diff --git a/services/backup/src/Reactors/server/AddAttachmentsUtility.cpp b/services/backup/src/Reactors/server/AddAttachmentsUtility.cpp
index 70faf7171..2e3c7586e 100644
--- a/services/backup/src/Reactors/server/AddAttachmentsUtility.cpp
+++ b/services/backup/src/Reactors/server/AddAttachmentsUtility.cpp
@@ -1,95 +1,97 @@
 #include "AddAttachmentsUtility.h"
 
+#include <glog/logging.h>
+
 #include "BackupItem.h"
 #include "BlobPutClientReactor.h"
 #include "Constants.h"
 #include "DatabaseManager.h"
 #include "ServiceBlobClient.h"
 #include "Tools.h"
 
 namespace comm {
 namespace network {
 namespace reactor {
 
 grpc::Status AddAttachmentsUtility::processRequest(
     const backup::AddAttachmentsRequest *request) {
   grpc::Status status = grpc::Status::OK;
   std::string userID = request->userid();
   std::string backupID = request->backupid();
   std::string logID = request->logid();
   const std::string holders = request->holders();
   try {
     if (userID.empty()) {
       throw std::runtime_error("user id required but not provided");
     }
     if (backupID.empty()) {
       throw std::runtime_error("backup id required but not provided");
     }
     if (holders.empty()) {
       throw std::runtime_error("holders required but not provided");
     }
 
     if (logID.empty()) {
       // add these attachments to backup
       std::shared_ptr<database::BackupItem> backupItem =
           database::DatabaseManager::getInstance().findBackupItem(
               userID, backupID);
       backupItem->addAttachmentHolders(holders);
       database::DatabaseManager::getInstance().putBackupItem(*backupItem);
     } else {
       // add these attachments to log
       std::shared_ptr<database::LogItem> logItem =
           database::DatabaseManager::getInstance().findLogItem(backupID, logID);
       logItem->addAttachmentHolders(holders);
       if (!logItem->getPersistedInBlob() &&
           database::LogItem::getItemSize(logItem.get()) >
               LOG_DATA_SIZE_DATABASE_LIMIT) {
         bool old = logItem->getPersistedInBlob();
         logItem = this->moveToS3(logItem);
       }
       database::DatabaseManager::getInstance().putLogItem(*logItem);
     }
   } catch (std::runtime_error &e) {
-    std::cout << "error: " << e.what() << std::endl;
+    LOG(ERROR) << e.what();
     status = grpc::Status(grpc::StatusCode::INTERNAL, e.what());
   }
   return status;
 }
 
 std::shared_ptr<database::LogItem>
 AddAttachmentsUtility::moveToS3(std::shared_ptr<database::LogItem> logItem) {
   std::string holder = tools::generateHolder(
       logItem->getDataHash(), logItem->getBackupID(), logItem->getLogID());
   std::string data = std::move(logItem->getValue());
   std::shared_ptr<database::LogItem> newLogItem =
       std::make_shared<database::LogItem>(
           logItem->getBackupID(),
           logItem->getLogID(),
           true,
           holder,
           logItem->getAttachmentHolders(),
           logItem->getDataHash());
   // put into S3
   std::condition_variable blobPutDoneCV;
   std::mutex blobPutDoneCVMutex;
   std::shared_ptr<reactor::BlobPutClientReactor> putReactor =
       std::make_shared<reactor::BlobPutClientReactor>(
           holder, newLogItem->getDataHash(), &blobPutDoneCV);
   ServiceBlobClient().put(putReactor);
   std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lockPut(blobPutDoneCVMutex);
   putReactor->scheduleSendingDataChunk(
       std::make_unique<std::string>(std::move(data)));
   putReactor->scheduleSendingDataChunk(std::make_unique<std::string>(""));
   if (putReactor->getStatusHolder()->state != reactor::ReactorState::DONE) {
     blobPutDoneCV.wait(lockPut);
   }
   if (!putReactor->getStatusHolder()->getStatus().ok()) {
     throw std::runtime_error(
         putReactor->getStatusHolder()->getStatus().error_message());
   }
   return newLogItem;
 }
 
