diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5c29422..1f0579c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,3 +5,5 @@
 .nyc_output
 coverage
 .idea
+package-lock.json
+
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 7663336..d08e937 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # To build use: docker build -t xosproject/xos-ws .
 # To run use: docker run -p 3000:3000 -d xosproject/xos-ws
 
-FROM node:7.9.0
+FROM node:10-alpine
 
 # Set environment variables
 ENV CODE_SOURCE .
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 # Create app directory
 WORKDIR ${CODE_DEST}
 
+# install librdkafka
+RUN apk --no-cache add -U python make bash g++
+
 # Copy over app dependencies and source files
 COPY ${CODE_SOURCE}/package.json ${CODE_DEST}/
 COPY ${CODE_SOURCE}/src/ ${CODE_DEST}/src/
@@ -39,4 +42,3 @@
       org.opencord.vcs-commit-date=$org_opencord_vcs_commit_date
 
 CMD [ "npm", "start" ]
-
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 1e67777..51d0b29 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,31 +1,37 @@
 {
   "name": "xos_nb_rest",
-  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "version": "2.0.0-dev0",
   "description": "Northbound REST and WebSocket interfaces for XOS",
   "main": "src/server.js",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "node src/server.js",
     "test": "LOG_LEVEL=error nyc --reporter=html mocha spec/**/*.spec.js",
     "test:dev": "mocha -w spec/**/*.spec.js",
-    "lint": "eslint ."
+    "lint": "eslint spec src"
   },
   "author": "Open Networking Foundation",
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "git://gerrit.opencord.org/xos-rest-gw.git"
+  },
   "dependencies": {
     "body-parser": "^1.15.2",
     "cors": "^2.8.1",
     "express": "^4.14.0",
     "lodash": "^4.17.2",
+    "node-rdkafka": "^2.4.1",
     "node-yaml-config": "0.0.4",
     "redis": "^2.6.3",
     "socket.io": "^1.7.1",
     "superagent": "^3.1.0",
+    "test": "^0.6.0",
     "winston": "^2.3.0",
     "yargs": "^6.4.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "chai": "^3.5.0",
-    "eslint": "^3.11.1",
+    "eslint": "^3.19.0",
     "eslint-plugin-import": "^2.2.0",
     "fakeredis": "^1.0.3",
     "mocha": "^3.2.0",
diff --git a/spec/kafka.spec.js b/spec/kafka.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..17df04e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/kafka.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2017-present Open Networking Foundation
+
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+(function () {
+  'use strict';
+
+  const chai = require('chai');
+  const expect = chai.expect;
+  const sinon = require('sinon');
+  const sinonChai = require('sinon-chai');
+  const mockery = require('mockery');
+  chai.use(sinonChai);
+
+  const socketSpy = sinon.spy();
+
+  const mockSocket = {
+    get: () => {
+      return {
+        emit: socketSpy
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
+  const trigger = {}
+
+  const mockStream = {
+    on: (event, cb) => {
+      trigger[event] = cb
+    },
+    consumer: {
+      on: sinon.spy()
+    }
+  }
+
+  const fakekafka = {
+    KafkaConsumer: {
+      createReadStream: () => mockStream
+    }
+  }
+
+  const channelName = 'Site';
+  const msgTopic = 'xos.gui_events';
+
+  describe('The event system', () => {
+
+    before((done) => {
+
+      // Enable mockery to mock objects
+      mockery.enable({
+          warnOnReplace: false,
+          warnOnUnregistered: false
+      });
+
+      // Override the node-rdkafka module with our fakekafka instance
+      mockery.registerMock('node-rdkafka', fakekafka);
+
+      // mock the socketIo client to have a spy
+      mockery.registerMock('./websocket.js', mockSocket);
+
+      require('../src/controllers/kafka.js');
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        done();
+      }, 1000);
+    });
+
+    after(() => {
+      mockery.disable();
+    });
+
+    // run after each test
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      socketSpy.reset();
+    });
+
+    it('should send a websocket event when text Kafka event is received', (done) => {
+      trigger.data({topic:msgTopic,
+                    key:channelName,
+                    timestamp:1234,
+                    value:'I am sending a message.',
+                    });
+
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        expect(socketSpy).to.have.been.called;
+        expect(socketSpy).to.have.been.calledWith('update', {
+          model: channelName,
+          msg: 'I am sending a message.'
+        });
+        done();
+      }, 500)
+    });
+
+    it('should send a websocket event when JSON Kafka event is received', (done) => {
+      trigger.data({topic:msgTopic,
+                    key:channelName,
+                    timestamp:2345,
+                    value:JSON.stringify({msg: 'JSON Message'}),
+                    });
+
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        expect(socketSpy).to.have.been.called;
+        expect(socketSpy).to.have.been.calledWith('update', {
+          model: channelName,
+          msg: {msg: 'JSON Message'}
+        });
+        done();
+      }, 1000)
+    });
+
+    it('should send a websocket event with msg: Deleted when JSON object has deleted:true', (done) => {
+      trigger.data({topic:msgTopic,
