diff --git a/src/index_controller/actor_index_controller/index_actor.rs b/src/index_controller/actor_index_controller/index_actor.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6de0f2b77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/index_controller/actor_index_controller/index_actor.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+use uuid::Uuid;
+use std::path::{PathBuf, Path};
+use chrono::Utc;
+use tokio::sync::{mpsc, oneshot, RwLock};
+use thiserror::Error;
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use milli::Index;
+use std::collections::hash_map::Entry;
+use std::fs::create_dir_all;
+use heed::EnvOpenOptions;
+use crate::index_controller::IndexMetadata;
+
+pub type Result<T> = std::result::Result<T, IndexError>;
+type AsyncMap<K, V> = Arc<RwLock<HashMap<K, V>>>;
+
+enum IndexMsg {
+    CreateIndex { uuid: Uuid, primary_key: Option<String>, ret: oneshot::Sender<Result<IndexMetadata>> },
+}
+
+struct IndexActor<S> {
+    inbox: mpsc::Receiver<IndexMsg>,
+    store: S,
+}
+
+#[derive(Error, Debug)]
+pub enum IndexError {
+    #[error("error with index: {0}")]
+    Error(#[from] anyhow::Error),
+    #[error("index already exists")]
+    IndexAlreadyExists,
+}
+
+#[async_trait::async_trait]
+trait IndexStore {
+    async fn create_index(&self, uuid: Uuid, primary_key: Option<String>) -> Result<IndexMetadata>;
+}
+
+impl<S: IndexStore> IndexActor<S> {
+    fn new(inbox: mpsc::Receiver<IndexMsg>, store: S) -> Self {
+        Self { inbox, store }
+    }
+
+    async fn run(mut self) {
+        loop {
+            match self.inbox.recv().await {
+                Some(IndexMsg::CreateIndex { uuid, primary_key, ret }) => self.handle_create_index(uuid, primary_key, ret).await,
+                None => break,
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    async fn handle_create_index(&self, uuid: Uuid, primary_key: Option<String>, ret: oneshot::Sender<Result<IndexMetadata>>) {
+        let result = self.store.create_index(uuid, primary_key).await;
+        let _ = ret.send(result);
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct IndexActorHandle {
+    sender: mpsc::Sender<IndexMsg>,
+}
+
+impl IndexActorHandle {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        let (sender, receiver) = mpsc::channel(100);
+
+        let store = MapIndexStore::new("data.ms");
+        let actor = IndexActor::new(receiver, store);
+        tokio::task::spawn(actor.run());
+        Self { sender }
+    }
+
+    pub async fn create_index(&self, uuid: Uuid, primary_key: Option<String>) -> Result<IndexMetadata> {
+        let (ret, receiver) = oneshot::channel();
+        let msg = IndexMsg::CreateIndex { ret, uuid, primary_key };
+        let _ = self.sender.send(msg).await;
+        receiver.await.expect("IndexActor has been killed")
+    }
+}
+
+struct MapIndexStore {
+    root: PathBuf,
+    meta_store: AsyncMap<Uuid, IndexMetadata>,
+    index_store: AsyncMap<Uuid, Index>,
+}
+
+#[async_trait::async_trait]
+impl IndexStore for MapIndexStore {
+    async fn create_index(&self, uuid: Uuid, primary_key: Option<String>) -> Result<IndexMetadata> {
+        let meta = match self.meta_store.write().await.entry(uuid.clone()) {
+            Entry::Vacant(entry) => {
+                let meta = IndexMetadata {
+                    uuid,
+                    created_at: Utc::now(),
+                    updated_at: Utc::now(),
+                    primary_key,
+                };
+                entry.insert(meta).clone()
+            }
+            Entry::Occupied(_) => return Err(IndexError::IndexAlreadyExists),
+        };
+
+        let db_path = self.root.join(format!("index-{}", meta.uuid));
+
+
+        println!("before blocking");
+        let index: Result<Index> = tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
+            create_dir_all(&db_path).expect("can't create db");
+            let mut options = EnvOpenOptions::new();
+            options.map_size(4096 * 100_000);
+            let index = Index::new(options, &db_path)
+                .map_err(|e| IndexError::Error(e))?;
+            Ok(index)
+        }).await.expect("thread died");
+        println!("after blocking");
+
