diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..25ecc27d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+SRC_PATH = src
+PROTOS_PATH = protos
+LIB_PATH = lib/orchlib
+
+CXX = g++
+CPPFLAGS += -I/usr/local/include -pthread
+CXXFLAGS += -std=c++11 -fPIC -I$(SRC_PATH)
+LDFLAGS += -L/usr/local/lib -lgrpc++_unsecure -lgrpc -lprotobuf -lpthread -ldl
+PROTOC = protoc
+GRPC_CPP_PLUGIN = grpc_cpp_plugin
+GRPC_CPP_PLUGIN_PATH ?= `which $(GRPC_CPP_PLUGIN)`
+
+vpath %.proto $(PROTOS_PATH)
+
+all: system-check $(LIB_PATH)/liborchlib.so $(SRC_PATH)/server
+
+$(LIB_PATH)/liborchlib.so: $(SRC_PATH)/orchestra.pb.o $(SRC_PATH)/orchestra.grpc.pb.o $(LIB_PATH)/orchlib.o
+	$(CXX) $^ $(LDFLAGS) -shared -o $@
+
+$(SRC_PATH)/server: $(SRC_PATH)/orchestra.pb.o $(SRC_PATH)/orchestra.grpc.pb.o $(SRC_PATH)/server.o
+	$(CXX) $^ $(LDFLAGS) -o $@
+
+.PRECIOUS: ./src/%.grpc.pb.cc
+$(SRC_PATH)/%.grpc.pb.cc: %.proto
+	$(PROTOC) -I $(PROTOS_PATH) --grpc_out=$(SRC_PATH)/ --plugin=protoc-gen-grpc=$(GRPC_CPP_PLUGIN_PATH) $<
+
+.PRECIOUS: ./src/%.pb.cc
+$(SRC_PATH)/%.pb.cc: %.proto
+	$(PROTOC) -I $(PROTOS_PATH) --cpp_out=./src $<
+
+clean:
+	rm -f $(SRC_PATH)/*.o $(LIB_PATH)/*.o $(SRC_PATH)/*.pb.cc $(SRC_PATH)/*.pb.h $(LIB_PATH)/orchlib.so $(SRC_PATH)/server
+
+
+# The following is to test your system and ensure a smoother experience.
+# They are by no means necessary to actually compile a grpc-enabled software.
+
+PROTOC_CMD = which $(PROTOC)
+PROTOC_CHECK_CMD = $(PROTOC) --version | grep -q libprotoc.3
+PLUGIN_CHECK_CMD = which $(GRPC_CPP_PLUGIN)
+HAS_PROTOC = $(shell $(PROTOC_CMD) > /dev/null && echo true || echo false)
+ifeq ($(HAS_PROTOC),true)
+HAS_VALID_PROTOC = $(shell $(PROTOC_CHECK_CMD) 2> /dev/null && echo true || echo false)
+endif
+HAS_PLUGIN = $(shell $(PLUGIN_CHECK_CMD) > /dev/null && echo true || echo false)
+
+SYSTEM_OK = false
+ifeq ($(HAS_VALID_PROTOC),true)
+ifeq ($(HAS_PLUGIN),true)
+SYSTEM_OK = true
+endif
+endif
+
+system-check:
+ifneq ($(HAS_VALID_PROTOC),true)
+	@echo " DEPENDENCY ERROR"
+	@echo
+	@echo "You don't have protoc 3.0.0 installed in your path."
+	@echo "Please install Google protocol buffers 3.0.0 and its compiler."
+	@echo "You can find it here:"
+	@echo
+	@echo "   https://github.com/google/protobuf/releases/tag/v3.0.0-alpha-1"
+	@echo
+	@echo "Here is what I get when trying to evaluate your version of protoc:"
+	@echo
+	-$(PROTOC) --version
+	@echo
+	@echo
+endif
+ifneq ($(HAS_PLUGIN),true)
+	@echo " DEPENDENCY ERROR"
+	@echo
+	@echo "You don't have the grpc c++ protobuf plugin installed in your path."
