diff --git a/backend/.dockerignore b/backend/.dockerignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed8ebf5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/.dockerignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+__pycache__
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/Dockerfile b/backend/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2de7f16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+FROM python:3-alpine
+
+RUN apk --no-cache add build-base openldap-dev python2-dev python3-dev
+RUN pip3 install python-ldap requests coloredlogs
+
+COPY ./* ./
+
+ENTRYPOINT [ "python3", "mlmAccess.py" ]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/actor.py b/backend/actor.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..99569db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/actor.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+class MaActor:
+    def __init__(self, id):
+        self._id = id
+
+    def _mqttOnConnect(self, client, userdata, flags, rc):
+        client.subscribe("mlmAccess/pair/request/actor")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/dbHelper.py b/backend/dbHelper.py
index 6de26ac..648e832 100644
--- a/backend/dbHelper.py
+++ b/backend/dbHelper.py
@@ -2,22 +2,23 @@ import pymysql
 import json
 
 class MaDbHelper:
-    def __init__(self):
-        self.mysqlConn = pymysql.connect(host='localhost',
-                                    user='root',
-                                    passwd='MlmAccess',
-                                    db='MlmAccess',
-                                    port=4306)
+    def __init__(self, config):
+        self.mysqlConn = pymysql.connect(host=config["MYSQL_HOST"],
+                                    user=config["MYSQL_USER"],
+                                    passwd=config["MYSQL_PASSWORD"],
+                                    db=config["MYSQL_DATABASE"],
+                                    port=config["MYSQL_PORT"])
 
         self.mysqlCur = self.mysqlConn.cursor()
+        self._initDb()
 
     def _initDb(self):
         """
-        Generates required tables and users
+        Generates required tables
         """
 
-        """
-        CREATE TABLE vmq_auth_acl
+        query = """
+        CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS vmq_auth_acl
         (
         mountpoint VARCHAR(10) NOT NULL,
         client_id VARCHAR(128) NOT NULL,
@@ -29,6 +30,12 @@ class MaDbHelper:
         )
         """
 
+        self.mysqlCur.execute(
+            query
+        )
+
+        self.mysqlConn.commit()
+
     def addUser(self, username, password, publishAclPatterns, subscribeAclPatterns):
 
         if self.userExists(username):
diff --git a/backend/mlmAccess.py b/backend/mlmAccess.py
index 6ce8efa..1557e0f 100644
--- a/backend/mlmAccess.py
+++ b/backend/mlmAccess.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import paho.mqtt.client as mqtt
 from dbHelper import MaDbHelper
 from pairingHandler import MaPairingHandler
-import logging, coloredlogs
+import logging, coloredlogs, os, sys, random, string
 
 coloredlogs.install(level='INFO', fmt='%(asctime)s - [%(levelname)s] %(message)s')
 
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ class MlmAccess:
     def __init__(self):
         logging.info("=== MlmAccess ===")
 
+        self._config = self._readConfig()
+
         self._initDb()
         self._initMqtt()
 
@@ -18,10 +20,10 @@ class MlmAccess:
 
     def _initDb(self):
         logging.info("Initializing Database")
-        self._db = MaDbHelper()
+        self._db = MaDbHelper(self._config)
         initUsers = [
-            ("backend", "backend", ["mlmAccess/#"], ["mlmAccess/#"]),
-            ("pair-actor", "pair-actor", ["mlmAccess/pair/request/actor"], ["mlmAccess/pair/response/actor"])
+            ("backend", self._config["MQTT_BACKEND_PASSWORD"], ["mlmAccess/#"], ["mlmAccess/#"]),
+            ("pair-actor", self._config["PAIR_SECRET"], ["mlmAccess/pair/request/actor"], ["mlmAccess/pair/response/actor"])
         ]
 
         for username, password, publishAclPatterns, subscribeAclPatterns in initUsers:
@@ -31,12 +33,12 @@ class MlmAccess:
     def _initMqtt(self):
         logging.info("Initializing MQTT")
         self._mqtt = client = mqtt.Client(client_id="backend")
-        self._mqtt.username_pw_set("backend", "backend")
+        self._mqtt.username_pw_set("backend", self._config["MQTT_BACKEND_PASSWORD"])
 
         self._mqtt.on_connect = self._mqttOnConnect
         self._mqtt.on_message = self._mqttOnMessage
 