 } // namespace reactor
 } // namespace network
 } // namespace comm
diff --git a/services/backup/src/Reactors/server/CreateNewBackupReactor.cpp b/services/backup/src/Reactors/server/CreateNewBackupReactor.cpp
index 04d08152f..73d29c219 100644
--- a/services/backup/src/Reactors/server/CreateNewBackupReactor.cpp
+++ b/services/backup/src/Reactors/server/CreateNewBackupReactor.cpp
@@ -1,113 +1,112 @@
 #include "CreateNewBackupReactor.h"
 
 #include "DatabaseManager.h"
 #include "GlobalTools.h"
 #include "Tools.h"
 
 namespace comm {
 namespace network {
 namespace reactor {
 
 std::string CreateNewBackupReactor::generateBackupID() {
   if (this->deviceID.empty()) {
     throw std::runtime_error(
         "trying to generate a backup ID with an empty device ID");
   }
   return this->deviceID + std::to_string(tools::getCurrentTimestamp());
 }
 
 std::unique_ptr<ServerBidiReactorStatus> CreateNewBackupReactor::handleRequest(
     backup::CreateNewBackupRequest request,
     backup::CreateNewBackupResponse *response) {
   // we make sure that the blob client's state is flushed to the main memory
   // as there may be multiple threads from the pool taking over here
   const std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(this->reactorStateMutex);
   switch (this->state) {
     case State::USER_ID: {
       if (!request.has_userid()) {
         throw std::runtime_error("user id expected but not received");
       }
       this->userID = request.userid();
       this->state = State::DEVICE_ID;
       return nullptr;
     }
     case State::DEVICE_ID: {
       if (!request.has_deviceid()) {
         throw std::runtime_error("device id expected but not received");
       }
       this->deviceID = request.deviceid();
       this->state = State::KEY_ENTROPY;
       return nullptr;
     }
     case State::KEY_ENTROPY: {
       if (!request.has_keyentropy()) {
         throw std::runtime_error(
             "backup key entropy expected but not received");
       }
       this->keyEntropy = request.keyentropy();
       this->state = State::DATA_HASH;
       return nullptr;
     }
     case State::DATA_HASH: {
       if (!request.has_newcompactionhash()) {
         throw std::runtime_error("data hash expected but not received");
       }
       this->dataHash = request.newcompactionhash();
       this->state = State::DATA_CHUNKS;
 
       this->backupID = this->generateBackupID();
       if (database::DatabaseManager::getInstance().findBackupItem(
               this->userID, this->backupID) != nullptr) {
         throw std::runtime_error(
             "Backup with id [" + this->backupID + "] for user [" +
             this->userID + "] already exists, creation aborted");
       }
       response->set_backupid(this->backupID);
       this->holder = tools::generateHolder(this->dataHash, this->backupID);
       this->putReactor = std::make_shared<reactor::BlobPutClientReactor>(
           this->holder, this->dataHash, &this->blobPutDoneCV);
       this->blobClient.put(this->putReactor);
       return nullptr;
     }
     case State::DATA_CHUNKS: {
       this->putReactor->scheduleSendingDataChunk(std::make_unique<std::string>(
           std::move(*request.mutable_newcompactionchunk())));
       return nullptr;
     }
   }
   throw std::runtime_error("new backup - invalid state");
 }
 
 void CreateNewBackupReactor::terminateCallback() {
   const std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(this->reactorStateMutex);
   if (this->putReactor == nullptr) {
     return;
   }
   this->putReactor->scheduleSendingDataChunk(std::make_unique<std::string>(""));
   std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock2(this->blobPutDoneCVMutex);
   if (this->putReactor->getStatusHolder()->state != ReactorState::DONE) {
     this->blobPutDoneCV.wait(lock2);
   }
   if (this->putReactor->getStatusHolder()->state != ReactorState::DONE) {
     throw std::runtime_error("put reactor has not been terminated properly");
   }
   if (!this->putReactor->getStatusHolder()->getStatus().ok()) {
     throw std::runtime_error(
         this->putReactor->getStatusHolder()->getStatus().error_message());
   }
   // TODO add recovery data
   // TODO handle attachments holders
   database::BackupItem backupItem(
       this->userID,
       this->backupID,
       tools::getCurrentTimestamp(),
       tools::generateRandomString(),
       this->holder,
       {});
   database::DatabaseManager::getInstance().putBackupItem(backupItem);
-  std::cout << "done creating backup " << backupItem.getBackupID() << std::endl;
 }
 
