diff --git a/scalpels/agents/server.py b/scalpels/agents/server.py
index 8535835..e8f6f64 100644
--- a/scalpels/agents/server.py
+++ b/scalpels/agents/server.py
@@ -22,9 +22,11 @@ class TraceEndpoint(object):
 
     def tracer_list(self, ctx):
         tracers = db_api.tracer_list()
-        ret = {}
+        ret = list()
         for tr in tracers:
-            ret[tr.name] = tr.template
+            ret.append({"name":tr.name,
+                        "tpl":tr.template,
+                        "running":tr.is_running})
         return ret
 
     def start_tracers(self, ctx, tracers):
@@ -43,6 +45,11 @@ class TraceEndpoint(object):
         db_api.register_tracer(name=tracer_opts["name"], template=tracer_opts["tpl"])
         print "[LOG] registering tracer %(name)s: %(tpl)s" % tracer_opts
 
+    def set_tracer_stat(self, ctx, tracer, running):
+        running=bool(running)
+        print "[LOG] setting tracer: %s running: %s" % (tracer, running)
+        db_api.tracer_update(tracer, running=running)
+
 class TaskEndpoint(object):
 
     target = oslo_messaging.Target(topic="test", version='1.0')
diff --git a/scalpels/client/actions/tracer.py b/scalpels/client/actions/tracer.py
index cc4354a..7ab81fb 100644
--- a/scalpels/client/actions/tracer.py
+++ b/scalpels/client/actions/tracer.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from prettytable import PrettyTable
 
 def run(config):
     tracers = agent_api.get_tracer_list()
-    t = PrettyTable(["tracer", "tracer template"])
-    for tracer, script in tracers.items():
-        t.add_row([tracer, script])
+    t = PrettyTable(["tracer", "tracer template", "is running"])
+    for tr in tracers:
+        t.add_row([tr["name"],tr["tpl"],tr["running"]])
     print t
diff --git a/scalpels/client/api.py b/scalpels/client/api.py
index cbb2699..6c673b0 100644
--- a/scalpels/client/api.py
+++ b/scalpels/client/api.py
@@ -57,5 +57,8 @@ class API(object):
     def get_config(self):
         return rpcapi.get_config()
 
+    def set_tracer_stat(self, tracer, running):
+        rpcapi.set_tracer_stat(tracer=tracer, running=running)
+
 
 api = API()
diff --git a/scalpels/client/rpcapi.py b/scalpels/client/rpcapi.py
index 32af529..0bc9099 100644
--- a/scalpels/client/rpcapi.py
+++ b/scalpels/client/rpcapi.py
@@ -37,5 +37,8 @@ class RPCAPI(object):
     def get_config(self, ctxt={}):
         return self._client.call(ctxt, "get_config")
 
+    def set_tracer_stat(self, ctxt={}, tracer=None, running=None):
+        self._client.cast(ctxt, "set_tracer_stat", tracer=tracer, running=running)
+
 transport = messaging.get_transport(cfg.CONF)
 rpcapi = RPCAPI(transport)
diff --git a/scalpels/cmd/agent.py b/scalpels/cmd/agent.py
index 5d0195c..8d7a731 100644
--- a/scalpels/cmd/agent.py
+++ b/scalpels/cmd/agent.py
@@ -3,9 +3,13 @@
 # Author: Kun Huang <academicgareth@gmail.com>
 
 from scalpels.agents.server import server
+from oslo_log import log as logging
+from oslo_config import cfg
 
 def main():
     # TODO handle stop later
+    logging.register_options(cfg.CONF)
+    logging.setup(cfg.CONF, "scalpels")
     server.start()
     server.wait()
 