+                    key:channelName,
+                    timestamp:3456,
+                    value:JSON.stringify({msg: 'Deleted', deleted: true}),
+                    });
+
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        expect(socketSpy).to.have.been.called;
+        expect(socketSpy).to.have.been.calledWith('remove', {
+          model: channelName,
+          msg: {
+            msg: 'Deleted',
+            deleted: true
+          },
+          deleted: true
+        });
+
+        done();
+      }, 1000)
+    });
+
+    it('should not send a websocket event if the Kafka key is Diag', (done) => {
+      trigger.data({topic:msgTopic,
+                    key:'Diag',
+                    timestamp:4567,
+                    value:JSON.stringify({msg: 'Diag Message'}),
+                    });
+
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        expect(socketSpy).not.to.have.been.called;
+        done();
+      }, 1000)
+    });
+
+  });
+})();
diff --git a/spec/redis.spec.js b/spec/redis.spec.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 05ddadc..0000000
--- a/spec/redis.spec.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,146 +0,0 @@
-
-/*
- * Copyright 2017-present Open Networking Foundation
-
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
- * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- */
-
-
-(function () {
-  'use strict';
-  
-  const chai = require('chai');
-  const expect = chai.expect;
-  const sinon = require('sinon');
-  const sinonChai = require('sinon-chai');
-  const mockery = require('mockery');
-  chai.use(sinonChai);
-  const fakeredis = require('fakeredis');
-
-  const client = fakeredis.createClient('test-client');
-  const publisher = fakeredis.createClient('test-client');
-
-  const socketSpy = sinon.spy();
-  const mockSocket = {
-    get: () => {
-      return {
-        emit: socketSpy
-      }
-    }
-  };
-
-  const mockRequest = {
-    get: () => {
-      return {
-        end: (fn) => {
-          fn(null, {body: [
-            {name: 'Slice'},
-            {name: 'Site'}
-          ]});
-        }
-      }
-    }
-  }
-  const channelName = 'Site';
-
-  describe('The event system', () => {
-
-    before((done) => {
-
-      // Enable mockery to mock objects
-      mockery.enable({
-          warnOnReplace: false,
-          warnOnUnregistered: false
-      });
-
-      // Stub the createClient method to *always* return the client created above
-      sinon.stub(fakeredis, 'createClient', () => client);
-
-      // Override the redis module with our fakeredis instance
-      mockery.registerMock('redis', fakeredis);
-
-      // Override the superagent module with our mockRequest instance
-      mockery.registerMock('superagent', mockRequest);
-
-      // mock the socketIo client to have a spy
-      mockery.registerMock('./websocket.js', mockSocket);
-
-      require('../src/controllers/redis.js');
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        done();
-      }, 1000);
-    });
-
-    after(() => {
-      mockery.disable();
-      fakeredis.createClient.restore();
-    });
-
-    // run after each test
-    beforeEach(() => {
-      client.unsubscribe(channelName);
-      client.subscribe(channelName);
-      publisher.flushdb();
-      socketSpy.reset();
-    });
-
-    it('should send a websocket event when it receive a redis event that is not JSON', (done) => {
-      publisher.publish(channelName, 'I am sending a message.');
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        expect(socketSpy).to.have.been.called;
-        expect(socketSpy).to.have.been.calledWith('update', {
-          model: channelName,
-          msg: 'I am sending a message.'
-        });
-        done();
-      }, 500)
-    });
-
-    it('should send a websocket event when it receive a redis event that is JSON', (done) => {
-      publisher.publish(channelName, JSON.stringify({msg: 'Json Message'}));
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        expect(socketSpy).to.have.been.called;
-        expect(socketSpy).to.have.been.calledWith('update', {
-          model: channelName,
-          msg: {msg: 'Json Message'}
-        });
-        done();
-      }, 1000)
-    });
-
-    it('should send a websocket event when an object has been removed', (done) => {
-      publisher.publish(channelName, JSON.stringify({msg: 'Deleted', deleted: true}));
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        expect(socketSpy).to.have.been.called;
-        expect(socketSpy).to.have.been.calledWith('remove', {
-          model: channelName,
-          msg: {
-            msg: 'Deleted',
-            deleted: true
-          },
-          deleted: true
-        });
-
-        done();
-      }, 1000)
-    });
-
-  it('should not send a websocket event if the channel is Diag', (done) => {
-    publisher.publish('Diag', JSON.stringify({msg: 'Json Message'}));
-    setTimeout(() => {
-      expect(socketSpy).not.to.have.been.called;
-      done();
-    }, 1000)
-    });
-  });
-})();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/config/config.js b/src/config/config.js
index 7ce4c0c..b533ddb 100644
--- a/src/config/config.js
+++ b/src/config/config.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 /*
  * Copyright 2017-present Open Networking Foundation
 