 } // namespace reactor
 } // namespace network
 } // namespace comm
diff --git a/services/backup/src/Reactors/server/SendLogReactor.cpp b/services/backup/src/Reactors/server/SendLogReactor.cpp
index b695fcaa1..c8fc8883e 100644
--- a/services/backup/src/Reactors/server/SendLogReactor.cpp
+++ b/services/backup/src/Reactors/server/SendLogReactor.cpp
@@ -1,179 +1,173 @@
 #include "SendLogReactor.h"
 
 #include "Constants.h"
 #include "DatabaseManager.h"
 #include "GlobalTools.h"
 #include "Tools.h"
 
-#include <iostream>
-
 namespace comm {
 namespace network {
 namespace reactor {
 
 void SendLogReactor::storeInDatabase() {
   bool storedInBlob = this->persistenceMethod == PersistenceMethod::BLOB;
   database::LogItem logItem(
       this->backupID,
       this->logID,
       storedInBlob,
       storedInBlob ? this->blobHolder : this->value,
       {},
       this->hash);
   if (database::LogItem::getItemSize(&logItem) > LOG_DATA_SIZE_DATABASE_LIMIT) {
     throw std::runtime_error(
         "trying to put into the database an item with size " +
         std::to_string(database::LogItem::getItemSize(&logItem)) +
         " that exceeds the limit " +
         std::to_string(LOG_DATA_SIZE_DATABASE_LIMIT));
   }
   database::DatabaseManager::getInstance().putLogItem(logItem);
 }
 
 std::string SendLogReactor::generateLogID(const std::string &backupID) {
   return backupID + tools::ID_SEPARATOR +
       std::to_string(tools::getCurrentTimestamp());
 }
 
 void SendLogReactor::initializePutReactor() {
   if (this->blobHolder.empty()) {
     throw std::runtime_error(
         "put reactor cannot be initialized with empty blob holder");
   }
   if (this->hash.empty()) {
     throw std::runtime_error(
         "put reactor cannot be initialized with empty hash");
   }
   if (this->putReactor == nullptr) {
     this->putReactor = std::make_shared<reactor::BlobPutClientReactor>(
         this->blobHolder, this->hash, &this->blobPutDoneCV);
     this->blobClient.put(this->putReactor);
   }
 }
 
 std::unique_ptr<grpc::Status>
 SendLogReactor::readRequest(backup::SendLogRequest request) {
   // we make sure that the blob client's state is flushed to the main memory
   // as there may be multiple threads from the pool taking over here
   const std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(this->reactorStateMutex);
   switch (this->state) {
     case State::USER_ID: {
       if (!request.has_userid()) {
         throw std::runtime_error("user id expected but not received");
       }
       this->userID = request.userid();
       this->state = State::BACKUP_ID;
       return nullptr;
     };
     case State::BACKUP_ID: {
       if (!request.has_backupid()) {
         throw std::runtime_error("backup id expected but not received");
       }
       this->backupID = request.backupid();
       if (database::DatabaseManager::getInstance().findBackupItem(
               this->userID, this->backupID) == nullptr) {
         throw std::runtime_error(
             "trying to send log for a non-existent backup");
       }
       this->logID = this->generateLogID(this->backupID);
       this->response->set_logcheckpoint(this->logID);
       this->state = State::LOG_HASH;
       return nullptr;
     };
     case State::LOG_HASH: {
       if (!request.has_loghash()) {
         throw std::runtime_error("log hash expected but not received");
       }
       this->hash = request.loghash();
       this->state = State::LOG_CHUNK;
       return nullptr;
     };
     case State::LOG_CHUNK: {
       if (!request.has_logdata()) {
         throw std::runtime_error("log data expected but not received");
       }
       std::unique_ptr<std::string> chunk =
           std::make_unique<std::string>(std::move(*request.mutable_logdata()));
       if (chunk->size() == 0) {
         return std::make_unique<grpc::Status>(grpc::Status::OK);
       }
       if (this->persistenceMethod == PersistenceMethod::DB) {
         throw std::runtime_error(
             "please do not send multiple tiny chunks (less than " +
             std::to_string(LOG_DATA_SIZE_DATABASE_LIMIT) +
             "), merge them into bigger parts instead");
       }
       if (this->persistenceMethod == PersistenceMethod::BLOB) {
         if (this->putReactor == nullptr) {
           throw std::runtime_error(
               "put reactor is being used but has not been initialized");
         }
         this->putReactor->scheduleSendingDataChunk(std::move(chunk));
         return nullptr;
       }
       this->value += std::move(*chunk);
       database::LogItem logItem = database::LogItem(
           this->backupID, this->logID, true, this->value, "", this->hash);
       if (database::LogItem::getItemSize(&logItem) >
           LOG_DATA_SIZE_DATABASE_LIMIT) {
         this->persistenceMethod = PersistenceMethod::BLOB;
         this->blobHolder =
             tools::generateHolder(this->hash, this->backupID, this->logID);
         this->initializePutReactor();
         this->putReactor->scheduleSendingDataChunk(
             std::make_unique<std::string>(this->value));
         this->value = "";
       } else {
         this->persistenceMethod = PersistenceMethod::DB;
       }
       return nullptr;
     };
   }
   throw std::runtime_error("send log - invalid state");
 }
 
