diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 52e45c485..15a823372 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ SconsBuilder*
 .scon*
 .build
 
+# sandbox directory #
+#######################
+sandbox
+
 # Eclipse related files #
 #########################
 .setting*
@@ -70,4 +74,4 @@ win/*.suo
 win/Debug/
 win/Release/
 win/bin/
-win/bin-debug/
\ No newline at end of file
+win/bin-debug/
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e151feec3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+testdata_folder = "testdata"   #where to locate test data
+sandbox = "sandbox"   #where to locate builds, server configs and test data
+area_name = "amager"   #name of OSM data file
+
+desc "Rebuild,  reprocess OSM data and run server"
+task :default => [:build, :process, :run]
+
+desc "Build using Scons"
+task :build do
+  system "scons"
+end
+
+
+file "#{sandbox}/#{area_name}.osm.pbf" => "#{testdata_folder}/#{area_name}.osm.pbf" do |t|
+  raise unless system "cp #{t.prerequisites.join} #{t.name}"
+end
+
+desc "Process OSM test data"
+task :process => ["#{sandbox}/#{area_name}.osm.pbf", :setup] do
+  prev = Dir.pwd
+  cd sandbox    #we must be in the sandbox folder to use the speedprofile.ini in that folder
+  raise "Error while extracting data." unless system "./osrm-extract #{area_name}.osm.pbf"
+  raise "Error while preparing data." unless system "./osrm-prepare #{area_name}.osrm #{area_name}.osrm.restrictions"
+  cd prev
+end
+
+desc "Download fresh OSM for the test data"
+task :download => :setup do
+  start = Time.now
+  country = 'denmark'
+  bbox = 'top=55.6655 left=12.5589 bottom=55.6462 right=12.5963'
+  area = area_name
+
+  raise "Error while downloading data." unless system "curl http://download.geofabrik.de/osm/europe/#{country}.osm.pbf -o #{sandbox}/#{country}.osm.pbf"
+  raise "Error while cropping data." unless system "osmosis --read-pbf file=#{sandbox}/#{country}.osm.pbf --bounding-box #{bbox} --write-pbf file=#{sandbox}/#{area}.osm.pbf omitmetadata=true"
+end
+
+desc "Setup server files"
+task :setup => ["#{sandbox}/speedprofile.ini", "#{sandbox}/extractor.ini", "#{sandbox}/server.ini"]
+
+file "#{sandbox}/speedprofile.ini" => "speedprofile.ini" do |t|
+  system "cp #{t.prerequisites.join} #{t.name}"
+end
+
+file "#{sandbox}/extractor.ini" => "extractor.ini" do |t|
+  system "cp #{t.prerequisites.join} #{t.name}"
+end
+
+file "#{sandbox}/server.ini" => "server.ini" do |t|
+  #first time the file is copied, we adjusts server settings to point to data files in our sandbox folder
+  text = File.read(t.prerequisites.join)
+  text.gsub!('/opt/osm/germany', "#{Dir.pwd}/sandbox/#{area_name}")
+  file = File.new( t.name, "w+")
+  file.puts text
+  file.close
+end
+
+desc "Run the OSRM server"
+task :run => :setup do
+  cd sandbox
+  system "osrm-routed"
+end
+
+desc "Run all test"
+task :test do
+  puts "Test would go here..."
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index b36216746..9df1512f8 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -49,68 +49,72 @@ def CheckProtobuf(context, version):
     context.Result(ret)
     return ret
 