@@ -15,11 +14,10 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-
 (function () {
   'use strict';
-  
-  // NOTE do we still need CLI args? 
+
+  // NOTE do we still need CLI args?
   // Won't be better to use NODE_ENV and the native node-yaml-config feature
 
   const argv = require('yargs').argv;
@@ -40,12 +38,10 @@
   }
 
   module.exports = {
-    redis: {
-      host: (config && config.redis) ? config.redis.host : 'redis',
-      port: (config && config.redis) ? config.redis.port : 6379
-    },
     gateway: {
       port: (config && config.gateway) ? config.gateway.port : 3000
-    }
+    },
+    kafka_bootstrap_servers: ( config && config.kafka_bootstrap_servers ) ?
+      config.kafka_bootstrap_servers : ['cord-kafka:9092']
   };
-})();
\ No newline at end of file
+})();
diff --git a/src/controllers/kafka.js b/src/controllers/kafka.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f754a65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/controllers/kafka.js
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2018-present Open Networking Foundation
+
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+(function () {
+  'use strict';
+
+  const socketIo = require('./websocket.js');
+  const config = require('../config/config.js');
+  const logger = require('../config/logger.js');
+  const socket = socketIo.get();
+
+  // docs: https://github.com/Blizzard/node-rdkafka
+  var kafka = require('node-rdkafka');
+
+  logger.log('debug',`Using librdkafka version: ${kafka.librdkafkaVersion}, kafka features: '${kafka.features}'`);
+  logger.log('debug',`Connecting to broker: ${config.kafka_bootstrap_servers}`);
+
+  var stream = kafka.KafkaConsumer.createReadStream({
+    'metadata.broker.list': config.kafka_bootstrap_servers,
+    'group.id': 'xos-ws',
+    'socket.keepalive.enable': true,
+    'enable.auto.commit': false
+  }, {}, {
+    topics: ['xos.gui_events'],
+  });
+
+  stream.on('ready', function () {
+    logger.log('info', 'Kafka connected');
+  });
+
+  stream.on('error', function (err) {
+    logger.log('error', err);
+  });
+
+  stream.consumer.on('event.error', function (err) {
+    logger.log('error', err);
+  });
+
+  stream.on('data', function (msg) {
+    logger.log('debug', `Topic: ${msg.topic}, Key: ${msg.key}, Timestamp: ${msg.timestamp}`);
+
+    // strip diag messages
+    // NOTE: have to coerce to string (due to FFI?)
+    if (msg.key.toString() === 'Diag') {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    let msgobj;
+
+    try {
+      // TODO find the user that needs to be notified for msg.object update
+      msgobj = JSON.parse(msg.value)
+    }
+
+    catch(e) {
+      // stringify the event if it is not JSON
+      msgobj = msg.value.toString()
+    }
+
+    if (msgobj.deleted) {
+      logger.log('info', 'Remove on: ' + msg.key + ': ' + msg.value);
+      socket.emit('remove', {model: msg.key.toString(), msg: msgobj, deleted: true});
+    }
+    else {
+      logger.log('info', 'Update on: ' + msg.key + ': ' + msg.value);
+      socket.emit('update', {model: msg.key.toString(), msg: msgobj});
+    }
+
+  });
+
+})();
