tweaks

loads/db/_redis.py

@@ -25,11 +25,14 @@ def _initialize(self):
     #
     def save_metadata(self, run_id, metadata):
         key = 'metadata:%s' % run_id
-        self._redis.set(key, loads(metadata))
+        self._redis.set(key, dumps(metadata))
 
     def get_metadata(self, run_id):
         key = 'metadata:%s' % run_id
-        return loads(self._redis.get(key))
+        metadata = self._redis.get(key)
+        if metadata is None:
+            return {}
+        return loads(metadata)
 
     def add(self, data):
         if 'run_id' not in data:

loads/transport/broker.py

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import os
 import json
 from uuid import uuid4
+import time
 
 import zmq.green as zmq
 from zmq.green.eventloop import ioloop, zmqstream
@@ -216,6 +217,9 @@ def _handle_recv_front(self, msg, tentative=0):
 
             msg[2] = json.dumps(data)
 
+            # notice when the test was started
+            data['args']['started'] = time.time()
+
             # save the tests metadata in the db
             self.ctrl.save_metadata(run_id, data['args'])
             self.ctrl.flush_db()