+        self.index_store.write().await.insert(meta.uuid.clone(), index?);
+
+        Ok(meta)
+    }
+}
+
+impl MapIndexStore {
+    fn new(root: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Self {
+        let mut root = root.as_ref().to_owned();
+        root.push("indexes/");
+        let meta_store = Arc::new(RwLock::new(HashMap::new()));
+        let index_store = Arc::new(RwLock::new(HashMap::new()));
+        Self { meta_store, index_store, root }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/index_controller/actor_index_controller/mod.rs b/src/index_controller/actor_index_controller/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bfcac7a3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/index_controller/actor_index_controller/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+mod index_actor;
+mod update_actor;
+mod uuid_resolver;
+
+use tokio::fs::File;
+use tokio::sync::oneshot;
+use super::IndexController;
+use uuid::Uuid;
+use super::IndexMetadata;
+
+
+pub struct ActorIndexController {
+    uuid_resolver: uuid_resolver::UuidResolverHandle,
+    index_actor: index_actor::IndexActorHandle,
+}
+
+impl ActorIndexController {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        let uuid_resolver = uuid_resolver::UuidResolverHandle::new();
+        let index_actor = index_actor::IndexActorHandle::new();
+        Self { uuid_resolver, index_actor }
+    }
+}
+
+enum IndexControllerMsg {
+    CreateIndex {
+        uuid: Uuid,
+        primary_key: Option<String>,
+        ret: oneshot::Sender<anyhow::Result<IndexMetadata>>,
+    },
+    Shutdown,
+}
+
+#[async_trait::async_trait]
+impl IndexController for ActorIndexController {
+    async fn add_documents(
+        &self,
+        index: String,
+        method: milli::update::IndexDocumentsMethod,
+        format: milli::update::UpdateFormat,
+        data: File,
+        primary_key: Option<String>,
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<super::UpdateStatus> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn clear_documents(&self, index: String) -> anyhow::Result<super::UpdateStatus> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn delete_documents(&self, index: String, document_ids: Vec<String>) -> anyhow::Result<super::UpdateStatus> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn update_settings(&self, index_uid: String, settings: super::Settings) -> anyhow::Result<super::UpdateStatus> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    async fn create_index(&self, index_settings: super::IndexSettings) -> anyhow::Result<super::IndexMetadata> {
+        let super::IndexSettings { name, primary_key } = index_settings;
+        let uuid = self.uuid_resolver.create(name.unwrap()).await?;
+        let index_meta = self.index_actor.create_index(uuid, primary_key).await?;
+        Ok(index_meta)
+    }
+
+    fn delete_index(&self, index_uid: String) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn swap_indices(&self, index1_uid: String, index2_uid: String) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn index(&self, name: String) -> anyhow::Result<Option<std::sync::Arc<milli::Index>>> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn update_status(&self, index: String, id: u64) -> anyhow::Result<Option<super::UpdateStatus>> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn all_update_status(&self, index: String) -> anyhow::Result<Vec<super::UpdateStatus>> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn list_indexes(&self) -> anyhow::Result<Vec<super::IndexMetadata>> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+
+    fn update_index(&self, name: String, index_settings: super::IndexSettings) -> anyhow::Result<super::IndexMetadata> {
+        todo!()
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/index_controller/actor_index_controller/update_actor.rs b/src/index_controller/actor_index_controller/update_actor.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9fd3cc39f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/index_controller/actor_index_controller/update_actor.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+use super::index_actor::IndexActorHandle;