diff --git a/src/controllers/redis.js b/src/controllers/redis.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 7e86000..0000000
--- a/src/controllers/redis.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,77 +0,0 @@
-
-/*
- * Copyright 2017-present Open Networking Foundation
-
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
- * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- */
-
-
-(function () {
-  'use strict';
-  
-  const socketIo = require('./websocket.js');
-  const config = require('../config/config.js');
-  const logger = require('../config/logger.js');
-  const request = require('superagent');
-  const socket = socketIo.get();
-  const _ = require('lodash');
-
-  var redis = require('redis');
-  
-  var client = redis.createClient({
-    host: config.redis.host,
-    port: config.redis.port
-  });
-
-  client.on('error', function (err) {
-    logger.log('error', err);
-  });
-
-  client.on('ready', function () {
-    logger.log('info', 'Redis connected');
-  });
-
-  client.on('subscribe', function (channel) {
-    logger.log('debug', `Subscribed to channel: ${channel}`);
-  });
-
-  client.on('pmessage', function (pattern, channel, message) {
-    if (channel === 'Diag') {
-      return;
-    }
-
-
-    let msg;
-    try {
-      msg = JSON.parse(message);
-      // TODO find the user that needs to be notified for msg.object update
-    }
-    catch(e) {
-      // send the event also if it is not JSON
-      msg = message;
-    }
-
-    if (msg.deleted) {
-      logger.log('warn', 'Remove on: ' + channel + ': ' + message);
-      socket.emit('remove', {model: channel, msg: msg, deleted: true});
-    }
-    else {
-      logger.log('warn', 'Update on: ' + channel + ': ' + message);
-      socket.emit('update', {model: channel, msg: msg});
-    }
-  });
-
-  // subscribe to all channels
-  client.psubscribe('*');
-
-})();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/controllers/websocket.js b/src/controllers/websocket.js
index 30a7885..e04e13a 100644
--- a/src/controllers/websocket.js
+++ b/src/controllers/websocket.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 /*
  * Copyright 2017-present Open Networking Foundation
 
@@ -15,7 +14,6 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-
 (function () {
   'use strict';
 
@@ -54,4 +52,4 @@
   // const socket = socketIo.get();
   // socket.emit('eventName', data);
 
-})(); 
\ No newline at end of file
+})();
diff --git a/src/server.js b/src/server.js
index 0cebf74..54fc65f 100644
--- a/src/server.js
+++ b/src/server.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 (function () {
   'use strict';
-  
+
   const express = require('express');
   const app = express();
   const config = require('./config/config.js').gateway;
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@
       // once server is ready setup WebSocket
       socketIo.create(server);
 
-      // start redis
-      require('./controllers/redis.js');
+      // start kafka
+      require('./controllers/kafka.js');
     });
     app.server = server;
     return server;
@@ -70,4 +70,4 @@
     start: startServer,
     stop: stopServer
   };
-})();
\ No newline at end of file
+})();