Index: NOTES
==================================================================
--- NOTES
+++ NOTES
@@ -3,5 +3,19 @@
 3. Tests may or may not have file system access to the originating
    run area. rsync is used to pull the test area to the home host
    if and only if the originating area can not be seen via file 
    system. NO LONGER TRUE. Rsync is used but file system must be visible.
 4. All db access is done via the home host. NOT IMPLEMENTED YET.
+
+
+fdktestqa on Apr 29, 2013: 1812 tests
+
+INFO: (0) Max cached queries was    10
+INFO: (0) Number of cached writes   41335
+INFO: (0) Average cached write time 206.081553163179 ms
+INFO: (0) Number non-cached queries 74289
+INFO: (0) Average non-cached time   1055.09826488444 ms
+INFO: (0) Server shutdown complete. Exiting
+
+Start: 0 at Sun Apr 28 22:18:25 MST 2013
+Max:  52 at Sun Apr 28 23:06:59 MST 2013
+End:   6 at Sun Apr 28 23:47:51 MST 2013

Index: dashboard-tests.scm
==================================================================
--- dashboard-tests.scm
+++ dashboard-tests.scm
@@ -270,13 +270,13 @@
 	       (keydat        (if testdat (open-run-close db:get-key-val-pairs #f run-id) #f))
 	       (rundat        (if testdat (open-run-close db:get-run-info #f run-id) #f))
 	       (runname       (if testdat (db:get-value-by-header (db:get-row rundat)
 								  (db:get-header rundat)
 								  "runname") #f))
-	       (teststeps     (if testdat (db:get-compressed-steps test-id) '()))
 	       (logfile       "/this/dir/better/not/exist")
 	       (rundir        logfile)
+	       (teststeps     (if testdat (db:get-compressed-steps test-id work-area: rundir) '()))
 	       (testfullname  (if testdat (db:test-get-fullname testdat) "Gathering data ..."))
 	       (testname      (if testdat (db:test-get-testname testdat) "n/a"))
 	       (testmeta      (if testdat 
 				  (let ((tm (open-run-close db:testmeta-get-record #f testname)))
 				    (if tm tm (make-db:testmeta)))
@@ -305,15 +305,19 @@
 	       (refreshdat (lambda ()
 			     (let* ((curr-mod-time (file-modification-time db-path))
 				    (need-update   (or (and (> curr-mod-time db-mod-time)
 							    (> (current-seconds) (+ last-update 2))) ;; every two seconds if db touched
 						       request-update))
-				    (newtestdat (if need-update (open-run-close db:get-test-info-by-id #f test-id))))
+				    (newtestdat (if need-update 
+						    (handle-exceptions
+						     exn 
+						     (debug:print-info 2 "test db access issue: " ((condition-property-accessor 'exn 'message) exn))
+						     (open-run-close db:get-test-info-by-id #f test-id )))))
 			       (cond
 				((and need-update newtestdat)
 				 (set! testdat newtestdat)
-				 (set! teststeps    (db:get-compressed-steps test-id))
+				 (set! teststeps    (db:get-compressed-steps test-id work-area: rundir))
 				 (set! logfile      (conc (db:test-get-rundir testdat) "/" (db:test-get-final_logf testdat)))
 				 (set! rundir       (db:test-get-rundir testdat))
 				 (set! testfullname (db:test-get-fullname testdat))
 				 ;; (debug:print 0 "INFO: teststeps=" (intersperse teststeps "\n    "))
 				 )

Index: db.scm
==================================================================
--- db.scm
+++ db.scm
@@ -1911,35 +1911,38 @@
 		      ((eq? (db:step-get-event_time a)(db:step-get-event_time b)) 
 		       (<   (db:step-get-id a)        (db:step-get-id b)))
 		      (else #f)))))
       res)))
 
-(define (db:get-compressed-steps test-id)
-  (let* ((comprsteps (open-run-close db:get-steps-table #f test-id)))
-    (map (lambda (x)
-	   ;; take advantage of the \n on time->string
-	   (vector
-	    (vector-ref x 0)
-	    (let ((s (vector-ref x 1)))
-	      (if (number? s)(seconds->time-string s) s))
-	    (let ((s (vector-ref x 2)))
-	      (if (number? s)(seconds->time-string s) s))
-	    (vector-ref x 3)    ;; status
-	    (vector-ref x 4)
-	    (vector-ref x 5)))  ;; time delta
-	 (sort (hash-table-values comprsteps)
-	       (lambda (a b)
-		 (let ((time-a (vector-ref a 1))
-		       (time-b (vector-ref b 1)))
-		   (if (and (number? time-a)(number? time-b))
-		       (if (< time-a time-b)
-			   #t
-			   (if (eq? time-a time-b)
-			       (string<? (conc (vector-ref a 2))
-					 (conc (vector-ref b 2)))
-			       #f))
-		       (string<? (conc time-a)(conc time-b)))))))))
+(define (db:get-compressed-steps test-id #!key (work-area #f))
+  (if (or (not work-area)
+	  (file-exists? (conc work-area "/testdat.db")))
+      (let* ((comprsteps (open-run-close db:get-steps-table #f test-id work-area: work-area)))
+	(map (lambda (x)
+	       ;; take advantage of the \n on time->string
+	       (vector
+		(vector-ref x 0)
+		(let ((s (vector-ref x 1)))
+		  (if (number? s)(seconds->time-string s) s))
+		(let ((s (vector-ref x 2)))
+		  (if (number? s)(seconds->time-string s) s))
+		(vector-ref x 3)    ;; status
+		(vector-ref x 4)
+		(vector-ref x 5)))  ;; time delta
+	     (sort (hash-table-values comprsteps)
+		   (lambda (a b)
+		     (let ((time-a (vector-ref a 1))
+			   (time-b (vector-ref b 1)))
+		       (if (and (number? time-a)(number? time-b))
+			   (if (< time-a time-b)
+			       #t
+			       (if (eq? time-a time-b)
+				   (string<? (conc (vector-ref a 2))
+					     (conc (vector-ref b 2)))
+				   #f))
+			   (string<? (conc time-a)(conc time-b))))))))
+      '()))
 
 ;;======================================================================
 ;; M I S C   M A N A G E M E N T   I T E M S 
 ;;======================================================================