+	@echo "Please install grpc. You can find it here:"
+	@echo
+	@echo "   https://github.com/grpc/grpc"
+	@echo
+	@echo "Here is what I get when trying to detect if you have the plugin:"
+	@echo
+	-which $(GRPC_CPP_PLUGIN)
+	@echo
+	@echo
+endif
+ifneq ($(SYSTEM_OK),true)
+	@false
+endif
diff --git a/lib/orchlib/orchlib.cc b/lib/orchlib/orchlib.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ca87b2755
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/orchlib/orchlib.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <memory>
+#include <string>
+
+#include <grpc++/grpc++.h>
+
+#include "orchestra.grpc.pb.h"
+#include "orchlib.h"
+
+using grpc::Channel;
+using grpc::ClientContext;
+using grpc::Status;
+
+class Client {
+ public:
+  Client(std::shared_ptr<Channel> channel)
+      : stub_(Orchestra::NewStub(channel)) {}
+
+  void RemoteCall(const std::string& name) {
+    RemoteCallRequest request;
+    request.set_name(name);
+
+    RemoteCallReply reply;
+    ClientContext context;
+
+    Status status = stub_->RemoteCall(&context, request, &reply);
+
+    return;
+  }
+
+ private:
+  std::unique_ptr<Orchestra::Stub> stub_;
+};
+
+void* orch_create_context(const char* server_addr) {
+  Client* client = new Client(grpc::CreateChannel("localhost:50052", grpc::InsecureChannelCredentials()));
+  return client;
+}
+
+size_t orch_remote_call(void* context, const char* name, void* args) {
+  Client* client = (Client*)context;
+  client->RemoteCall(std::string(name));
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv) {
+  Client greeter(
+      grpc::CreateChannel("localhost:50052", grpc::InsecureChannelCredentials()));
+  std::string user("world");
+  greeter.RemoteCall(user);
+
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/lib/orchlib/orchlib.h b/lib/orchlib/orchlib.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..694c3389c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/orchlib/orchlib.h
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+extern "C" {
+
+void* orch_create_context(const char* server_addr);
+size_t orch_remote_call(void* context, const char* name, void* args);
+
+}
diff --git a/lib/orchpy/orchpy/__init__.py b/lib/orchpy/orchpy/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0cebf2bfd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/orchpy/orchpy/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+from .context import Context
diff --git a/lib/orchpy/orchpy/context.pyx b/lib/orchpy/orchpy/context.pyx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cf2299dca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/orchpy/orchpy/context.pyx
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+cdef extern void* orch_create_context(const char* server_addr);
+cdef extern size_t orch_remote_call(void* context, const char* name, void* args);
+
+cdef class Context:
+  cdef void* context
+
+  def __cinit__(self):
+    self.context = NULL
+
+  def connect(self, server_addr):
+    self.context = orch_create_context(server_addr)
+
+  def call(self, name):
+    orch_remote_call(self.context, name, <void*>0)
diff --git a/lib/orchpy/setup.py b/lib/orchpy/setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e0b12601e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/orchpy/setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+from setuptools import setup, Extension, find_packages
+from Cython.Build import cythonize
+
+# because of relative paths, this must be run from inside orch/lib/orchpy/
+
+setup(
+  name = "orchestra",
+  version = "0.1.dev0",
+  ext_modules = cythonize([
+    Extension("orchpy/context",
+      sources = ["orchpy/context.pyx"], libraries=["orchlib"],
+      library_dirs=['../orchlib/'])],
+    compiler_directives={'language_level': 3}),
+  use_2to3=True,
+  packages=find_packages()
+)
diff --git a/protos/orchestra.proto b/protos/orchestra.proto
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9e1b49511
--- /dev/null
+++ b/protos/orchestra.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+syntax = "proto3";
+
+message RegisterWorkerRequest {
+  string address = 1;
+}
+
+message RegisterWorkerReply {
+  uint64 workerid = 1;
+}
+
+message Value {
+  uint64 ref = 1; // for pass by reference
+  bytes data = 2; // for pass by value
+}
+
+message RemoteCallRequest {
+  string name = 1;
+  repeated Value arg = 2;
+}
+
+message RemoteCallReply {
+  uint64 result = 1;
+}
+
+message PullObjectRequest {
+  uint64 ref = 1;
+}
+
+service Orchestra {
+  rpc RegisterWorker(RegisterWorkerRequest) returns (RegisterWorkerReply);
+  // rpc RegisterFunction
+  rpc RemoteCall(RemoteCallRequest) returns (RemoteCallReply);
+  // rpc PushObject
+  // rpc PullObject(PullObjectRequest)
+  // rpc DeliverRequest
+}
diff --git a/src/server.cc b/src/server.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2147ac8dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/server.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <memory>
+#include <string>
+
+#include <grpc++/grpc++.h>
+
+#include "orchestra.grpc.pb.h"
+
+using grpc::Server;
+using grpc::ServerBuilder;
+using grpc::ServerContext;
+using grpc::Status;
+// using helloworld::HelloRequest;
+// using helloworld::HelloReply;
+// using helloworld::Greeter;
+
+// Logic and data behind the server's behavior.
+class OrchestraServiceImpl final : public Orchestra::Service {
+  Status RemoteCall(ServerContext* context, const RemoteCallRequest* request,
+                  RemoteCallReply* reply) override {
+    std::cout << "called" << std::endl;
+    // std::string prefix("Hello ");
+    // reply->set_message(prefix + request->name());
+    return Status::OK;
+  }
+};
+
+void RunServer() {
+  std::string server_address("0.0.0.0:50052");
+  OrchestraServiceImpl service;
+
+  ServerBuilder builder;
+  // Listen on the given address without any authentication mechanism.
+  builder.AddListeningPort(server_address, grpc::InsecureServerCredentials());
+  // Register "service" as the instance through which we'll communicate with
+  // clients. In this case it corresponds to an *synchronous* service.
+  builder.RegisterService(&service);
+  // Finally assemble the server.
+  std::unique_ptr<Server> server(builder.BuildAndStart());
+  std::cout << "Server listening on " << server_address << std::endl;
+
+  // Wait for the server to shutdown. Note that some other thread must be
+  // responsible for shutting down the server for this call to ever return.
+  server->Wait();
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv) {
+  RunServer();
+
+  return 0;
+}