diff --git a/cluster/controller.go b/cluster/controller.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f8f0a777
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cluster/controller.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package cluster
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+
+	"github.com/travisjeffery/jocko/store"
+)
+
+type Controller struct {
+	store *store.Store
+}
+
+func (c *Controller) CreateTopic(topic string) error {
+	for _, t := range c.store.Topics() {
+		if t == topic {
+			return errors.New("topic exists already")
+		}
+	}
+
+	numPartitions, err := c.store.NumPartitions()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	brokers, err := c.store.Brokers()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	for i := 0; i < numPartitions; i++ {
+		broker := brokers[len(brokers)%i]
+		partition := store.TopicPartition{
+			Topic:           topic,
+			Leader:          broker,
+			PreferredLeader: broker,
+			Replicas:        []string{broker},
+		}
+		if err := c.store.AddPartition(partition); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 1133a190..1585ff99 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -26,16 +26,16 @@ type MetadataRequest struct {
 }
 
 type Broker struct {
-	ID   int    `json:"id"`
+	ID   string `json:"id"`
 	Host string `json:"host"`
 	Port int    `json:"port"`
 }
 
 type PartitionMetadata struct {
-	ErrorCode int   `json:"error_code"`
-	ID        int   `json:"id"`
-	Leader    int   `json:"leader"`
-	Replicas  []int `json:"replicas"`
+	ErrorCode int      `json:"error_code"`
+	ID        string   `json:"id"`
+	Leader    string   `json:"leader"`
+	Replicas  []string `json:"replicas"`
 }
 
 type TopicMetadata struct {
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ type TopicMetadata struct {
 
 type MetadataResponse struct {
 	Brokers       []Broker        `json:"brokers"`
-	ControllerID  int             `json:"controller_id"`
+	ControllerID  string          `json:"controller_id"`
 	TopicMetadata []TopicMetadata `json:"topic_metadata"`
 }
 
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ func (s *Server) handleMetadata(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
 		return
 	}
+
 }
 
 // Addr returns the address on which the Server is listening
diff --git a/store/store.go b/store/store.go
index ad149a48..de97cd8d 100644
--- a/store/store.go
+++ b/store/store.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package store
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net"
@@ -9,38 +10,74 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
-	msgpack "gopkg.in/vmihailenco/msgpack.v2"
-
 	"github.com/hashicorp/raft"
 	raftboltdb "github.com/hashicorp/raft-boltdb"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 const (
-	timeout = 10 * time.Second
+	timeout   = 10 * time.Second
+	waitDelay = 100 * time.Millisecond
+)
+
+const (
+	addPartition CmdType = iota
 )
 
+type CmdType int
+
 type command struct {
-	Op    []byte `msgpack:"op"`
-	Key   []byte `msgpack:"key"`
-	Value []byte `msgpack:"value"`
+	Cmd  CmdType          `json:"type"`
+	Data *json.RawMessage `json:"data"`
+}
+
+func newCommand(cmd CmdType, data interface{}) (c command, err error) {
+	var b []byte
+	b, err = json.Marshal(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return c, err
+	}
+	r := json.RawMessage(b)
+	return command{
+		Cmd:  cmd,
+		Data: &r,
+	}, nil
+}
+
+type TopicPartition struct {
+	Topic     string `json:"topic"`
+	Partition int    `json:"partition"`
+
+	// broker ids
+	Replicas        []string `json:"replicas"`
+	Leader          string   `json:"leader"`
+	PreferredLeader string   `json:"preferred_leader"`
+}
+
+type Options struct {
+	dataDir       string
+	bindAddr      string
+	numPartitions int
+	transport     raft.Transport
 }
 
 type Store struct {
-	dataDir  string
-	bindAddr string
+	Options
 
 	mu sync.Mutex
 
+	partitions []*TopicPartition
+	topics     []string
+
 	peerStore raft.PeerStore
+	transport raft.Transport
 	raft      *raft.Raft
 	store     *raftboltdb.BoltStore
 }
 
-func New(dataDir, bindAddr string) *Store {
+func New(options Options) *Store {
 	return &Store{
-		dataDir:  dataDir,
-		bindAddr: bindAddr,
+		Options: options,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -54,12 +91,14 @@ func (s *Store) Open() error {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "resolve bind addr failed")
 	}
 
-	transport, err := raft.NewTCPTransport(s.bindAddr, addr, 3, timeout, os.Stderr)
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "tcp transport failede")
+	if s.transport == nil {
+		s.transport, err = raft.NewTCPTransport(s.bindAddr, addr, 3, timeout, os.Stderr)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "tcp transport failede")
+		}
 	}
 
-	s.peerStore = raft.NewJSONPeers(s.dataDir, transport)
+	s.peerStore = raft.NewJSONPeers(s.dataDir, s.transport)
 
 	snapshots, err := raft.NewFileSnapshotStore(s.dataDir, 2, os.Stderr)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -72,49 +111,110 @@ func (s *Store) Open() error {
 	}
 	s.store = boltStore
 
-	raft, err := raft.NewRaft(conf, s, boltStore, boltStore, snapshots, s.peerStore, transport)
+	raft, err := raft.NewRaft(conf, s, boltStore, boltStore, snapshots, s.peerStore, s.transport)
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "raft failed")
 	}
-
 	s.raft = raft
 
