--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2008/09/01 17:58:30	1.966
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2008/09/29 22:49:05	1.969
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # TCP networking package
 #
-# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.966 2008/09/01 17:58:30 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.969 2008/09/29 22:49:05 raeburn Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ use LWP::UserAgent();
 use HTTP::Date;
 # use Date::Parse;
 use vars qw(%perlvar %spareid %pr %prp $memcache %packagetab $tmpdir
-            $_64bit %env);
+            $_64bit %env %protocol);
 
 my (%badServerCache, $memcache, %courselogs, %accesshash, %domainrolehash,
     %userrolehash, $processmarker, $dumpcount, %coursedombuf,
@@ -643,7 +643,11 @@ sub spareserver {
     }
 
     if (!$want_server_name) {
-	$spare_server="http://".&hostname($spare_server);
+        my $protocol = 'http';
+        if ($protocol{$spare_server} eq 'https') {
+            $protocol = $protocol{$spare_server};
+        }
+	$spare_server = $protocol.'://'.&hostname($spare_server);
     }
     return $spare_server;
 }
@@ -8536,13 +8540,22 @@ sub get_dns {
 	    next if ($configline =~ /^(\#|\s*$ )/x);
 	    next if ($configline =~ /^\^/);
 	    chomp($configline);
-	    my ($id,$domain,$role,$name)=split(/:/,$configline);
+	    my ($id,$domain,$role,$name,$protocol)=split(/:/,$configline);
 	    $name=~s/\s//g;
 	    if ($id && $domain && $role && $name) {
 		$hostname{$id}=$name;
 		push(@{$name_to_host{$name}}, $id);
 		$hostdom{$id}=$domain;
 		if ($role eq 'library') { $libserv{$id}=$name; }
+                if (defined($protocol)) {
+                    if ($protocol eq 'https') {
+                        $protocol{$id} = $protocol;
+                    } else {
+                        $protocol{$id} = 'http'; 
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    $protocol{$id} = 'http';
+                }
 	    }
 	}
     }
@@ -8985,7 +8998,7 @@ when the connection is brought back up
 =item * B<con_failed>: unable to contact remote host and unable to save message
 for later delivery
 
-=item * B<error:>: an error a occured, a description of the error follows the :
+=item * B<error:>: an error a occurred, a description of the error follows the :
 
 =item * B<no_such_host>: unable to fund a host associated with the user/domain
 that was requested
@@ -9565,7 +9578,7 @@ Returns:
  'key_exists: <key>' -> failed to anything out of $storehash, as at
                         least <key> already existed in the db (other
                         requested keys may also already exist)
- 'error: <msg>' -> unable to tie the DB or other erorr occured
+ 'error: <msg>' -> unable to tie the DB or other error occurred
  'con_lost' -> unable to contact request server
  'refused' -> action was not allowed by remote machine