diff --git a/src/common/helpers.go b/src/common/helpers.go
index 76bf3747252..0ae4a7f9a9c 100644
--- a/src/common/helpers.go
+++ b/src/common/helpers.go
@@ -6,10 +6,19 @@ import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"protocol"
 	"time"
 )
 
+func GetFileSize(path string) (int64, error) {
+	info, err := os.Stat(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return info.Size(), nil
+}
+
 func StringToSeriesArray(seriesString string, args ...interface{}) ([]*protocol.Series, error) {
 	seriesString = fmt.Sprintf(seriesString, args...)
 	series := []*protocol.Series{}
diff --git a/src/coordinator/cluster_configuration.go b/src/coordinator/cluster_configuration.go
index 72be6982b16..45044682c34 100644
--- a/src/coordinator/cluster_configuration.go
+++ b/src/coordinator/cluster_configuration.go
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 package coordinator
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	log "code.google.com/p/log4go"
 	"common"
 	"configuration"
+	"encoding/gob"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
@@ -422,3 +424,71 @@ func (self *ClusterConfiguration) GetDatabaseReplicationFactor(name string) uint
 	defer self.createDatabaseLock.RUnlock()
 	return self.databaseReplicationFactors[name]
 }
+
+func (self *ClusterConfiguration) Save() ([]byte, error) {
+	data := struct {
+		Databases         map[string]uint8
+		Admins            map[string]*clusterAdmin
+		DbUsers           map[string]map[string]*dbUser
+		Servers           []*ClusterServer
+		HasRunningServers bool
+		LocalServerId     uint32
+		ClusterVersion    uint32
+	}{
+		self.databaseReplicationFactors,
+		self.clusterAdmins,
+		self.dbUsers,
+		self.servers,
+		self.hasRunningServers,
+		self.localServerId,
+		self.ClusterVersion,
+	}
+
+	b := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+	err := gob.NewEncoder(b).Encode(&data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return b.Bytes(), nil
+}
+
+func (self *ClusterConfiguration) Recovery(b []byte) error {
+	data := struct {
+		Databases         map[string]uint8
+		Admins            map[string]*clusterAdmin
+		DbUsers           map[string]map[string]*dbUser
+		Servers           []*ClusterServer
+		HasRunningServers bool
+		LocalServerId     uint32
+		ClusterVersion    uint32
+	}{}
+
+	err := gob.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(b)).Decode(&data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	self.databaseReplicationFactors = data.Databases
+	self.clusterAdmins = data.Admins
+	self.dbUsers = data.DbUsers
+
+	// copy the protobuf client from the old servers
+	oldServers := map[string]*ProtobufClient{}
+	for _, server := range self.servers {
+		oldServers[server.ProtobufConnectionString] = server.protobufClient
+	}
+
+	self.servers = data.Servers
+	for _, server := range self.servers {
+		server.protobufClient = oldServers[server.ProtobufConnectionString]
+		if server.protobufClient == nil {
+			server.Connect()
+		}
+	}
+	self.hasRunningServers = data.HasRunningServers
+	self.localServerId = data.LocalServerId
+	self.ClusterVersion = data.ClusterVersion
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/src/coordinator/coordinator_test.go b/src/coordinator/coordinator_test.go
index 09f28acb63c..cafa690e2f7 100644
--- a/src/coordinator/coordinator_test.go
+++ b/src/coordinator/coordinator_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package coordinator
 
 import (
+	"common"
 	. "common"
 	"configuration"
 	"datastore"
@@ -156,6 +157,40 @@ func (self *CoordinatorSuite) TestCanRecover(c *C) {
 	assertConfigContains(server.port, "db1", true, c)
 }
 
+func (self *CoordinatorSuite) TestCanSnapshot(c *C) {
+	server := startAndVerifyCluster(1, c)[0]
+	// defer clean(server)
+
+	path, port := server.path, server.port
+
+	for i := 0; i < 1000; i++ {
+		dbname := fmt.Sprintf("db%d", i)
+		server.CreateDatabase(dbname, uint8(1))
+		assertConfigContains(server.port, dbname, true, c)
+	}
+	size, err := common.GetFileSize(server.raftServer.LogPath())
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	server.forceLogCompaction()
+	newSize, err := common.GetFileSize(server.raftServer.LogPath())
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	c.Assert(newSize < size, Equals, true)
+	fmt.Printf("size of %s shrinked from %d to %d\n", server.raftServer.LogPath(), size, newSize)
+	server.Close()
+	time.Sleep(SERVER_STARTUP_TIME)
+	server = newConfigAndServer(c)
+	// reset the path and port to the previous server and remove the
+	// path that was created by newConfigAndServer
+	os.RemoveAll(server.path)
+	server.path = path
+	server.port = port
+	// defer clean(server)
+	server.ListenAndServe()
+	for i := 0; i < 1000; i++ {
+		dbname := fmt.Sprintf("db%d", i)
+		assertConfigContains(server.port, dbname, true, c)
+	}
+}
+
 func (self *CoordinatorSuite) TestCanCreateCoordinatorsAndReplicate(c *C) {
 	servers := startAndVerifyCluster(2, c)
 	defer clean(servers...)
diff --git a/src/coordinator/raft_server.go b/src/coordinator/raft_server.go
index 38249be4f00..287dac10c4b 100644
--- a/src/coordinator/raft_server.go
+++ b/src/coordinator/raft_server.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package coordinator
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	log "code.google.com/p/log4go"
+	"common"
 	"configuration"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"encoding/json"
@@ -206,13 +207,48 @@ func (s *RaftServer) connectionString() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("http://%s:%d", s.host, s.port)
 }
 
+const (
+	MAX_SIZE = 10 * MEGABYTE
+)
+
+func (s *RaftServer) forceLogCompaction() {
+	err := s.raftServer.TakeSnapshot()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Error("Cannot take snapshot: %s", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *RaftServer) CompactLog() {
+	checkSizeTicker := time.Tick(time.Minute)
+	forceCompactionTicker := time.Tick(time.Hour * 24)
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-checkSizeTicker:
+			log.Debug("Testing if we should compact the raft logs")
+
+			path := s.raftServer.LogPath()
+			size, err := common.GetFileSize(path)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Error("Error getting size of file '%s': %s", path, err)
+			}
+			if size < MAX_SIZE {
+				continue
+			}
+			s.forceLogCompaction()
+		case <-forceCompactionTicker:
+			s.forceLogCompaction()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (s *RaftServer) startRaft() error {
 	log.Info("Initializing Raft Server: %s %d", s.path, s.port)
 
 	// Initialize and start Raft server.
 	transporter := raft.NewHTTPTransporter("/raft")
 	var err error
-	s.raftServer, err = raft.NewServer(s.name, s.path, transporter, nil, s.clusterConfig, "")
+	s.raftServer, err = raft.NewServer(s.name, s.path, transporter, s.clusterConfig, s.clusterConfig, "")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -220,6 +256,8 @@ func (s *RaftServer) startRaft() error {
 	transporter.Install(s.raftServer, s)
 	s.raftServer.Start()
 
+	go s.CompactLog()
+
 	if !s.raftServer.IsLogEmpty() {
 		log.Info("Recovered from log")
 		return nil