diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index 29db479..a295e2c 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ client_t* client_open(conn_handler handler) {
     return client;
 }
 
-int client_connect(client_t *client, int16_t port, char *ip_str) {
+int client_connect(client_t *client, char *ip_str, int16_t port) {
     struct sockaddr_in servaddr;
     unsigned int servaddr_len = 0;
 
diff --git a/client.h b/client.h
index c03cfa7..77ba2fb 100644
--- a/client.h
+++ b/client.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ typedef struct client {
 
 client_t* client_open(conn_handler handler);
 
-int client_connect(client_t *client, int16_t port, char *ip_str);
+int client_connect(client_t *client, char *ip_str, int16_t port);
 
 int client_close(client_t* client);
 
diff --git a/issuer.c b/issuer.c
index 6de22f2..7baa22f 100644
--- a/issuer.c
+++ b/issuer.c
@@ -16,6 +16,15 @@ typedef struct issuer {
     struct ecdaa_issuer_secret_key_FP256BN isk;
 } issuer_t;
 
+typedef enum issuer_state {
+    ON,
+    SETUPDONE,
+    JOINSTART,
+    JOINPROCEED,
+    PUBLISH,
+    READY
+} issuerstate_e;
+
 int process_issuer(int connfd);
 
 int main() {
@@ -43,26 +52,105 @@ int main() {
 int process_issuer(int connfd) {
     char inbuf[MAX_BUFSIZE];
     char outbuf[MAX_BUFSIZE];
-    int n = 0;
-    for (;;) {
+    int ret = 2;
+    issuerstate_e state = ON;
+
+    while (ret == 2) {
         bzero(inbuf, MAX_BUFSIZE);
         bzero(outbuf, MAX_BUFSIZE);
 
         if (0 >= read(connfd, inbuf, sizeof(inbuf))) {
-            printf("process_issuer: cannot read from socket\n");
-            return -1;
+            printf("process_member: cannot read from socket\n");
+            ret = -1;
         }
         printf("> ISSUER: %s\n", inbuf);
-        strncpy(outbuf, "OK", 2);
+
+
+        if (0 == strncmp("OK", inbuf, 2)) {
+            switch (state) {
+                case SETUPDONE:
+                case JOINPROCEED:
+                case PUBLISH:
+                    state = READY;
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    strncpy(outbuf, "ERR\n", 4);
+                    break;
+            }
+        } else if (0 == strncmp("ERR", inbuf, 3)) {
+            switch (state) {
+                case SETUPDONE:
+                case JOINPROCEED:
+                case PUBLISH:
+                    printf("command failed at client\n");
+                    state = READY;
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    printf("invalid instruction\n");
+                    strncpy(outbuf, "ERR\n", 4);
+                    break;
+            }
+        } else if (0 == strncmp("SETUP", inbuf, 5)) {
+            switch (state) {
+                case ON:
+                    printf("setup()\n");
+                    strncpy(outbuf, "SETUPDONE\n", 10);
+                    state = SETUPDONE;
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    strncpy(outbuf, "ERR\n", 4);
+                    break;
+            }
+        } else if (0 == strncmp("JOIN", inbuf, 4)) {
+            switch (state) {
+                case READY:
+                    printf("join()\n");
+                    strncpy(outbuf, "JOINSTART\n", 10);
+                    state = JOINSTART;
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    strncpy(outbuf, "ERR\n", 4);
+                    break;
+            }
+        } else if (0 == strncmp("APPEND", inbuf, 6)) {
+            switch (state) {
+                case JOINSTART:
+                    printf("append()\n");
+                    strncpy(outbuf, "JOINPROCEED\n", 12);
+                    state = JOINPROCEED;
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    strncpy(outbuf, "ERR\n", 4);
+                    break;
+            }
+        } else if (0 == strncmp("PUBLISH", inbuf, 7)) {
+            switch (state) {
+                case READY:
+                    printf("publish()\n");
+                    strncpy(outbuf, "PUBLISH\n", 8);
+                    state = PUBLISH;
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    strncpy(outbuf, "ERR\n", 4);
+                    break;
+            }
+        } else if (0 == strncmp("EXIT", inbuf, 4)) {
+            printf("exit()\n");
+            strncpy(outbuf, "OK\n", 3);
+            ret = 0;
+        } else if (0 == strncmp("SHUTDOWN", inbuf, 8)) {
+            strncpy(outbuf, "OK\n", 3);
+            ret = 1;
+        } else {
+            printf("error()\n");
+            strncpy(outbuf, "ERR\n", 4);
+            ret = 0;
+        }
+
         printf("< ISSUER: %s\n", outbuf);
         write(connfd, outbuf, sizeof(outbuf));
-        if (0 == strncmp("exit", inbuf, 4)) {
-            printf("process_issuer: exiting gracefully\n");
-            return 0;
-        }
-        if (0 == strncmp("shutdown", inbuf, 8)) {
-            printf("process_issuer: shutting down gracefully\n");
-            return 1;
-        }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+
+    return
+            ret;
+}
diff --git a/member.c b/member.c
index 4b95f4d..d157fff 100644
--- a/member.c
+++ b/member.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <ecdaa-tpm.h>
 #include "client.h"
+#include "server.h"
 
 #define ISSUERIP "127.0.0.1"
 #define ISSUERPORT 6590
@@ -21,80 +22,130 @@ typedef enum memberstate {
     APPEND,
     JOINED,
     ATTEST,
-    PUBLISH
+    PUBLISH,
+    SHUTDOWN
 }memberstate_t;
 
-int process_member_client(int connfd);
+int process_member(int connfd);
+int member_join(int connfd);
 
 int main() {
     int err = 0;
-    client_t *client;
+    server_t *server;
 
