Readonly my $MAX_ATTEMPTS => 5;
my ( $i, $dbh );
for ( $i = 1 ; $i < $MAX_ATTEMPTS ; ++$i ) {
    $dbh = DBI->connect( "dbi:SQLite:dbname=$DB", "", "" );
    if ( !$dbh ) {
        warn "problem from $host: " . $DBI::errstr;
        next;
    }
    my $ss = "insert into stats values(?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)";
    my $ts = strftime( "%F@%T", localtime );
    my $rv =
      $dbh->do( $ss, undef, $host, $load, $sf, $tmeming, $mempct,
        @stats{ 'runproc', 'users' },
        $ts, $msg );
    ( $dbh->errstr ) && warn "problem from $host: " . $dbh->errstr;
    if ($rv) {
        last;
    }
    else {
        warn "problem from $host: " . $dbh->errstr;
    }
    sleep(1);
} ## end for ( $i = 1 ; $i < 5 ; ++$i )
if ( $i == $MAX_ATTEMPTS ) {
    warn "$DB failed write test five times from $host";
}
elsif ( $i > 1 ) {
    my $msg = "$ts $host had to try $i time(s) to write to $DB";
    warn $msg;
}
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More current code:

my ( $num_tries, $curr_dbh );
UPD_CURR_DB:
for my $i ( 1 .. $MAX_ATTEMPTS ) {
    $num_tries = $i;
    $curr_dbh = DBI->connect( "dbi:SQLite:dbname=$CURR_DB", "", "" );
    if ( !$curr_dbh ) {
        warn "problem from $stats{host}: " . $DBI::errstr;

        #If it didn't work, take a nap and maybe things will get bette
+r...
        sleep(1);
        next UPD_CURR_DB;
    }

    #Aha!  Now you see why we used this construct to store our stats!
    #format: do(sql statement,attrs hash,bind values)
    my $sql_stmt = "replace into $DB_TABLE $COL_LIST values(?,?,?,?,?,
+?)";
    my $rv = $curr_dbh->do( $sql_stmt, undef,
        @stats{ 'host', 'load', 'free_scratch', 'free_mem', 'swapped_m
+em', 'timestamp',
          } );
    ( $curr_dbh->errstr ) && warn "problem from $stats{host}: " . $cur
+r_dbh->errstr;
    if ($rv) {

        #if this is our first try, get out of the DB
        ($i == 1) && $curr_dbh->disconnect or
        warn "problem from $stats{host} on try # $i: " . $curr_dbh->er
+rstr;
    # and move on, ASAP!
        last UPD_CURR_DB;
    }
    else {
        warn "problem from $stats{host} on try # $i: " . $curr_dbh->er
+rstr;
    }

    #If it didn't work, take a nap and maybe things will get better...
    sleep(1);
} ## end for my $i ( 1 .. 5 )
#print "It took us $num_tries tries to write to $CURR_DB.";

if ( $num_tries == $MAX_ATTEMPTS ) {
    warn "$CURR_DB failed write test $MAX_ATTEMPTS times from $stats{h
+ost}";
}

elsif ( $num_tries > 1 ) {
    my $sql_stmt  = "update $DB_TABLE set Message=? where Host=?";
    my $msg = "Took $num_tries tries to update DB";
    my $rv  = $dbh->do( $sql_stmt, undef, $stats{host},$msg);
    if ( !$rv ) {
        warn "problem from $stats{host}: " . $dbh->errstr;
        my $rv2 = open( F, ">>/fst/prod1/lib/peak/peakstats.log" );
        my $ofh;
        if ($rv2) {
            $ofh = select F;
        }
        else {
            warn "can't open log file from $stats{host} to append: $!"
+;
        }
        print "$msg; this fact could not be recorded in 'retries' tabl
+e: " . $dbh->errstr;
        if ($rv2) {
            select $ofh;
            close(F);
        }
    } ## end if ( !$rv )
} ## end elsif ( $i > 1 )  [ if ( $i == 5 )
($dbh) && $dbh->disconnect;
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