+
 AddOption('--cxx', dest='cxx', type='string', nargs=1, action='store', metavar='STRING', help='C++ Compiler')
 AddOption('--stxxlroot', dest='stxxlroot', type='string', nargs=1, action='store', metavar='STRING', help='root directory of STXXL')
 AddOption('--verbosity', dest='verbosity', type='string', nargs=1, action='store', metavar='STRING', help='make Scons talking')
 AddOption('--buildconfiguration', dest='buildconfiguration', type='string', nargs=1, action='store', metavar='STRING', help='debug or release')
-env = Environment(ENV = {'PATH' : os.environ['PATH']} ,COMPILER = GetOption('cxx'))
-if sys.platform.startswith("freebsd"):
-	env.ParseConfig('pkg-config --cflags --libs protobuf')
+
+env = Environment( ENV = {'PATH' : os.environ['PATH']} ,COMPILER = GetOption('cxx'))
+conf = Configure(env, custom_tests = { 'CheckBoost' : CheckBoost, 'CheckProtobuf' : CheckProtobuf })
+
+
 if GetOption('cxx') is None:
     #default Compiler
     print 'Using default C++ Compiler: ', env['CXX']
 else:
     env.Replace(CXX = GetOption('cxx'))
     print 'Using user supplied C++ Compiler: ', env['CXX']
-if GetOption('stxxlroot') is not None:
-   env.Append(CPPPATH = GetOption('stxxlroot')+'/include')
-   env.Append(LIBPATH = GetOption('stxxlroot')+'/lib')
-   print 'STXXLROOT = ', GetOption('stxxlroot')
-if sys.platform == 'win32':
-    #SCons really wants to use Microsoft compiler
-    print "Compiling is not yet supported on Windows"
-    Exit(-1)
-else:  #Mac OS X
-    if sys.platform == 'darwin':
-        print "Compiling is experimental on Mac"
-        env.Append(CPPPATH = ['/opt/local/include/', '/opt/local/include/libxml2'])
-	env.Append(LIBPATH = ['/opt/local/lib'])
-    elif sys.platform.startswith('freebsd'):
-        env.Append(CPPPATH = ['/usr/local/include', '/usr/local/include/libxml2'])
-        env.Append(LIBPATH = ['/usr/local/lib'])
-    else:
-        env.Append(CPPPATH = ['/usr/include', '/usr/include/include', '/usr/include/libxml2/'])
+
 if GetOption('buildconfiguration') == 'debug':
 	env.Append(CCFLAGS = ['-Wall', '-g3', '-rdynamic'])
 else:
-	env.Append(CCFLAGS = ['-O3', '-DNDEBUG', '-march=native'])
-#print "Compiling with: ", env['CXX']
-conf = Configure(env, custom_tests = { 'CheckBoost' : CheckBoost, 'CheckProtobuf' : CheckProtobuf })
-if not conf.CheckHeader('omp.h'):
-	print "Compiler does not support OpenMP. Exiting"
-	if sys.platform == 'darwin':
-		print "Continuing because we are on Mac. This might be fatal."
-	else:
+	env.Append(CCFLAGS = ['-O3', '-DNDEBUG'])
+
+
+if sys.platform == 'darwin':	#Mac OS X
+	env.Append(CPPPATH = ['/usr/include/libxml2'] )		#comes with os x
+	#assume dependencies are installed with homebrew, and call out get folder locations
+	import subprocess
+	stxxl_prefix = subprocess.check_output(["brew", "--prefix", "libstxxl"]).strip()
+	env.Append(CPPPATH = [stxxl_prefix+"/include"] )
+	env.Append(LIBPATH = [stxxl_prefix+"/lib"] )
+	
+	boost_prefix = subprocess.check_output(["brew", "--prefix", "boost"]).strip()
+	env.Append(CPPPATH = [boost_prefix+"/include"] )
+	env.Append(LIBPATH = [boost_prefix+"/lib"] )	
+	
+	#libxml2_prefix = subprocess.check_output(["brew", "--prefix", "libxml2"]).strip()
+	#env.Append(CPPPATH = [libxml2_prefix+"/include"] )
+	#env.Append(LIBPATH = [libxml2_prefix+"/lib"] )	
+
+elif sys.platform.startswith("freebsd"):
+	env.ParseConfig('pkg-config --cflags --libs protobuf')
+	env.Append(CPPPATH = ['/usr/local/include', '/usr/local/include/libxml2'])
+	env.Append(LIBPATH = ['/usr/local/lib'])
+	if GetOption('stxxlroot') is not None:
+	   env.Append(CPPPATH = GetOption('stxxlroot')+'/include')
+	   env.Append(LIBPATH = GetOption('stxxlroot')+'/lib')
+	   print 'STXXLROOT = ', GetOption('stxxlroot')
+	if GetOption('buildconfiguration') != 'debug':
+		env.Append(CCFLAGS = ['-march=native'])
+	#print "Compiling with: ", env['CXX']
+	env.Append(CCFLAGS = ['-fopenmp'])
+	env.Append(LINKFLAGS = ['-fopenmp'])
+elif sys.platform == 'win32':
+	#SCons really wants to use Microsoft compiler
+	print "Compiling is not yet supported on Windows"
+	Exit(-1)
+else:
+	print "Unknown platform.."
+	env.Append(CPPPATH = ['/usr/include', '/usr/include/include', '/usr/include/libxml2/'])
+
+
+if sys.platform != 'darwin':
+	if not conf.CheckHeader('omp.h'):
+		print "Compiler does not support OpenMP. Exiting"
 		Exit(-1)
-if not conf.CheckLibWithHeader('bz2', 'bzlib.h', 'CXX'):
-	print "bz2 library not found. Exiting"
-	Exit(-1)
-if not conf.CheckLibWithHeader('libzip', 'zip.h', 'CXX'):
-	print "Zip library not found. Exiting"
-	Exit(-1)
-if not conf.CheckLibWithHeader('protobuf', 'google/protobuf/descriptor.h', 'CXX'):
-	print "Google Protobuffer library not found. Exiting"
-	Exit(-1)
-#check for protobuf 2.3.0
-if not (conf.CheckProtobuf('2.3.0')):
-	print 'libprotobuf version >= 2.3.0 needed'
-	Exit(-1);
-if not (env.Detect('protoc')):
-	print 'protobuffer compiler not found'
-	Exit(-1);
-if not conf.CheckLibWithHeader('stxxl', 'stxxl.h', 'CXX'):
-	print "stxxl library not found. Exiting"
-	Exit(-1)
+
 if not conf.CheckLibWithHeader('xml2', 'libxml/xmlreader.h', 'CXX'):
 	print "libxml2 library or header not found. Exiting"
 	Exit(-1)
@@ -143,12 +147,14 @@ if not conf.CheckLibWithHeader('boost_thread', 'boost/thread.hpp', 'CXX'):
 if not conf.CheckLibWithHeader('boost_regex', 'boost/regex.hpp', 'CXX'):
 	print "boost/regex.hpp not found. Exiting"
 	Exit(-1)
-if not conf.CheckCXXHeader('boost/array.hpp'):
-	print "boost/thread.hpp not found. Exiting"
-	Exit(-1)
-if not conf.CheckCXXHeader('boost/asio.hpp'):
-	print "boost/thread.hpp not found. Exiting"
-	Exit(-1)
+if not conf.CheckLib('boost_system', language="C++"):
+	if not conf.CheckLib('boost_system-mt', language="C++"):
+		print "boost_system library not found. Exiting"
+		Exit(-1)
+	else:
+		print "using boost -mt"
+		env.Append(CCFLAGS = ' -lboost_system-mt')
+		env.Append(LINKFLAGS = ' -lboost_system-mt')
 if not conf.CheckCXXHeader('boost/bind.hpp'):
 	print "boost/bind.hpp not found. Exiting"
 	Exit(-1)
@@ -191,18 +197,27 @@ if not conf.CheckCXXHeader('boost/tuple/tuple.hpp'):
 if not conf.CheckCXXHeader('boost/unordered_map.hpp'):
 	print "boost thread header not found. Exiting"
 	Exit(-1)
+#if os.sysconf('SC_NPROCESSORS_ONLN') > 1:
+#	env.Append(CCFLAGS = ' -D_GLIBCXX_PARALLEL');
+if not (conf.CheckBoost('1.41')):
+	print 'Boost version >= 1.41 needed'
+	Exit(-1);
+#check for protobuf 2.3.0, else rebuild proto files
+if not (conf.CheckProtobuf('2.3.0')):
+	print 'libprotobuf version >= 2.3.0 needed'
+	Exit(-1);
+if not (env.Detect('protoc')):
+	print 'protobuffer compiler not found'
+	
 
