diff --git a/cmd/gotelem/cli/server.go b/cmd/gotelem/cli/server.go
index de2cd1e..4cafb1d 100644
--- a/cmd/gotelem/cli/server.go
+++ b/cmd/gotelem/cli/server.go
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ var serveThings = []service{
 	&xBeeService{},
 	&canLoggerService{},
 	&rpcService{},
+	&dbLoggingService{},
 	&httpService{},
 }
 
@@ -96,6 +97,7 @@ func serve(cCtx *cli.Context) error {
 	if cCtx.IsSet("db") {
 		dbPath = cCtx.Path("db")
 	}
+	logger.Info("opening database", "path", dbPath)
 	db, err := db.OpenTelemDb(dbPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -310,3 +312,33 @@ func (h *httpService) Start(cCtx *cli.Context, deps svcDeps) (err error) {
 	http.ListenAndServe(":8080", r)
 	return
 }
+
+// dbLoggingService listens to the CAN packet broker and saves packets to the database.
+type dbLoggingService struct {
+}
+
+func (d *dbLoggingService) Status() {
+
+}
+
+func (d *dbLoggingService) String() string {
+	return "db logger"
+}
+
+func (d *dbLoggingService) Start(cCtx *cli.Context, deps svcDeps) (err error) {
+
+	// put CAN packets from the broker into the database.
+	tdb := deps.Db
+	rxCh, err := deps.Broker.Subscribe("dbRecorder")
+	defer deps.Broker.Unsubscribe("dbRecorder")
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case msg := <-rxCh:
+			deps.Logger.Info("boop", "msg", msg)
+			tdb.AddEventsCtx(cCtx.Context, msg)
+		case <-cCtx.Done():
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/http.go b/http.go
index 281b13c..55e036f 100644
--- a/http.go
+++ b/http.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kschamplin/gotelem/skylab"
 	"golang.org/x/exp/slog"
 	"nhooyr.io/websocket"
+	"nhooyr.io/websocket/wsjson"
 )
 
 type slogHttpLogger struct {
@@ -75,7 +76,6 @@ func apiV1(broker *Broker, db *db.TelemDb) chi.Router {
 			}
 			// we have a list of packets now. let's commit them.
 			db.AddEvents(pkgs...)
-			return
 		})
 		r.Get("/", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			// this should use http query params o return a list of packets.
@@ -141,15 +141,14 @@ func apiV1PacketSubscribe(broker *Broker, db *db.TelemDb) http.HandlerFunc {
 			case msgIn := <-sub:
 				if len(sess.idFilter) == 0 {
 					// send it.
-					goto escapeFilter
+					wsjson.Write(r.Context(), c, msgIn)
 				}
 				for _, id := range sess.idFilter {
 					if id == msgIn.Id {
 						// send it
+						break
 					}
 				}
-			escapeFilter:
-				return
 
 			}
 
diff --git a/internal/db/db.go b/internal/db/db.go
index 3c4e1bb..a6b39de 100644
--- a/internal/db/db.go
+++ b/internal/db/db.go
@@ -5,8 +5,11 @@ package db
 import (
 	"context"
 	"database/sql"
+	"embed"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/fs"
+	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -22,6 +25,51 @@ func init() {
 	})
 }
 
+// embed the migrations into applications so they can update databases.
+
+//go:embed migrations
+var migrations embed.FS
+
+var migrationRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`^([0-9]+)_(.*)_(down|up)\.sql$`)
+
+type Migration struct {
+	Name     string
+	Version  uint
+	FileName string
+}
+
+// GetMigrations returns a list of migrations, which are correctly index. zero is nil.
+
+// use len to get the highest number migration.
+func RunMigrations(currentVer int) (finalVer int) {
+
+	res := make(map[int]map[string]Migration) // version number -> direction -> migration.
+
+	fs.WalkDir(migrations, ".", func(path string, d fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
+
+		if d.IsDir() {
+			return nil
+		}
+		m := migrationRegex.FindStringSubmatch(d.Name())
+		if len(m) != 5 {
+			panic("error parsing migration name")
+		}
+		migrationVer, _ := strconv.ParseInt(m[1], 10, 64)
+
+		mig := Migration{
+			Name:     m[2],
+			Version:  uint(migrationVer),
+			FileName: d.Name(),
+		}
+
+		res[int(migrationVer)][m]
+
+		return nil
+	})
+
+	return res
+}
+
 type TelemDb struct {
 	db *sqlx.DB
 }
@@ -46,6 +94,15 @@ func OpenTelemDb(path string, options ...TelemDbOption) (tdb *TelemDb, err error
 	// execute database up statement (better hope it is idempotent!)
 	// FIXME: only do this when it's a new database (instead warn the user about potential version mismatches)
 	// TODO: store gotelem version (commit hash?) in DB (PRAGMA user_version)
+
+	var version int
+	err = tdb.db.Get(&version, "PRAGMA user_version")
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	// get latest version of migrations - then run the SQL in order.
+
 	_, err = tdb.db.Exec(sqlDbUp)
 
 	return tdb, err
@@ -78,6 +135,8 @@ CREATE TABLE "drive_records" (
 	PRIMARY KEY("id" AUTOINCREMENT),
 	CONSTRAINT "duration_valid" CHECK(end_time is null or start_time < end_time)
 );
+ 
+
 
