Index: testzmq/mockupclient.scm
==================================================================
--- testzmq/mockupclient.scm
+++ testzmq/mockupclient.scm
@@ -17,10 +17,17 @@
 (print "Starting client " cname " with runtime " runtime)
 
 (include "mockupclientlib.scm")
 
 (set! endtime (+ (current-seconds) runtime))
+
+;; first ping the server to ensure we have a connection
+(if (server-ping cname 5)
+    (print "SUCCESS: Client " cname " connected to server")
+    (begin
+      (print "ERROR: Client " cname " failed ping of server, exiting")
+      (exit)))
 
 (let loop ()
   (let ((x (random 15))
 	(varname (list-ref (list "hello" "goodbye" "saluton" "kiaorana")(random 4))))
     (case x

Index: testzmq/mockupclientlib.scm
==================================================================
--- testzmq/mockupclientlib.scm
+++ testzmq/mockupclientlib.scm
@@ -1,40 +1,63 @@
 (define sub  (make-socket 'sub))
 (define push (make-socket 'push))
 (socket-option-set! sub 'subscribe cname)
-(connect-socket sub "tcp://localhost:5563")
-(connect-socket push "tcp://localhost:5564")
+(socket-option-set! sub 'hwm 1000)
+(socket-option-set! push 'hwm 1000)
+
+(connect-socket sub "tcp://localhost:6563")
+(connect-socket push "tcp://localhost:6564")
+
+(thread-sleep! 0.2)
 
+(define (server-ping cname timeout)
+  (let ((msg     (conc cname ":ping:" timeout))
+	(maxtime (+ (current-seconds) timeout)))
+    (print "pinging server from " cname " with timeout " timeout)
+    (let loop ((res   #f))
+      (if (< maxtime (current-seconds))
+	  #f ;; failed to ping
+	  (if (equal? res "Got ping")
+	      #t
+	      (begin
+		(print "Ping received from server " res)
+		(send-message push msg)
+		(thread-sleep! 0.1)
+		(loop (receive-message sub non-blocking: #t))))))))
+  
 (define (dbaccess cname cmd var val #!key (numtries 20))
   (let* ((msg (conc cname ":" cmd ":" (if val (conc var " " val) var)))
 	 (res #f)
 	 (mtx1 (make-mutex))
 	 (do-access (lambda ()
-		      (print "Sending msg: " msg)
-		      (send-message push msg)
-		      (print "Message " msg " sent")
-		      (print "Client " cname " waiting for response to " msg)
-		      (print "Client " cname " received address " (receive-message* sub))
-		      (mutex-lock! mtx1)
-		      (set! res (receive-message* sub))
-		      (mutex-unlock! mtx1))))
-    (let ((th1 (make-thread do-access "do access"))
-	  (th2 (make-thread (lambda ()
-			      (let ((result #f))
-				(mutex-lock! mtx1)
-				(set! result res)
-				(mutex-unlock! mtx1)
-				(thread-sleep! 5)
-				(if (not result)
-				    (if (> numtries 0)
-					(begin
-					  (print "WARNING: access timed out for " cname ", trying again. Trys remaining=" numtries)
-					  (dbaccess cname cmd var val numtries: (- numtries 1)))
-					(begin
-					  (print "ERROR: dbaccess timed out. Exiting")
-					  (exit)))))
-			      "timeout thread"))))
-      (thread-start! th1)
-      (thread-start! th2)
-      (thread-join! th1)
-      res)))
+		      (let ((tmpres #f))
+			(print "Sending msg: " msg)
+			(send-message push msg)
+			(print "Message " msg " sent")
+			(print "Client " cname " waiting for response to " msg)
+			(print "Client " cname " received address " (receive-message* sub))
+			(set! tmpres (receive-message* sub))
+			(mutex-lock! mtx1)
+			(set! res tmpres)
+			(mutex-unlock! mtx1))))
+	 (th1 (make-thread do-access "do access"))
+	 (th2 (make-thread (lambda ()
+			     (let ((result #f))
+			       (mutex-lock! mtx1)
+			       (set! result res)
+			       (mutex-unlock! mtx1)
+			       (thread-sleep! 5)
+			       (if (not result)
+				   (if (> numtries 0)
+				       (begin
+					 (print "WARNING: access timed out for " cname ", trying again. Trys remaining=" numtries)
+					 (dbaccess cname cmd var val numtries: (- numtries 1)))
+				       (begin
+					 (print "ERROR: dbaccess timed out. Exiting")
+					 (exit)))))
+			     "timeout thread"))))
+    (thread-start! th1)
+    (thread-start! th2)
+    (thread-join! th1)
+    (if res (print "SUCCESS: received " res " with " numtries " remaining possible attempts"))
+    res))
 

