+// --------- route manager communications -----------------
+static void send_rt_ack( uta_ctx_t* ctx, rmr_mbuf_t* mbuf, char* table_id, int state, char* reason );
+static int send_update_req( uta_ctx_t* pctx, uta_ctx_t* ctx );
+
+// -------- internal functions that can be referenced by common functions -------
+static rmr_mbuf_t* mt_call( void* vctx, rmr_mbuf_t* mbuf, int call_id, int max_wait, endpoint_t* ep );
+
+