 void SendLogReactor::terminateCallback() {
   const std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(this->reactorStateMutex);
 
   if (!this->getStatusHolder()->getStatus().ok()) {
     throw std::runtime_error(
         this->getStatusHolder()->getStatus().error_message());
   }
 
   if (this->persistenceMethod != PersistenceMethod::BLOB &&
       this->persistenceMethod != PersistenceMethod::DB) {
     throw std::runtime_error("Invalid persistence method detected");
   }
 
   if (this->persistenceMethod == PersistenceMethod::DB ||
       this->putReactor == nullptr) {
     this->storeInDatabase();
     return;
   }
   this->putReactor->scheduleSendingDataChunk(std::make_unique<std::string>(""));
   std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lockPut(this->blobPutDoneCVMutex);
   if (this->putReactor->getStatusHolder()->state != ReactorState::DONE) {
     this->blobPutDoneCV.wait(lockPut);
   }
   if (!this->putReactor->getStatusHolder()->getStatus().ok()) {
     throw std::runtime_error(
         this->putReactor->getStatusHolder()->getStatus().error_message());
   }
   // store in db only when we successfully upload chunks
   this->storeInDatabase();
 }
 
 void SendLogReactor::doneCallback() {
   // we make sure that the blob client's state is flushed to the main memory
   // as there may be multiple threads from the pool taking over here
   const std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(this->reactorStateMutex);
   // TODO implement
-  std::cout << "receive logs done "
-            << this->getStatusHolder()->getStatus().error_code() << "/"
-            << this->getStatusHolder()->getStatus().error_message()
-            << std::endl;
 }
 
 } // namespace reactor
 } // namespace network
 } // namespace comm
diff --git a/services/backup/src/server.cpp b/services/backup/src/server.cpp
index 67b37868f..884da8559 100644
--- a/services/backup/src/server.cpp
+++ b/services/backup/src/server.cpp
@@ -1,39 +1,42 @@
 #include "BackupServiceImpl.h"
 
+#include "GlobalTools.h"
+
+#include <glog/logging.h>
 #include <grpcpp/grpcpp.h>
 
-#include <iostream>
 #include <memory>
 #include <string>
 
 namespace comm {
 namespace network {
 
 void RunServer() {
   std::string server_address = "0.0.0.0:50051";
   BackupServiceImpl backupService;
 
   grpc::EnableDefaultHealthCheckService(true);
   grpc::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(&backupService);
   // Finally assemble the server.
   std::unique_ptr<grpc::Server> server(builder.BuildAndStart());
-  std::cout << "Server listening" << std::endl;
+  LOG(INFO) << "Server listening";
 
   // 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();
 }
 
 } // namespace network
 } // namespace comm
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
+  comm::network::tools::InitLogging("backup");
   comm::network::RunServer();
 
   return 0;
 }