 protobld = Builder(action = 'protoc -I=DataStructures/pbf-proto --cpp_out=DataStructures/pbf-proto $SOURCE')
 env.Append(BUILDERS = {'Protobuf' : protobld})
 env.Protobuf('DataStructures/pbf-proto/fileformat.proto')
 env.Protobuf('DataStructures/pbf-proto/osmformat.proto')
-env.Append(CCFLAGS = ['-fopenmp'])
-env.Append(LINKFLAGS = ['-fopenmp'])
+#env.Append(LINKFLAGS = ['-lboost_system'])
 
-env.Program(target = 'osrm-extract', source = ["extractor.cpp", Glob('DataStructures/pbf-proto/*.pb.cc'), Glob('Util/*.cpp')])
-env.Program(target = 'osrm-prepare', source = ["createHierarchy.cpp", 'Contractor/EdgeBasedGraphFactory.cpp', Glob('Util/SRTMLookup/*.cpp')])
-env.Append(CCFLAGS = ['-lboost_regex', '-lboost_iostreams', '-lbz2', '-lz', '-lprotobuf'])
-env.Append(LINKFLAGS = ['-lboost_system'])
-env.Program(target = 'osrm-routed', source = ["routed.cpp", 'Descriptors/DescriptionFactory.cpp'], CCFLAGS = ['-DROUTED'])
+env.Program(target = 'sandbox/osrm-extract', source = ["extractor.cpp", 'DataStructures/pbf-proto/fileformat.pb.cc', 'DataStructures/pbf-proto/osmformat.pb.cc'])
+env.Program(target = 'sandbox/osrm-prepare', source = ["createHierarchy.cpp", 'Contractor/EdgeBasedGraphFactory.cpp'])
+env.Program(target = 'sandbox/osrm-routed', source = ["routed.cpp", 'Descriptors/DescriptionFactory.cpp'])
 env = conf.Finish()
 
diff --git a/testdata/amager.osm.pbf b/testdata/amager.osm.pbf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bfcb5b654
Binary files /dev/null and b/testdata/amager.osm.pbf differ