--- loncom/loncron	2011/05/14 16:12:53	1.89
+++ loncom/loncron	2011/06/03 20:45:10	1.90
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # Housekeeping program, started by cron, loncontrol and loncron.pl
 #
-# $Id: loncron,v 1.89 2011/05/14 16:12:53 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: loncron,v 1.90 2011/06/03 20:45:10 raeburn Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -687,11 +687,22 @@ sub log_simplestatus {
 }
 
 sub write_loncaparevs {
+    print "Retrieving LON-CAPA version information\n";
     if (open(my $fh,">$perlvar{'lonTabDir'}/loncaparevs.tab")) {
         my %hostname = &Apache::lonnet::all_hostnames();
         foreach my $id (sort(keys(%hostname))) {
             if ($id ne '') {
-                my $loncaparev = &Apache::lonnet::get_server_loncaparev('',$id,1,'loncron');
+                my $loncaparev;
+                eval {
+                    local $SIG{ ALRM } = sub { die "TIMEOUT" };
+                    alarm(10);
+                    $loncaparev =
+                        &Apache::lonnet::get_server_loncaparev('',$id,1,'loncron');
+                    alarm(0);
+                };
+                if ($@ && $@ =~ m/TIMEOUT/) {
+                    print "time out while contacting lonHost: $id for version\n";   
+                }
                 if ($loncaparev =~ /^[\w.\-]+$/) {
                     print $fh $id.':'.$loncaparev."\n";
                 }
@@ -703,12 +714,23 @@ sub write_loncaparevs {
 }
 
 sub write_serverhomeIDs {
+    print "Retrieving LON-CAPA lonHostID information\n";
     if (open(my $fh,">$perlvar{'lonTabDir'}/serverhomeIDs.tab")) {
         my %name_to_host = &Apache::lonnet::all_names();
         foreach my $name (sort(keys(%name_to_host))) {
             if ($name ne '') {
                 if (ref($name_to_host{$name}) eq 'ARRAY') {
-                    my $serverhomeID = &Apache::lonnet::get_server_homeID($name,1,'loncron');
+                    my $serverhomeID;
+                    eval {
+                        local $SIG{ ALRM } = sub { die "TIMEOUT" };
+                        alarm(10);
+                        $serverhomeID = 
+                            &Apache::lonnet::get_server_homeID($name,1,'loncron');
+                        alarm(0);
+                    };
+                    if ($@ && $@ =~ m/TIMEOUT/) {
+                        print "Time out while contacting server: $name\n"; 
+                    }
                     if ($serverhomeID ne '') {
                         print $fh $name.':'.$serverhomeID."\n";
                     } else {