diff --git a/weed/filer2/embedded/embedded_store.go b/weed/filer2/embedded/embedded_store.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0f7f0385
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weed/filer2/embedded/embedded_store.go
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package embedded
+
+import (
+	"github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb"
+)
+
+type EmbeddedStore struct {
+	db *leveldb.DB
+}
+
+func NewEmbeddedStore(dir string) (filer *EmbeddedStore, err error) {
+	filer = &EmbeddedStore{}
+	if filer.db, err = leveldb.OpenFile(dir, nil); err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func (filer *EmbeddedStore) CreateFile(filePath string, fid string) (err error) {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (filer *EmbeddedStore) Mkdir(filePath string) (err error) {
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/weed/filer2/filer.go b/weed/filer2/filer.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0851b4142
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weed/filer2/filer.go
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+package filer2
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/filer2/embedded"
+	"github.com/karlseguin/ccache"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+type Filer struct {
+	master         string
+	store          FilerStore
+	directoryCache *ccache.Cache
+}
+
+func NewFiler(master string) *Filer {
+	return &Filer{
+		master:         master,
+		directoryCache: ccache.New(ccache.Configure().MaxSize(1000).ItemsToPrune(100)),
+	}
+}
+
+func NewEmbeddedFiler(master string, dir string) (*Filer, error) {
+	_, err := embedded.NewEmbeddedStore(dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create embedded filer store: %v", err)
+	}
+	return &Filer{
+		master: master,
+		// store:  store,
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func (f *Filer) CreateEntry(entry Entry) (error) {
+	/*
+	1. recursively ensure parent directory is created.
+	2. get current parent directory, add link,
+	3. add the file entry
+	*/
+
+	f.recursivelyEnsureDirectory(entry.Dir, func(parent, name string) error {
+		return nil
+	})
+
+	return f.store.CreateEntry(entry)
+}
+
+func (f *Filer) AppendFileChunk(p FullPath, c FileChunk) (err error) {
+	return f.store.AppendFileChunk(p, c)
+}
+
+func (f *Filer) FindEntry(p FullPath) (found bool, fileEntry Entry, err error) {
+	return f.store.FindEntry(p)
+}
+
+func (f *Filer) DeleteEntry(p FullPath) (fileEntry Entry, err error) {
+	return f.store.DeleteEntry(p)
+}
+
+func (f *Filer) ListDirectoryEntries(p FullPath) ([]Entry, error) {
+	return f.store.ListDirectoryEntries(p)
+}
+
+func (f *Filer) UpdateEntry(entry Entry) (error) {
+	return f.store.UpdateEntry(entry)
+}
+
+func (f *Filer) recursivelyEnsureDirectory(fullPath string, fn func(parent, name string) error) (error) {
+	if strings.HasSuffix(fullPath, "/") {
+		fullPath = fullPath[0:len(fullPath)-1]
+	}
+	nextPathEnd := strings.LastIndex(fullPath, "/")
+	if nextPathEnd < 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	dirName := fullPath[nextPathEnd+1:]
+	parentDirPath := fullPath[0:nextPathEnd]
+
+	if parentDirPath == "" {
+		parentDirPath = "/"
+	}
+
+	if err := fn(parentDirPath, dirName); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return f.recursivelyEnsureDirectory(parentDirPath, fn)
+}
+
+func (f *Filer) cacheGetDirectory(dirpath string) (error) {
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/weed/filer2/filer_structure.go b/weed/filer2/filer_structure.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..603645e34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weed/filer2/filer_structure.go
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+package filer2
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"os"
+	"time"
+)
+
+type FileId string //file id in SeaweedFS
+type FullPath struct {
+	Dir  string //full path of the parent dir
+	Name string //file name without path
+}
+
+type Attr struct {
+	Mtime       time.Time   // time of last modification
+	Crtime      time.Time   // time of creation (OS X only)
+	Mode        os.FileMode // file mode
+	Uid         uint32      // owner uid
+	Gid         uint32      // group gid
+	IsDirectory bool
+	Size        uint64 // total size in bytes
+	Nlink       uint32 // number of links (usually 1)
+}
+
+type Entry struct {
+	Dir  string `json:"dir,omitempty"`  //full path of the parent dir
+	Name string `json:"name,omitempty"` //file name without path
+
+	Attr
+
+	// the following is for files
+	Chunks []FileChunk `json:"chunks,omitempty"`
+}
+
+type FileChunk struct {
+	Fid    FileId `json:"fid,omitempty"`
+	Offset int64  `json:"offset,omitempty"`
+	Size   uint64 `json:"size,omitempty"` // size in bytes
+}
+
+type AbstractFiler interface {
+	CreateEntry(Entry) (error)
+	AppendFileChunk(FullPath, FileChunk) (err error)
+	FindEntry(FullPath) (found bool, fileEntry Entry, err error)
+	DeleteEntry(FullPath) (fileEntry Entry, err error)
+
+	ListDirectoryEntries(dirPath FullPath) ([]Entry, error)
+	UpdateEntry(Entry) (error)
+}
+
+var ErrNotFound = errors.New("filer: no entry is found in filer store")
+
+type FilerStore interface {
+	CreateEntry(Entry) (error)
+	AppendFileChunk(FullPath, FileChunk) (err error)
+	FindEntry(FullPath) (found bool, fileEntry Entry, err error)
+	DeleteEntry(FullPath) (fileEntry Entry, err error)
+
+	ListDirectoryEntries(dirPath FullPath) ([]Entry, error)
+	UpdateEntry(Entry) (error)
+}
diff --git a/weed/filer2/filer_test.go b/weed/filer2/filer_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0cefb679a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weed/filer2/filer_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package filer2
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"fmt"
+)
+
+func TestRecursion(t *testing.T) {
+	filer := NewFiler("")
+
+	fullPath := "/home/chris/some/file/abc.jpg"
+	expected := []string{
+		"/home/chris/some", "file",
+		"/home/chris", "some",
+		"/home", "chris",
+		"/", "home",
+	}
+
+	dir, _ := filepath.Split(fullPath)
+
+	i := 0
+
+	filer.recursivelyEnsureDirectory(dir, func(parent, name string) error {
+		if parent != expected[i] || name != expected[i+1] {
+			t.Errorf("recursive directory is wrong! parent=%s dirName=%s", parent, name)
+		}
+		fmt.Printf("processing folder %s \t parent=%s\n", name, parent)
+		i += 2
+		return nil
+	})
+}