+use uuid::Uuid;
+use tokio::sync::{mpsc, oneshot};
+
+enum UpdateMsg {
+    CreateIndex{
+        uuid: Uuid,
+        ret: oneshot::Sender<anyhow::Result<()>>,
+    }
+}
+
+struct UpdateActor<S> {
+    update_store: S,
+    inbox: mpsc::Receiver<UpdateMsg>,
+    index_actor: IndexActorHandle,
+}
diff --git a/src/index_controller/actor_index_controller/uuid_resolver.rs b/src/index_controller/actor_index_controller/uuid_resolver.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d5756d05e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/index_controller/actor_index_controller/uuid_resolver.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+use thiserror::Error;
+use tokio::sync::{RwLock, mpsc, oneshot};
+use uuid::Uuid;
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::collections::hash_map::Entry;
+use log::info;
+
+pub type Result<T> = std::result::Result<T, UuidError>;
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+enum UuidResolveMsg {
+    Resolve {
+        name: String,
+        ret: oneshot::Sender<Result<Option<Uuid>>>,
+    },
+    Create {
+        name: String,
+        ret: oneshot::Sender<Result<Uuid>>,
+    },
+    Shutdown,
+
+}
+
+struct UuidResolverActor<S> {
+    inbox: mpsc::Receiver<UuidResolveMsg>,
+    store: S,
+}
+
+impl<S: UuidStore> UuidResolverActor<S> {
+    fn new(inbox: mpsc::Receiver<UuidResolveMsg>, store: S) -> Self {
+        Self { inbox, store }
+    }
+
+    async fn run(mut self) {
+        use UuidResolveMsg::*;
+
+        info!("uuid resolver started");
+
+        // TODO: benchmark and use buffered streams to improve throughput.
+        loop {
+            match self.inbox.recv().await {
+                Some(Create { name, ret }) => self.handle_create(name, ret).await,
+                Some(_) => (),
+                // all senders have ned dropped, need to quit.
+                None => break,
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    async fn handle_create(&self, name: String, ret: oneshot::Sender<Result<Uuid>>) {
+        let result = self.store.create_uuid(name).await;
+        let _ = ret.send(result);
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct UuidResolverHandle {
+    sender: mpsc::Sender<UuidResolveMsg>,
+}
+
+impl UuidResolverHandle {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        let (sender, reveiver) = mpsc::channel(100);
+        let store = MapUuidStore(Arc::new(RwLock::new(HashMap::new())));
+        let actor = UuidResolverActor::new(reveiver, store);
+        tokio::spawn(actor.run());
+        Self { sender }
+    }
+
+    pub async fn resolve(&self, name: String) -> anyhow::Result<Option<Uuid>> {
+        let (ret, receiver) = oneshot::channel();
+        let msg = UuidResolveMsg::Resolve { name, ret };
+        let _ = self.sender.send(msg).await;
+        Ok(receiver.await.expect("Uuid resolver actor has been killed")?)
+    }
+
+    pub async fn create(&self, name: String) -> anyhow::Result<Uuid> {
+        let (ret, receiver) = oneshot::channel();
+        let msg = UuidResolveMsg::Create { name, ret };
+        let _ = self.sender.send(msg).await;
+        Ok(receiver.await.expect("Uuid resolver actor has been killed")?)
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Error)]
+pub enum UuidError {
+    #[error("Name already exist.")]
+    NameAlreadyExist,
+}
+
+#[async_trait::async_trait]
+trait UuidStore {
+    async fn create_uuid(&self, name: String) -> Result<Uuid>;
+    async fn get_uuid(&self, name: String) -> Result<Option<Uuid>>;
+}
+
+struct MapUuidStore(Arc<RwLock<HashMap<String, Uuid>>>);
+
+#[async_trait::async_trait]
+impl UuidStore for MapUuidStore {
+    async fn create_uuid(&self, name: String) -> Result<Uuid> {
+        match self.0.write().await.entry(name) {
+            Entry::Occupied(_) => Err(UuidError::NameAlreadyExist),
+            Entry::Vacant(entry) => {
+                let uuid = Uuid::new_v4();
+                let uuid = entry.insert(uuid);
+                Ok(uuid.clone())
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    async fn get_uuid(&self, name: String) -> Result<Option<Uuid>> {
+        Ok(self.0.read().await.get(&name).cloned())
+    }
+}