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (s *Store) Get(key []byte) ([]byte, error) {
-	// add cache
-	return s.store.Get(key)
+func (s *Store) Close() error {
+	return s.raft.Shutdown().Error()
+}
+
+func (s *Store) IsController() bool {
+	return s.raft.State() == raft.Leader
+}
+
+func (s *Store) ControllerID() string {
+	return s.raft.Leader()
+}
+
+func (s *Store) BrokerID() string {
+	return s.transport.LocalAddr()
+}
+
+func (s *Store) Brokers() ([]string, error) {
+	return s.peerStore.Peers()
+}
+
+func (s *Store) Partitions() ([]*TopicPartition, error) {
+	return s.partitions, nil
+}
+
+func (s *Store) NumPartitions() (int, error) {
+	// TODO: need to get to get from store
+	return s.numPartitions, nil
 }
 
-func (s *Store) Set(key, value []byte) error {
-	c := &command{
-		Op:    []byte("set"),
-		Key:   key,
-		Value: value,
+func (s *Store) AddPartition(partition TopicPartition) error {
+	return s.apply(addPartition, partition)
+}
+
+func (s *Store) apply(cmdType CmdType, data interface{}) error {
+	c, err := newCommand(cmdType, data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
-	b, err := msgpack.Marshal(c)
+	b, err := json.Marshal(c)
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "msgpack failed")
+		return err
 	}
 	f := s.raft.Apply(b, timeout)
 	return f.Error()
 }
 
-func (s *Store) Delete(key []byte) error {
-	return nil
+func (s *Store) addPartition(partition TopicPartition) {
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+	s.partitions = append(s.partitions, &partition)
 }
 
-func (s *Store) Join(addr []byte) error {
-	f := s.raft.AddPeer(string(addr))
+func (s *Store) IsLeaderOfPartition(partition TopicPartition) bool {
+	// TODO: switch this to a map for perf
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+	for _, p := range s.partitions {
+		if p.Topic == partition.Topic && p.Partition == partition.Partition {
+			if partition.Leader == s.BrokerID() {
+				return true
+			}
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func (s *Store) Topics() []string {
+	return s.topics
+}
+
+func (s *Store) Join(addr string) error {
+	f := s.raft.AddPeer(addr)
 	return f.Error()
 }
 
 func (s *Store) Apply(l *raft.Log) interface{} {
-	return nil
-}
+	var c command
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(l.Data, &c); err != nil {
+		panic(errors.Wrap(err, "json unmarshal failed"))
+	}
+
+	switch c.Cmd {
+	case addPartition:
+		var p TopicPartition
+		b, err := c.Data.MarshalJSON()
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(errors.Wrap(err, "json unmarshal failed"))
+		}
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(b, &p); err != nil {
+			panic(errors.Wrap(err, "json unmarshal failed"))
+		}
+		s.addPartition(p)
+	}
 
-func (s *Store) applySet(k, v []byte) interface{} {
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -134,3 +234,41 @@ func (f *FSMSnapshot) Release() {}
 func (s *Store) Snapshot() (raft.FSMSnapshot, error) {
 	return &FSMSnapshot{}, nil
 }
+
+func (s *Store) WaitForLeader(timeout time.Duration) (string, error) {
+	tick := time.NewTicker(waitDelay)
+	defer tick.Stop()
+
+	timer := time.NewTimer(timeout)
+	defer timer.Stop()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-tick.C:
+			l := s.raft.Leader()
+			if l != "" {
+				return l, nil
+			}
+		case <-timer.C:
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("timeout expired")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *Store) WaitForAppliedIndex(idx uint64, timeout time.Duration) error {
+	tick := time.NewTicker(waitDelay)
+	defer tick.Stop()
+	timer := time.NewTimer(timeout)
+	defer timer.Stop()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-tick.C:
+			if s.raft.AppliedIndex() >= idx {
+				return nil
+			}
+		case <-timer.C:
+			return fmt.Errorf("timeout expired")
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/store/store_test.go b/store/store_test.go
index a40386ce..98fbbae9 100644
--- a/store/store_test.go
+++ b/store/store_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
@@ -11,9 +12,58 @@ import (
 func TestStoreOpen(t *testing.T) {
 	dataDir, _ := ioutil.TempDir("", "storetest")
 	defer os.RemoveAll(dataDir)
-	bindAddr := "127.0.0.1:0"
+	bindAddr := "127.0.0.1:4000"
 
-	s := New(dataDir, bindAddr)
-	assert.NotNil(t, s)
-	assert.NoError(t, s.Open())
+	s0 := New(Options{
+		dataDir:       dataDir,
+		bindAddr:      bindAddr,
+		numPartitions: 2,
+	})
+	assert.NotNil(t, s0)
+
+	err := s0.Open()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	defer s0.Close()
+
+	_, err = s0.WaitForLeader(10 * time.Second)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	dataDir, _ = ioutil.TempDir("", "storetest")
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dataDir)
+	bindAddr = "127.0.0.1:4001"
+	s1 := New(Options{
+		dataDir:       dataDir,
+		bindAddr:      bindAddr,
+		numPartitions: 2,
+	})
+	err = s1.Open()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	defer s1.Close()
+
+	err = s0.Join(s1.BrokerID())
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	tp := TopicPartition{
+		Topic:           "test",
+		Partition:       0,
+		Leader:          s0.BrokerID(),
+		PreferredLeader: s0.BrokerID(),
+		Replicas:        []string{s0.BrokerID()},
+	}
+
+	err = s0.AddPartition(tp)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	isLeader := s0.IsLeaderOfPartition(tp)
+	assert.True(t, isLeader)
+
+	err = s1.WaitForAppliedIndex(2, 10*time.Second)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ps, err := s1.Partitions()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	for _, p := range ps {
+		assert.Equal(t, tp.Topic, p.Topic)
+		assert.Equal(t, tp.Leader, p.Leader)
+	}
 }