Index: testzmq/mockupserver.scm
==================================================================
--- testzmq/mockupserver.scm
+++ testzmq/mockupserver.scm
@@ -9,12 +9,17 @@
 (define pull (make-socket 'pull))
 (define cname "server")
 (define total-db-accesses 0)
 (define start-time (current-seconds))
 
+(socket-option-set! pub 'hwm 1000)
+(socket-option-set! pull 'hwm 1000)
+
 (bind-socket pub "tcp://*:6563")
 (bind-socket pull "tcp://*:6564")
+
+(thread-sleep! 0.2)
 
 (define (open-db)
   (let* ((dbpath    "mockup.db")
 	 (dbexists  (file-exists? dbpath))
 	 (db        (open-database dbpath)) ;; (never-give-up-open-db dbpath))
@@ -86,10 +91,11 @@
 				 "SELECT val FROM vars WHERE var=?;" cdata)
 				res))
 			     (else (conc "unk cmd: " clcmd))))))
      queuelst)))
 
+;; SERVER THREAD
 (define th1 (make-thread 
 	     (lambda ()
 	       (let ((last-run 0)) ;; current-seconds when run last
 		 (let loop ((queuelst '()))
 		   (let* ((indat (receive-message* pull))
@@ -96,12 +102,18 @@
 			  (parts (string-split indat ":"))
 			  (cname (car parts))                   ;; client name
 			  (clcmd (string->symbol (cadr parts))) ;; client cmd
 			  (cdata (caddr parts))                 ;; client data
 			  (svect (vector (current-seconds) cname clcmd cdata))) ;; record for the queue
+		     ;; (print "Server received message: " indat)
 		     (count-client db cname)
 		     (case clcmd
+		       ((ping)
+			(print "Got ping from " cname)
+			(send-message pub cname send-more: #t)
+			(send-message pub "Got ping")
+			(loop queuelst))
 		       ((sync) ;; just process the queue
 			(print "Got sync from " cname)
 			(process-queue (cons svect queuelst))
 			(loop '()))
 		       ((get)
@@ -111,10 +123,11 @@
 			(loop (cons svect queuelst))))))))
 	     "server thread"))
 
 (include "mockupclientlib.scm")
 
+;; SYNC THREAD
 ;; send a sync to the pull port
 (define th2 (make-thread
 	     (lambda ()
 	       (let ((last-action-time (current-seconds)))
 		 (let loop ()

Index: testzmq/testmockup.sh
==================================================================
--- testzmq/testmockup.sh
+++ testzmq/testmockup.sh
@@ -1,30 +1,37 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 rm -f mockup.db
 
 echo Compiling mockupserver.scm and mockupclient.scm
+
+# Clean up first
+killall mockupserver mockupclient -v
+
 csc random.scm
 csc mockupserver.scm
 csc mockupclient.scm
 
 echo Starting server
 ./mockupserver &
 
 sleep 1
 
+rm -f mockupclients.log
+
 echo Starting clients
-for i in a b c d e; # f g h i j k l m n o p q s t u v w x y z; 
+for i in a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q s t u v w x y z; 
   do
   for k in a b;
     do
     for j in 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9;
       do
       waittime=`./random 0 60`
       runtime=`./random 5 120`
       echo "Starting client $i$k$j with waittime $waittime and runtime $runtime" 
       (sleep $waittime;./mockupclient $i$k$j $runtime) &
+      # >> mockupclients.log &
     done
   done
 done
 
 wait