diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/index/shard/ShardRegistry.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/index/shard/ShardRegistry.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7567c6b4e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/index/shard/ShardRegistry.java
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005-2015 Alfresco Software Limited.
+ *
+ * This file is part of Alfresco
+ *
+ * Alfresco is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Alfresco is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+package org.alfresco.repo.index.shard;
+
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.search.SearchParameters;
+
+/**
+ * @author Andy
+ *
+ */
+public interface ShardRegistry
+{
+    public void registerShardState(ShardState shardState);
+    
+    public List<ShardInstance> getIndexSlice(SearchParameters searchParameters);
+}
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/index/shard/ShardRegistryImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/index/shard/ShardRegistryImpl.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0c3706272f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/index/shard/ShardRegistryImpl.java
@@ -0,0 +1,276 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005-2015 Alfresco Software Limited.
+ *
+ * This file is part of Alfresco
+ *
+ * Alfresco is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Alfresco is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with Alfresco. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+package org.alfresco.repo.index.shard;
+
+import java.io.Serializable;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Random;
+
+import org.alfresco.repo.cache.SimpleCache;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.attributes.AttributeService;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.attributes.AttributeService.AttributeQueryCallback;
+import org.alfresco.service.cmr.search.SearchParameters;
+import org.alfresco.util.GUID;
+
+import com.hazelcast.util.ConcurrentHashSet;
+
+/**
+ * @author Andy
+ */
+public class ShardRegistryImpl implements ShardRegistry
+{
+    private static String SHARD_STATE_KEY = ".SHARD_STATE";
+
+    private AttributeService attributeService;
+
+    private SimpleCache<ShardInstance, ShardState> shardStateCache;
+
+    private SimpleCache<ShardInstance, String> shardToGuidCache;
+
+    private ConcurrentHashSet<Floc> knownFlocks = new ConcurrentHashSet<Floc>();
+
+    private Random random = new Random(123);
+
+    public ShardRegistryImpl()
+    {
+    }
+
+    public void setAttributeService(AttributeService attributeService)
+    {
+        this.attributeService = attributeService;
+    }
+
+    public void setShardStateCache(SimpleCache<ShardInstance, ShardState> shardStateCache)
+    {
+        this.shardStateCache = shardStateCache;
+    }
+
+    public void setShardToGuidCache(SimpleCache<ShardInstance, String> shardToGuidCache)
+    {
+        this.shardToGuidCache = shardToGuidCache;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param shardState
+     */
+    public void registerShardState(ShardState shardState)
+    {
+
+        String guid = getPersistedShardStatusGuid(shardState.getShardInstance());
+        attributeService.setAttribute(shardState, SHARD_STATE_KEY, guid);
+        shardStateCache.put(shardState.getShardInstance(), shardState);
+        knownFlocks.add(shardState.getShardInstance().getShard().getFloc());
+    }
+
+    public List<ShardInstance> getIndexSlice(SearchParameters searchParameters)
+    {
+        Floc floc = findFlocFromKnown(searchParameters);
+        if (floc == null)
+        {
+            updateKnownFlocs();
+            floc = findFlocFromKnown(searchParameters);
+        }
+        return selectShardInstancesForFlock(floc);
+
+    }
+
+    private List<ShardInstance> selectShardInstancesForFlock(Floc floc)
+    {
+        HashMap<Shard, HashSet<ShardInstance>> index = new HashMap<Shard, HashSet<ShardInstance>>();
+
+        getShardInstancesFromCache(floc, index);
+        if (index.size() < floc.getNumberOfShards())
+        {
+            updateShardStateCache(floc);
+        }
+        getShardInstancesFromCache(floc, index);
+
+        ArrayList<ShardInstance> slice = new ArrayList<ShardInstance>(floc.getNumberOfShards());
+        for (Shard shard : index.keySet())
+        {
+            int position = random.nextInt(index.get(shard).size());
+            ShardInstance instance = index.get(shard).toArray(new ShardInstance[] {})[position];
+            slice.add(instance);
+        }
+        return slice;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param floc
+     */
+    private void updateShardStateCache(Floc floc)
+    {
+        ShardStateCollector shardStates = getPersistedShardStates();
+        HashMap<Shard, HashMap<ShardInstance, ShardState>> shards = shardStates.getIndexes().get(floc);
+        for (HashMap<ShardInstance, ShardState> map : shards.values())
