diff --git a/services/backup/docker-server/contents/run_tests.sh b/services/backup/docker-server/contents/run_tests.sh
--- a/services/backup/docker-server/contents/run_tests.sh
+++ b/services/backup/docker-server/contents/run_tests.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 
 set -e
 
-pushd transferred/server/cmake/build
+pushd /transferred/server/cmake/build
 make test ARGS="-V"
-popd # transferred/server/cmake/build
+popd # /transferred/server/cmake/build
diff --git a/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/CMakeLists.txt b/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -28,24 +28,11 @@
 endif()
 
 file(GLOB GENERATED_CODE "./_generated/*.cc")
-set(DEV_SOURCE_CODE "")
-set(DEV_HEADERS_PATH "")
 if ($ENV{COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE} MATCHES 1)
   add_compile_definitions(COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE)
-  file(GLOB DEV_SOURCE_CODE "./dev/*.cpp" "./src/*.dev.cpp")
-  set(DEV_HEADERS_PATH "./dev")
 endif()
 
 file(GLOB SOURCE_CODE "./src/*.cpp" "./src/**/*.cpp")
-list(FILTER SOURCE_CODE EXCLUDE REGEX ".*.dev.cpp$")
-
-foreach (ITEM ${DEV_SOURCE_CODE})
-  string(REPLACE "/" ";" SPLIT_ITEM ${ITEM})
-  list(GET SPLIT_ITEM -1 FILE_FULL_NAME)
-  string(REPLACE ".dev.cpp" ".cpp" FILE_NAME ${FILE_FULL_NAME})
-  list(FILTER SOURCE_CODE EXCLUDE REGEX ".*${FILE_NAME}$")
-  list(APPEND SOURCE_CODE "${ITEM}")
-endforeach()
 
 include_directories(
   ./src
@@ -61,7 +48,6 @@
   ${FOLLY_INCLUDES}
   ./lib/double-conversion
   ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR}
-  ${DEV_HEADERS_PATH}
 )
 
 # SERVER
diff --git a/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/src/AwsTools.cpp b/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/src/AwsTools.cpp
--- a/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/src/AwsTools.cpp
+++ b/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/src/AwsTools.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
 std::unique_ptr<Aws::DynamoDB::DynamoDBClient> getDynamoDBClient() {
   Aws::Client::ClientConfiguration config;
   config.region = AWS_REGION;
+#ifdef COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE
+  config.endpointOverride = Aws::String("localstack:4566");
+  config.scheme = Aws::Http::Scheme::HTTP;
+#endif
   return std::make_unique<Aws::DynamoDB::DynamoDBClient>(config);
 }
 
diff --git a/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/src/DatabaseManager.h b/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/src/DatabaseManager.h
--- a/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/src/DatabaseManager.h
+++ b/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/src/DatabaseManager.h
@@ -11,19 +11,12 @@
 #include <memory>
 #include <string>
 
-#ifdef COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE
-#include "DatabaseSimulator.h"
-#endif
-
 namespace comm {
 namespace network {
 namespace database {
 
 // this class should be thread-safe in case any shared resources appear
 class DatabaseManager {
-#ifdef COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE
-  DatabaseSimulator dbSimulator;
-#endif
 
   void innerPutItem(
       std::shared_ptr<Item> item,