-        self._mqtt.connect("localhost", 1883, 60)
+        self._mqtt.connect(self._config["MQTT_HOST"], self._config["MQTT_PORT"], 60)
 
     def _mqttOnConnect(self, client, userdata, flags, rc):
         if rc != 0:
@@ -65,5 +67,48 @@ class MlmAccess:
         if topic.startswith("pair"):
             self._pairingHanlder.handlePairingRequest(topic, messageContent)
 
+    def _readConfig(self):
+
+        configKeyPrefix = "MLMACCESS_"
+
+        requiredConfigKeys = [
+            'MYSQL_USER',
+            'MYSQL_PASSWORD',
+            'MYSQL_DATABASE',
+            'PAIR_SECRET'
+        ]
+
+        allowedConfigKeys = [
+            'MYSQL_HOST', 
+            'MYSQL_PORT',
+            'MQTT_HOST',
+            'MQTT_PORT',
+        ]
+
+        backendPassword = ''.join(random.choices(string.ascii_uppercase + string.ascii_lowercase + string.digits, k=20))
+        config = {
+            "MYSQL_HOST": "mysql",
+            "MYSQL_PORT": 4306,
+            "MQTT_HOST": "mqtt",
+            "MQTT_PORT": 1883,
+            "MQTT_BACKEND_PASSWORD": backendPassword
+        }
+
+        for configKey in requiredConfigKeys:
+            if configKeyPrefix + configKey not in os.environ:
+                logging.error(f"Required environment value {configKeyPrefix + configKey} is not set")
+                sys.exit(1)
+            config[configKey] = os.environ[configKeyPrefix + configKey]
+
+        for configKey in allowedConfigKeys:
+            if configKeyPrefix + configKey in os.environ:
+                config[configKey] = os.environ[configKeyPrefix + configKey]
+
+        logging.info("CONFIG:")
+        for key, value in config.items():
+            logging.info("    * {:25}: {}".format(key, value))
+
+        return config
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     MlmAccess()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index b09ee00..51c151c 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 services:
-    broker:
+    mqtt:
         image: vernemq/vernemq:1.11.0
         environment:
             - DOCKER_VERNEMQ_ACCEPT_EULA=yes
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ services:
             - DOCKER_VERNEMQ_PLUGINS__VMQ_ACL=off
             - DOCKER_VERNEMQ_PLUGINS__VMQ_DIVERSITY=on
             - DOCKER_VERNEMQ_VMQ_DIVERSITY__AUTH_MYSQL__ENABLED=on
-            - DOCKER_VERNEMQ_VMQ_DIVERSITY__MYSQL__HOST=mysql-server
+            - DOCKER_VERNEMQ_VMQ_DIVERSITY__MYSQL__HOST=mysql
             - DOCKER_VERNEMQ_VMQ_DIVERSITY__MYSQL__PORT=3306
             - DOCKER_VERNEMQ_VMQ_DIVERSITY__MYSQL__USER=root
             - DOCKER_VERNEMQ_VMQ_DIVERSITY__MYSQL__PASSWORD=MlmAccess
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ services:
             - ./data/vernemq/data:/vernemq/data
             - ./data/vernemq/log:/vernemq/log
 