diff --git a/scalpels/cmd/tracer.py b/scalpels/cmd/tracer.py
index 3da0518..cec092b 100644
--- a/scalpels/cmd/tracer.py
+++ b/scalpels/cmd/tracer.py
@@ -30,15 +30,16 @@ def read_from_ag(ag):
     # wrong impl. here, need read from config or db instead
     config = agent_api.get_config()
     tracers = agent_api.get_tracer_list()
-    if ag not in tracers.keys():
-        raise ValueError("tracer %s is not found" % ag)
-    tpl = tracers[ag]
-    return tpl % config
+    for tr in tracers:
+        if tr["name"] == ag:
+            return tr["tpl"] % config
+    raise ValueError("tracer %s is not found" % ag)
 
 def handle_int(signal, frame):
     print "[LOG] xxx is interupted"
     stop_tracer()
     save_result_to_task()
+    agent_api.set_tracer_stat(ag, running=False)
     sys.exit(0)
 
 def stop_tracer():
@@ -83,8 +84,11 @@ def main():
 
     worker = subprocess.Popen(cmd.split(), stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
     worker_pid = worker.pid
+    # this time, we got the pid, so tracer is running
+    agent_api.set_tracer_stat(ag, running=True)
     while True:
         t = worker.stdout.readline()
+
         if not len(t):
             break
         _t = (time.time(), t.strip())
diff --git a/scalpels/db/api.py b/scalpels/db/api.py
index eee8f24..233be0e 100644
--- a/scalpels/db/api.py
+++ b/scalpels/db/api.py
@@ -68,3 +68,12 @@ def update_config(data_opts):
 
 def get_config():
     return IMPL.get_config()
+
+def tracer_get(tracer):
+    """
+    param tracer: tracer name, like, 'rpc'
+    """
+    return IMPL.tracer_get(tracer)
+
+def tracer_update(tracer, running):
+    return IMPL.tracer_update(tracer, running)
diff --git a/scalpels/db/sqlalchemy/api.py b/scalpels/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
index 919c65c..f00b31d 100644
--- a/scalpels/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
+++ b/scalpels/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
@@ -139,3 +139,15 @@ def update_config(data_opts):
 def get_config():
     config = model_query(models.Setup).first()
     return config.config
+
+def tracer_get(tracer):
+    tracer = model_query(models.Tracer).filter_by(name=tracer).first()
+    return tracer
+
+def tracer_update(tracer_name, running):
+    session = get_session()
+    tracer = model_query(models.Tracer, session=session).filter_by(name=tracer_name).first()
+    tracer.update({"is_running":running})
+    tracer.save(session=session)
+    print "[LOG] %s db update running %s" % (tracer.name, running)
+    return tracer
diff --git a/scalpels/db/sqlalchemy/models.py b/scalpels/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
index e5a9416..a30bd14 100644
--- a/scalpels/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
+++ b/scalpels/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import json
 
 from sqlalchemy import types as sqa_types
 from scalpels.db.sqlalchemy import BASE
-from sqlalchemy import (Column, Integer, String)
+from sqlalchemy import (Column, Integer, String, Boolean)
 from oslo_db.sqlalchemy import models as oslodbmodels
 
 
@@ -56,5 +56,4 @@ class Tracer(BASE, ScalpelsBase):
     id = Column(Integer, primary_key=True, autoincrement=True)
     name = Column(String(20), nullable=False, unique=True)
     template = Column(String(20), nullable=False)
-    # yes for running, no for not
-    status = Column(String(20), default=lambda : "No",  nullable=False)
+    is_running = Column(Boolean(), default=False)
diff --git a/tools/init_scalpels.sh b/tools/init_scalpels.sh
index 108217a..ccc0ec0 100755
--- a/tools/init_scalpels.sh
+++ b/tools/init_scalpels.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash -x
 # Author: Kun Huang <academicgareth@gmail.com>
 
-sca-manage setup -f
+sca-manage db-create -f
 sca-manage setup -d rpcport=5672 -t name=rpc -t tpl="bash %(tracer_path)s/port-input-traffic.sh %(rpcport)s"
 sca-manage setup -t name=mysql -t tpl="bash %(tracer_path)s/mysql-live.sh"
 sca-manage setup -t name=rabbit -t tpl="python %(tracer_path)s/rbt-trace.py"