+        {
+            for (ShardInstance instance : map.keySet())
+            {
+                shardStateCache.put(instance, map.get(instance));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param floc
+     * @param index
+     */
+    private void getShardInstancesFromCache(Floc floc, HashMap<Shard, HashSet<ShardInstance>> index)
+    {
+        for (ShardInstance instance : shardStateCache.getKeys())
+        {
+            if (instance.getShard().getFloc().equals(floc))
+            {
+                HashSet<ShardInstance> replicas = index.get(instance.getShard());
+                if (replicas == null)
+                {
+                    replicas = new HashSet<ShardInstance>();
+                    index.put(instance.getShard(), replicas);
+                }
+                replicas.add(instance);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void updateKnownFlocs()
+    {
+        ShardStateCollector shardStates = getPersistedShardStates();
+        knownFlocks.addAll(shardStates.getIndexes().keySet());
+    }
+
+    private Floc findFlocFromKnown(SearchParameters searchParameters)
+    {
+        Floc best = null;
+        for (Floc floc : knownFlocks)
+        {
+            if (floc.getStoreRefs().containsAll(searchParameters.getStores()))
+            {
+                best = getBestFloc(best, floc);
+            }
+        }
+        return best;
+    }
+
+    private Floc getBestFloc(Floc best, Floc floc)
+    {
+        if (best == null)
+        {
+            return floc;
+        }
+        if (best.getNumberOfShards() >= floc.getNumberOfShards())
+        {
+            return best;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            return floc;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private String getPersistedShardStatusGuid(ShardInstance shardInstance)
+    {
+        String guid = shardToGuidCache.get(shardInstance);
+        if (guid == null)
+        {
+            ShardStateCollector shardStates = getPersistedShardStates();
+            for (ShardInstance instance : shardStates.getShardGuids().keySet())
+            {
+                if (!shardToGuidCache.contains(instance))
+                {
+                    shardToGuidCache.put(instance, shardStates.getShardGuids().get(instance));
+                }
+            }
+            guid = shardToGuidCache.get(shardInstance);
+        }
+        if(guid == null)
+        {
+            guid =  GUID.generate();
+            shardToGuidCache.put(shardInstance, guid);
+        }
+        return guid;
+    }
+
+    private ShardStateCollector getPersistedShardStates()
+    {
+        ShardStateCollector shardStateCollector = new ShardStateCollector();
+        attributeService.getAttributes(shardStateCollector, SHARD_STATE_KEY);
+        knownFlocks.addAll(shardStateCollector.getIndexes().keySet());
+        return shardStateCollector;
+    }
+
+    protected static class ShardStateCollector implements AttributeQueryCallback
+    {
+        HashMap<ShardInstance, String> shardGuids = new HashMap<ShardInstance, String>();
+
+        HashMap<Floc, HashMap<Shard, HashMap<ShardInstance, ShardState>>> indexes = new HashMap<Floc, HashMap<Shard, HashMap<ShardInstance, ShardState>>>();
+
+        public ShardStateCollector()
+        {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean handleAttribute(Long id, Serializable value, Serializable[] keys)
+        {
+            
+            String shardInstanceGuid = (String) keys[1];
+
+            ShardState shardState = (ShardState) value;
+
+            shardGuids.put(shardState.getShardInstance(), shardInstanceGuid);
+
+            HashMap<Shard, HashMap<ShardInstance, ShardState>> shards = indexes.get(shardState.getShardInstance().getShard().getFloc());
+            if (shards == null)
+            {
+                shards = new HashMap<Shard, HashMap<ShardInstance, ShardState>>();
+                indexes.put(shardState.getShardInstance().getShard().getFloc(), shards);
+            }
+            HashMap<ShardInstance, ShardState> shardInstances = shards.get(shardState.getShardInstance().getShard());
+            if (shardInstances == null)
+            {
+                shardInstances = new HashMap<ShardInstance, ShardState>();
+                shards.put(shardState.getShardInstance().getShard(), shardInstances);
+            }
+            ShardState currentState = shardInstances.get(shardState.getShardInstance());
+
+            shardInstances.put(shardState.getShardInstance(), shardState);
+
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * @return the shardGuids
+         */
+        public HashMap<ShardInstance, String> getShardGuids()
+        {
+            return shardGuids;
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * @return the indexes
+         */
+        public HashMap<Floc, HashMap<Shard, HashMap<ShardInstance, ShardState>>> getIndexes()
+        {
+            return indexes;
+        }
+
+    }
+}