) -debug $(DEBUG) -preclean -runtests all_toplevel -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none :runname $(RUNNAME)_b -m "This is a comment specific to a run" -v $(LOGGING)
+	cd fullrun;time $(MEGATEST) -debug $(DEBUG) -preclean -run -testpatt all_toplevel -reqtarg ubuntu/nfs/none -runname $(RUNNAME)_b -m "This is a comment specific to a run" -v $(LOGGING)
 
 # NOTE: Only one instance can be a server
 test5 : cleanprep
 	rm -f fullrun/a*.log fullrun/logs/*
 	@echo "WARNING: No longer running fullprep, test converage may be lessened"