-    mysql-server:
+    mysql:
         image: mariadb
         restart: always
         command: --default-authentication-plugin=mysql_native_password
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ services:
         image: phpmyadmin/phpmyadmin
         restart: always
         environment:
-            - PMA_HOST=mysql-server
+            - PMA_HOST=mysql
             - PMA_USER=root
             - PMA_PASSWORD=MlmAccess
             - UPLOAD_LIMIT=512M
diff --git a/mock-actor/mock-actor-pair.py b/mock-actor/mock-actor-pair.py
index 1a0d556..117a2d6 100644
--- a/mock-actor/mock-actor-pair.py
+++ b/mock-actor/mock-actor-pair.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import logging, coloredlogs
 
 coloredlogs.install(level='INFO', fmt='%(asctime)s - [%(levelname)s] %(message)s')
 
-PAIR_ID = "106"
+PAIR_ID = "101"
 
 def on_connect(client, userdata, flags, rc):
     global PAIR_ID
diff --git a/mock-actor/mock-actor.py b/mock-actor/mock-actor.py
index 53836c2..bfebff2 100644
--- a/mock-actor/mock-actor.py
+++ b/mock-actor/mock-actor.py
@@ -1,28 +1,36 @@
 import paho.mqtt.client as mqtt
+import logging, coloredlogs
+
+coloredlogs.install(level='INFO', fmt='%(asctime)s - [%(levelname)s] %(message)s')
+
+ACTOR_ID = "101"
+ACTOR_PASSWORD = "MgUiSW1dloFt9TVKJM5E"
 
-# The callback for when the client receives a CONNACK response from the server.
 def on_connect(client, userdata, flags, rc):
-    print("Connected with result code "+str(rc))
-    # Subscribing in on_connect() means that if we lose the connection and
-    # reconnect then subscriptions will be renewed.
-    print("Subscribing to topic","mlmAccess/pair/response/actor")
-    print(client.subscribe("mlmAccess/actor/102/action"))
-    print("Publishing message to topic","mlmAccess/pair/request/actor")
-    print(client.publish("mlmAccess/actor/102/status", "0", retain=True))
+    global ACTOR_ID
+
+    if rc != 0:
+        logging.error(f"Error connecting to MQTT broker: {rc}")
+        return
+
+    logging.info("Successfully connected to MQTT broker")
+    
+    client.subscribe(f"mlmAccess/actor/{ACTOR_ID}/action")
+    client.publish(f"mlmAccess/actor/{ACTOR_ID}/status", "0", retain=True)
 
 def on_message(client, userdata, message):
-    print("message received " ,str(message.payload.decode("utf-8")))
-    print("message topic=",message.topic)
-    print("message qos=",message.qos)
-    print("message retain flag=",message.retain)
+    messageContent = str(message.payload.decode("utf-8"))
+    logging.info(f"Got request to perform action: {messageContent}")
+    # report back action to let the backend know that it was executed successfully
+    client.publish(f"mlmAccess/actor/{ACTOR_ID}/status", messageContent, retain=True)
 
-client = mqtt.Client(client_id="actor-102")
-client.username_pw_set("actor-102", "YWT2JPOEZH")
+client = mqtt.Client(client_id=f"actor-{ACTOR_ID}")
+client.username_pw_set(f"actor-{ACTOR_ID}", ACTOR_PASSWORD)
 
 client.on_connect = on_connect
 client.on_message = on_message
 
-print("connecting to broker")
-print(client.connect("localhost", 1883, 60))
+logging.info("Initializing MQTT")
+client.connect("localhost", 1883, 60)
 
 client.loop_forever()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/runBackend.sh b/runBackend.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..05fc4b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runBackend.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+export MLMACCESS_MYSQL_USER=root
+export MLMACCESS_MYSQL_PASSWORD=MlmAccess
+export MLMACCESS_MYSQL_DATABASE=MlmAccess
+export MLMACCESS_MYSQL_HOST=localhost
+export MLMACCESS_MQTT_HOST=localhost
+export MLMACCESS_PAIR_SECRET=pair-actor
+
+python3 backend/mlmAccess.py
\ No newline at end of file