Index: tcp-transportmod.scm
==================================================================
--- tcp-transportmod.scm
+++ tcp-transportmod.scm
@@ -181,12 +181,18 @@
 		   (server-start-proc)
 		   (tt-last-serv-start-set! ttdat (current-seconds))))
 	     (thread-sleep! 1)
 	     (tt:client-connect-to-server ttdat dbfname run-id testsuite)))))))
 
-(define (tt:ping host port server-id)
-  (let*  ((res (tt:send-receive-direct host port `(ping #f #f #f)))) ;; please send me your server-id
+(define (tt:ping host port server-id #!optional (tries-left 5))
+  (let*  ((res      (tt:send-receive-direct host port `(ping #f #f #f))) ;; please send me your server-id
+	  (try-again (lambda ()
+		       (if (> tries-left 0)
+			   (begin
+			     (thread-sleep! 1)
+			     (tt:ping host port server-id (- tries-left 1)))
+			   #f))))
     ;;
     ;; need two threads, one a 5 second timer
     ;;
     (match res
       ((status errmsg result meta)
@@ -197,11 +203,11 @@
 	   (begin
 	     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: server-id does not match, expected: "server-id", got: "result)
 	     #f)))
       (else
        ;; (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "res not in form (status errmsg result meta), got: "res)
-       #f))))
+       (try-again)))))
 
 ;; client side handler
 ;;
 ;;(tt:handler #<tt> get-keys #f () 2 #f "/home/matt/data/megatest/ext-tests" #f "main.db" "ext-tests" "/home/matt/data/megatest/bin/.22.04/../megatest")
 ;;
@@ -230,34 +236,46 @@
 		(debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: server for "dbfname" is loaded, will try again in a 1/4 second.")
 		(thread-sleep! 0.25)
 		(tt:handler  ttdat cmd run-id params (+ attemptnum 1) area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe))
 	       (else
 		result)))
-	    (else
-	     (if (not res)
+	    (else ;; did not receive properly formated result
+	     (if (not res) ;; tt:handler is telling us that communication failed
 		 (let* ((host    (tt-conn-host conn))
 			(port    (tt-conn-port conn))
 			;; (dbfname (tt-conn-port conn)) ;; 192.168.0.127:4242-726924:4.db
 			(pid     (tt-conn-pid  conn))
 			(servinf (conc areapath"/.servinfo/"host":"port"-"pid":"dbfname)))
 		   (hash-table-set! (tt-conns ttdat) dbfname #f)
 		   (if (file-exists? servinf)
 		       (begin
-			 (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: no ping response from server "host":"port" for "dbfname)
-			 (if (and (file-exists? servinf)
-				  (> (- (current-seconds)(file-modification-time servinf)) 60))
-			     (begin
-			       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: "servinf" file seems old and no ping response, removing it.")
-			       (handle-exceptions
-				   exn
-				 #f
-				 (delete-file* servinf)))))
-		       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: connection to server "host":"port" broken for "dbfname", but do not see servinf file "servinf))
-		   (tt:handler ttdat cmd run-id params (+ attemptnum 1) area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe))
-		 (assert #f "FATAL: tt:handler received bad data "res)))))
-	(begin
-	  (thread-sleep! 1) ;; give it a rest and try again
+			 (if (< attemptnum 5)
+			     (begin
+			       (thread-sleep! 1)
+			       (tt:handler ttdat cmd run-id params (+ attemptnum 1) area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe))
+			     (begin
+			       (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: no response from server "host":"port" for "dbfname)
+			       (if (and (file-exists? servinf)
+					(> (- (current-seconds)(file-modification-time servinf)) 60))
+				   (begin
+				     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: "servinf" file seems old and no ping response, removing it.")
+				     (handle-exceptions
+					 exn
+				       #f
+				       (delete-file* servinf))
+				     (tt:handler ttdat cmd run-id params (+ attemptnum 1) area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe))))))
+		       (begin ;; no server file, delay and try again
+			 (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: connection to server "host":"port" broken for "dbfname", but do not see servinf file "servinf)
+			 (thread-sleep! 1)
+			 (tt:handler ttdat cmd run-id params (+ attemptnum 1) area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe))))
+		 (begin ;; this case is where res is malformed. Probably should abort
+		   (assert #f "FATAL: tt:handler received bad data "res)
+		   ;; (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "INFO: got corrupt data from server "host":"port", "res", for "dbfname", will try again.")
+		   ;; (tt:handler ttdat cmd run-id params (+ attemptnum 1) area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe)
+		   )))))
+	(begin
+	  (thread-sleep! 1) ;; no conn yet set up, give it a rest and try again
 	  (tt:handler ttdat cmd run-id params attemptnum area-dat areapath readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe)))))
 
 (define (tt:bid-for-servership run-id)
   #f)
 

ADDED   utils/load-the-db.scm
Index: utils/load-the-db.scm
==================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ utils/load-the-db.scm
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+;; start the repl and then load this file
+
+(define start-time (current-seconds))
+
+(let loop ((last-print 0)
+	   (num-calls  0))
+  (let ((all-run-ids (rmt:get-all-run-ids))
+	(do-print    (> (- (current-seconds) last-print) 2))
+	(max-query   0))
+    (for-each
+     (lambda (run-id)
+       ;; (rmt:get-tests-for-run run-id testpatt states statuses offset limit not-in sort-by sort-order qryvals last-update mode)
+       (let* ((all-run-data (rmt:get-tests-for-run run-id "%" '() '() #f #f #f #f #f #f #f #f)))
+	 (for-each
+	  (lambda (testdat)
+	    (let* ((test-id (vector-ref testdat 0))
+		   (start-at (current-milliseconds))
+		   (testinfo (rmt:get-test-info-by-id run-id test-id))
+		   (query-time (- (current-milliseconds) start-at)))
+	      (if (> query-time max-query)
+		  (set! max-query query-time))))
+	  all-run-data)
+	 (if do-print
+	     (print "Running "(- (current-seconds) start-time)"s, run "run-id" has "(length all-run-data)" tests, max query "max-query))))
+     all-run-ids)
+    (loop (if do-print
+	      (current-seconds)
+	      last-print)
+	  (+ num-calls (length all-run-ids)))))
+