 -- gps logs TODO: use GEOJSON/Spatialite tracks instead?
 CREATE TABLE "position_logs" (
@@ -106,7 +165,7 @@ DROP TABLE "position_logs";
 
 // sql expression to insert a bus event into the packets database.1
 const sqlInsertEvent = `
-INSERT INTO "bus_events" (time, can_id, name, packet) VALUES ($1, $2, $3, json($4));
+INSERT INTO "bus_events" (ts, id, name, data) VALUES ($1, $2, $3, json($4));
 `
 
 // AddEvent adds the bus event to the database.
@@ -126,7 +185,13 @@ func (tdb *TelemDb) AddEventsCtx(ctx context.Context, events ...skylab.BusEvent)
 			tx.Rollback()
 			return
 		}
-		tx.ExecContext(ctx, sqlInsertEvent, b.Timestamp.UnixMilli(), b.Id, b.Data.String(), j)
+		_, err = tx.ExecContext(ctx, sqlInsertEvent, b.Timestamp.UnixMilli(), b.Id, b.Data.String(), j)
+
+		if err != nil {
+			tx.Rollback()
+			return
+		}
+
 	}
 	tx.Commit()
 	return
@@ -200,8 +265,6 @@ func (q QueryOr) Query() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("(%s)", strings.Join(qStrings, " OR "))
 }
 
-const eventQueryFmtString = `SELECT * FROM "bus_events" WHERE %s LIMIT %d`
-
 // GetEvents is the mechanism to request underlying event data.
 // it takes functions (which are defined in db.go) that modify the query,
 // and then return the results.
@@ -212,7 +275,7 @@ func (tdb *TelemDb) GetEvents(limit int, where ...QueryFrag) (events []skylab.Bu
 	for _, f := range where {
 		fragStr = append(fragStr, f.Query())
 	}
-	qString := fmt.Sprintf("SELECT * FROM \"bus_events\" WHERE %s LIMIT %d", strings.Join(fragStr, " AND "), limit)
+	qString := fmt.Sprintf(`SELECT * FROM "bus_events" WHERE %s LIMIT %d`, strings.Join(fragStr, " AND "), limit)
 	rows, err := tdb.db.Queryx(qString)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
@@ -247,3 +310,21 @@ func (tdb *TelemDb) GetEvents(limit int, where ...QueryFrag) (events []skylab.Bu
 
 	return
 }
+
+// GetActiveDrive finds the non-null drive and returns it, if any.
+func (tdb *TelemDb) GetActiveDrive() (res int, err error) {
+	err = tdb.db.Get(&res, "SELECT id FROM drive_records WHERE end_time IS NULL LIMIT 1")
+	return
+}
+
+func (tdb *TelemDb) NewDrive(start time.Time, note string) {
+
+}
+
+func (tdb *TelemDb) EndDrive() {
+
+}
+
+func (tdb *TelemDb) UpdateDrive(id int, note string) {
+
+}
diff --git a/internal/db/migrations/1_initial_down.sql b/internal/db/migrations/1_initial_down.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..577cc25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/db/migrations/1_initial_down.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+DROP TABLE "bus_events";
+DROP INDEX "ids_timestamped";
+DROP INDEX "times";
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/internal/db/migrations/1_initial_up.sql b/internal/db/migrations/1_initial_up.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f699ab2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/db/migrations/1_initial_up.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+CREATE TABLE "bus_events" (
+	"ts"	INTEGER NOT NULL, -- timestamp, unix milliseconds
+	"id"	INTEGER NOT NULL, -- can ID
+	"name"	TEXT NOT NULL, -- name of base packet
+	"data"	TEXT NOT NULL CHECK(json_valid(data)) -- JSON object describing the data, including index if any
+);
+
+CREATE INDEX "ids_timestamped" ON "bus_events" (
+	"id",
+	"ts"	DESC
+);
+
+CREATE INDEX "times" ON "bus_events" (
+	"ts" DESC
+);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/internal/db/migrations/2_addl_tables_down.sql b/internal/db/migrations/2_addl_tables_down.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37f1d85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/db/migrations/2_addl_tables_down.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+DROP TABLE "drive_records";
+DROP TABLE "position_logs";
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/internal/db/migrations/2_addl_tables_up.sql b/internal/db/migrations/2_addl_tables_up.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0169b71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/db/migrations/2_addl_tables_up.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+-- this table shows when we started/stopped logging.
+CREATE TABLE "drive_records" (
+	"id"	INTEGER NOT NULL UNIQUE, -- unique ID of the drive.
+	"start_time"	INTEGER NOT NULL, -- when the drive started
+	"end_time"	INTEGER, -- when it ended, or NULL if it's ongoing.
+	"note"	TEXT, -- optional description of the segment/experiment/drive
+	PRIMARY KEY("id" AUTOINCREMENT),
+	CONSTRAINT "duration_valid" CHECK(end_time is null or start_time < end_time)
+);
+
+CREATE TABLE "position_logs" (
+	"ts"	INTEGER NOT NULL,
+	"source"	TEXT NOT NULL,
+	"lat"	REAL NOT NULL,
+	"lon"	REAL NOT NULL,
+	"elevation"	REAL,
+	CONSTRAINT "no_empty_source" CHECK(source is not "")
+);
\ No newline at end of file