-    client = client_open(&process_member_client);
-    if (NULL == client) {
+    server = server_open(&process_member, MEMBERPORT);
+    if (NULL == server) {
         printf("listen failed, closing...\n");
     }
 
     for (; !err;) {
-        err = client_connect(client, ISSUERPORT, ISSUERIP);
+        err = server_accept(server);
         if (1 == err) {
             printf("graceful shutdown...\n");
         } else if (err) {
             printf("accept failed, closing...\n");
         }
     }
-    printf("shut down client\n");
-    client_close(client);
-    return 0;
+    printf("shut down server\n");
+    server_close(server);
+
+   return 0;
 }
 
-int process_member_client(int connfd) {
+int process_member(int connfd) {
     char inbuf[MAX_BUFSIZE];
     char outbuf[MAX_BUFSIZE];
-    int n = 0;
-    memberstate_t state = JOIN;
+    int ret = 2;
 
-    strncpy(outbuf, "JOIN", 4);
-    printf("< MEMBER: %s\n", outbuf);
-    write(connfd, outbuf, sizeof(outbuf));
-    for (;;) {
+    while (ret == 2) {
         bzero(inbuf, MAX_BUFSIZE);
         bzero(outbuf, MAX_BUFSIZE);
 
         if (0 >= read(connfd, inbuf, sizeof(inbuf))) {
-            printf("process_issuer: cannot read from socket\n");
-            return -1;
+            printf("process_member: cannot read from socket\n");
+            ret = -1;
+        }
+        printf("> MEMBER: %s\n", inbuf);
+
+        if (0 == strncmp("ATTEST", inbuf, 6)) {
+            printf("attest()\n");
+            strncpy(outbuf, "OK\n", 3);
         }
+        else if (0 == strncmp("PUBLISH", inbuf, 7)) {
+            printf("publish()\n");
+            strncpy(outbuf, "OK\n", 3);
+        }
+        else if (0 == strncmp("JOIN", inbuf, 4)) {
+            printf("join()\n");
+            client_t *client;
+            client = client_open(&member_join);
+            if(0 != client_connect(client, ISSUERIP, ISSUERPORT)) {
+                strncpy(outbuf, "ERR\n", 4);
+                ret = -1;
+            } else {
+                if(0 != client_close(client)) {
+                    strncpy(outbuf, "ERR\n", 4);
+                }
+                strncpy(outbuf, "OK\n", 3);
+            }
+        }
+        else if (0 == strncmp("EXIT", inbuf, 4)) {
+            printf("exit()\n");
+            strncpy(outbuf, "OK\n", 3);
+            ret = 0;
+        }
+        else if (0 == strncmp("SHUTDOWN", inbuf, 8)) {
+            strncpy(outbuf, "OK\n", 3);
+            ret = 1;
+        }
+        else {
+            printf("error()\n");
+            strncpy(outbuf, "ERR\n", 4);
+            ret = -1;
+        }
+
+        printf("< MEMBER: %s\n", outbuf);
+        write(connfd, outbuf, sizeof(outbuf));
+    }
+    return ret;
+}
 
+int member_join(int connfd) {
+    char inbuf[MAX_BUFSIZE];
+    char outbuf[MAX_BUFSIZE];
+    int n = 0;
+    memberstate_t state = JOIN;
+
+    for (;;) {
         switch(state) {
             case JOIN:
+                strncpy(outbuf, "JOIN", 4);
                 state = APPEND;
                 break;
             case APPEND:
-                state = JOINED;
+                if (0 == strncmp("JOINSTART", inbuf, 9)) {
+                    strncpy(outbuf, "APPEND\n", 7);
+                    state = JOINED;
+                }
                 break;
             case JOINED:
-                state = ATTEST;
-                state = PUBLISH;
-                break;
-            case ATTEST:
-                state = JOINED;
-                break;
-            case PUBLISH:
+                if (0 == strncmp("JOINPROCEED", inbuf, 11)) {
+                    strncpy(outbuf, "OK\n", 3);
+                    return 0;
+                }
                 break;
+            default:
+                return -1;
         }
 
-        printf("> MEMBER: %s\n", inbuf);
-        strncpy(outbuf, "OK", 2);
-        printf("< MEMBER: %s\n", outbuf);
+        bzero(outbuf, MAX_BUFSIZE);
+        printf("ISSUER < MEMBER: %s\n", outbuf);
         write(connfd, outbuf, sizeof(outbuf));
-        if (0 == strncmp("exit", inbuf, 4)) {
-            printf("process_issuer: exiting gracefully\n");
-            return 0;
-        }
-        if (0 == strncmp("shutdown", inbuf, 8)) {
-            printf("process_issuer: shutting down gracefully\n");
-            return 1;
+
+        bzero(inbuf, MAX_BUFSIZE);
+        if (0 >= read(connfd, inbuf, sizeof(inbuf))) {
+            printf("process_issuer: cannot read from socket\n");
+            return -1;
         }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server.c b/server.c
index c39ade0..581838f 100644
--- a/server.c
+++ b/server.c
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ int server_accept(server_t *server) {
     struct sockaddr_in client;
     unsigned int client_len = 0;
     int connfd = -1;
+    int ret = 0;
+
     if (NULL == server || 0 != listen(server->conn->fd, MAX_CLIENTS)) {
         printf("server_accept: listen failed\n");
         return -1;
@@ -48,13 +50,13 @@ int server_accept(server_t *server) {
         printf("server_accept: connection to client failed, ");
         return -1;
     } else {
-        server->handler(connfd);
+        ret = server->handler(connfd);
         if(0 != close(connfd)) {
             printf("server_accept: failed to close client connection properly");
             return -1;
         }
     }
-    return 0;
+    return ret;
 }
 
 int server_close(server_t *server) {