diff --git a/crossfire/comms.rkt b/crossfire/comms.rkt
index 995943d..ee53527 100644
--- a/crossfire/comms.rkt
+++ b/crossfire/comms.rkt
@@ -240,6 +240,8 @@
          from (or (= data (node-id my-node)) (hash-has-key? peer-registry data) #f))]
       ['get-node-info (thread-send from (hash-ref node-registry data #f) #f)]
       ['set-node-info (hash-set! node-registry (node-id data) data) (thread-send from (void) #f)]
+      ;; also call destroy-channel
+      ['raw-delete-node (hash-remove! node-registry data) (thread-send from (void) #f)]
       ['register-channel
        (match-define (cons peer-id thd) data)
        (when (hash-has-key? peer-registry peer-id)
@@ -319,6 +321,10 @@
 (define (comms-get-node-info comms id)
   (thread-sendrecv comms 'get-node-info id))
 
+(define (comms-delete-node comms id)
+  (thread-sendrecv comms 'destroy-channel id)
+  (thread-sendrecv comms 'raw-delete-node id))
+
 (define (comms-local-channel comms)
   (thread-sendrecv comms 'local-channel (void)))
 
@@ -344,7 +350,7 @@
     (comms-dispatch-msg comms to-id msg)))
 
 (provide make-comms comms-listen comms-connect comms-get-node-info comms-set-node-info
-         comms-channel-available?)
+         comms-delete-node comms-channel-available?)
 
 ;; transactional messages support
 
diff --git a/crossfire/migrations/20201113-add-initial-tables.sql b/crossfire/migrations/20201113-add-initial-tables.sql
index e66d79a..41db506 100644
--- a/crossfire/migrations/20201113-add-initial-tables.sql
+++ b/crossfire/migrations/20201113-add-initial-tables.sql
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ create table node_resource(nodeid integer not null, resource text not null,
 -- }
 -- @up {
 create table task(id integer primary key, name text not null, manifest blob not null,
-                  committed boolean not null);
+                  committed boolean not null default false,
+                  complete boolean not null default false);
 -- }
 -- @up {
 create table task_log(taskid integer not null, worker integer not null,
diff --git a/crossfire/pattern.rkt b/crossfire/pattern.rkt
index 256aa9f..2e79a93 100644
--- a/crossfire/pattern.rkt
+++ b/crossfire/pattern.rkt
@@ -17,13 +17,17 @@
 ;; along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 (require (only-in data/integer-set make-integer-set integer-set-contents [union integer-set-union]
-                  [count integer-set-count])
+                  [count integer-set-count] [intersect integer-set-intersect]
+                  [subtract integer-set-subtract])
          racket/list racket/match racket/vector)
 
-(provide pos->integer-set-pos
-         char->integer-set string->integer-set range->integer-set
+(provide char->integer-set string->integer-set range->integer-set
+         ;; re-export renamed integer-set accessors
+         make-integer-set integer-set-contents integer-set-count integer-set-union
+         integer-set-intersect integer-set-subtract
          builtin-isets
-         pattern-count pos->pattern-pos resolve-pattern-pos)
+         pattern-count pos->pattern-pos resolve-pattern-pos
+         pattern-range-take)
 
 ;; pattern processing
 ;; NOTE: data/integer-set WFS intervals are INCLUSIVE
@@ -101,3 +105,18 @@
 (define (resolve-pattern-pos pattern pp)
   (for/vector ([iset (in-vector pattern)] [pos (in-vector pp)])
     (pos->integer-set-pos iset pos)))
+
+;; utils for pattern ranges [0, pattern-count) mapped to patterns with the above functions
+;; a pattern range is represented by an integer-set, the wfs item boundaries would get converted
+;; into resolved pattern pos, etc
+
+;; takes up to n elements from the pattern range
+;; returns the subrange and pr minus subrange
+(define (pattern-range-take pr n)
+  (cond
+    [(>= n (integer-set-count pr)) (values pr (make-integer-set '()))]
+    [else
+     (match-define (cons _ bound) (pos->integer-set-pos pr (sub1 n)))
+     (define subrange (integer-set-intersect (make-integer-set `((0 . ,bound))) pr))
+     (define new-pr (integer-set-subtract pr subrange))
+     (values subrange new-pr)]))
diff --git a/crossfire/protocol.rkt b/crossfire/protocol.rkt
index bb0a86b..a4ea94e 100644
--- a/crossfire/protocol.rkt
+++ b/crossfire/protocol.rkt
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@
 ;; along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 (require db/base db/sqlite3
-         racket/bool racket/fasl racket/file racket/match racket/runtime-path racket/path
-         racket/set racket/string
+         data/queue racket/bool racket/fasl racket/file racket/match
+         racket/path racket/runtime-path racket/set racket/string
          north/base north/adapter/base north/adapter/sqlite
          "comms.rkt" "not-crypto.rkt"
          ;; port-fsync
@@ -77,14 +77,15 @@
        where node.type = ?")
 (define-stmt q-get-node-resources "select resource from node_resource where nodeid=?")
 (define-stmt q-edit-node "update node set name=? where id=?")
+(define-stmt q-delete-node "delete from node where id=?")
 (define-stmt q-get-node-type "select type from node where id=?")
 (define-stmt q-get-node-info "select name, arch, type, secret from node where id=?")
 
-(define-stmt q-new-task "insert into task (name, manifest, committed) values (?, ?, 0)")
+(define-stmt q-new-task "insert into task (name, manifest) values (?, ?)")
 (define-stmt q-get-task-id-commit "select id, committed from task")
 (define-stmt q-set-task-commit "update task set committed=1 where id=?")
 (define-stmt q-delete-task "delete from task where id=?")
-(define-stmt q-get-tasks "select id, name, manifest from task")
+(define-stmt q-get-tasks "select id, name, manifest, complete from task")
 
 ;; utils
 
@@ -134,7 +135,7 @@
 (define-rpc-type server)
 
 (struct node-info [id name arch type resources online?] #:prefab)
-(struct project-info [id name manifest] #:prefab)
+(struct project-info [id name manifest complete?] #:prefab)
 
 (define (get-nodes type)
   (define type-str (symbol->string type))
@@ -208,7 +209,9 @@
     (for ([res (in-set (set-subtract new-resource existing-resource))])
       (query-exec (current-db) q-add-node-res id res))
     (for ([res (in-set (set-subtract existing-resource new-resource))])
-      (query-exec (current-db) q-del-node-res id res)))))
+      (query-exec (current-db) q-del-node-res id res))))
+  (define comms-node (comms-get-node-info (current-comms) id))
+  (comms-set-node-info (current-comms) (struct-copy node comms-node [name name])))
 
 (define-rpc server (get-agent-deployment id)
   (enforce-subject 'client)
@@ -218,16 +221,25 @@
                              arch (current-server-public-node))]
     [_ (error "invalid id or wrong node type")]))
 
+(define-rpc server (delete-agent id)
+  (enforce-subject 'client)
+  (call-with-transaction (current-db) (lambda ()
+    (enforce-object id 'agent)
+    (query-exec (current-db) q-delete-node id)))
+  (comms-delete-node (current-comms) id))
+
 ;; client rpcs :: projects
 
 (define-rpc server (new-project name manifest tar)
   (enforce-subject 'client)
-  (make-task name manifest tar))
+  (define id (make-task name manifest tar))
+  (void id)
+  id)
 
 (define-rpc server (get-projects)
   (enforce-subject 'client)
-  (for/list ([(id name manifest) (in-query (current-db) q-get-tasks)])
-    (project-info id name (fasl->s-exp manifest))))
+  (for/list ([(id name manifest complete?) (in-query (current-db) q-get-tasks)])
+    (project-info id name (fasl->s-exp manifest) complete?)))
 
 ;; agent rpcs
 
@@ -236,6 +248,51 @@
   (error "TODO"))
 
 
+;; agent handling
+;; distributing subtasks
+
+;; minimum batch of inputs that will be scheduled for a node
+;; the batch size scales to how fast the node completes a batch
+(define MIN-SUBTASK-SIZE 10)
+;; aim to batch every 5 minutes
+(define OPTIMAL-COMPLETION-SECS 300)
+
+(define (agent-handler)
+  ;; unlike comms, messages to agent-handler have no responses. just thread-send, it's one-way
+  (define cust (make-custodian))
+  (define this-thread (current-thread))
+  ;; make an auto cleanup thread :P
+  (thread (lambda () (thread-wait this-thread) (custodian-shutdown-all cust)))
+
+  ;; tasks
+  ;; pending task queue
+  (define task-queue (make-queue))
+  ;; id to manifest
+  (define current-tasks (make-hash))
+
+  ;; agent state
+  (struct state [task-id pattern time-start errors] #:transparent #:mutable)
+  ;; hash of agents and states
+  (define agents (make-hash))
+
+  (define (handle-thd-msg)
+    (match (thread-receive)
+      [(cons 'new-agent (cons id resources)) (error "TODO")]
+      [(cons 'delete-agent id) (error "TODO")]
+      [(cons 'new-task (cons id manifest)) (error "TODO")]
+      [(cons 'cancel-task id) (error "TODO")]
+      [_ (error "unknown agent handler message")]))
+
+  (let loop ()
+    (define thd-evt (thread-receive-evt))
+    (match (sync thd-evt)
+      [(== thd-evt) (handle-thd-msg)])
+    (loop)))
+
+(define (make-agent-handler)
+  (thread agent-handler))
+
+
 ;; command line usage
 (module+ main
   (require racket/cmdline)