diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e42d0a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package client
+
+import (
+	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+type Client struct {
+	Socket   *websocket.Conn
+	Send     chan *SendMessage
+	Received chan *ReceiveMessage
+}
+
+// Write to websocket
+func (client *Client) Write() {
+	defer client.Socket.Close()
+	var err error
+	for msg := range client.Send {
+		err = client.Socket.WriteJSON(msg)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error("Error inside client write ", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Read from websocket
+func (client *Client) Read() {
+	defer client.Socket.Close()
+	for {
+		var message *ReceiveMessage
+		err := client.Socket.ReadJSON(&message)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Errorf("While reading from client: %s", err)
+		} else {
+			client.Received <- message
+		}
+
+	}
+}
diff --git a/client/const.go b/client/const.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b54577
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/const.go
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+package client
+
+const (
+	socketBufferSize  = 1042
+	messageBufferSize = 256
+)
diff --git a/client/controller.go b/client/controller.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f8ba6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/controller.go
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+package client
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+
+	"github.com/bisohns/saido/config"
+	"github.com/bisohns/saido/driver"
+	"github.com/bisohns/saido/inspector"
+)
+
+var upgrader = &websocket.Upgrader{
+	ReadBufferSize:  socketBufferSize,
+	WriteBufferSize: socketBufferSize,
+	CheckOrigin: func(r *http.Request) bool {
+		return true
+	}}
+
+type HostsController struct {
+	Info *config.DashboardInfo
+	// Connections : hostname mapped to connection instances to reuse
+	// across metrics
+	mu      sync.Mutex
+	Drivers map[string]*driver.Driver
+	// ReadOnlyHosts : restrict pinging every other server except these
+	ReadOnlyHosts []string
+	Client        chan *Client
+	Received      chan *ReceiveMessage
+}
+
+func (hosts *HostsController) getDriver(address string) *driver.Driver {
+	hosts.mu.Lock()
+	defer hosts.mu.Unlock()
+	return hosts.Drivers[address]
+}
+
+func (hosts *HostsController) resetDriver(host config.Host) {
+	hosts.mu.Lock()
+	defer hosts.mu.Unlock()
+	hostDriver := host.Connection.ToDriver()
+	hosts.Drivers[host.Address] = &hostDriver
+}
+
+func (hosts *HostsController) setReadOnlyHost(hostlist config.HostList) {
+	hosts.mu.Lock()
+	defer hosts.mu.Unlock()
+	hosts.ReadOnlyHosts = hostlist
+}
+
+func (hosts *HostsController) sendMetric(host config.Host, client *Client) {
+	if hosts.getDriver(host.Address) == nil {
+		hosts.resetDriver(host)
+	}
+	for _, metric := range hosts.Info.Metrics {
+		driver := hosts.getDriver(host.Address)
+		initializedMetric, err := inspector.Init(metric, driver)
+		data, err := initializedMetric.Execute()
+		if err == nil {
+			var unmarsh interface{}
+			json.Unmarshal(data, &unmarsh)
+			message := &SendMessage{
+				Message: Message{
+					Host:     host.Address,
+					Platform: (*driver).GetDetails().Name,
+					Name:     metric,
+					Data:     unmarsh,
+				},
+				Error: false,
+			}
+			client.Send <- message
+		} else {
+			// check for error 127 which means command was not found
+			var errorContent string
+			if !strings.Contains(fmt.Sprintf("%s", err), "127") {
+				errorContent = fmt.Sprintf("Could not retrieve metric %s from driver %s with error %s, resetting connection...", metric, host.Address, err)
+			} else {
+				errorContent = fmt.Sprintf("Command %s not found on driver %s", metric, host.Address)
+			}
+			log.Error(errorContent)
+			hosts.resetDriver(host)
+			message := &SendMessage{
+				Message: errorContent,
+				Error:   true,
+			}
+			client.Send <- message
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (hosts *HostsController) Poll(client *Client) {
+	for {
+		for _, host := range hosts.Info.Hosts {
+			if config.Contains(hosts.ReadOnlyHosts, host) {
+				go hosts.sendMetric(host, client)
+			}
+		}
+		log.Infof("Delaying for %d seconds", hosts.Info.PollInterval)
+		time.Sleep(time.Duration(hosts.Info.PollInterval) * time.Second)
+	}
+}
+
+func (hosts *HostsController) Run() {
+	for {
+		select {
+		case client := <-hosts.Client:
+			go hosts.Poll(client)
+		case received := <-hosts.Received:
+			if received.FilterBy == "" {
+				hosts.setReadOnlyHost(hosts.Info.GetAllHostAddresses())
+			} else {
+				hosts.setReadOnlyHost([]string{received.FilterBy})
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+}
+
+func (hosts *HostsController) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+	socket, err := upgrader.Upgrade(w, req, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+		return
+	}
+	client := &Client{
+		Socket:   socket,
+		Send:     make(chan *SendMessage, messageBufferSize),
+		Received: hosts.Received,
+	}
+	hosts.Client <- client
+	go client.Write()
+	client.Read()
+}
+
+// NewHostsController : initialze host controller with config file
+func NewHostsController(cfg *config.Config) *HostsController {
+	dashboardInfo := config.GetDashboardInfoConfig(cfg)
+	hosts := &HostsController{
+		Info:          dashboardInfo,
+		Drivers:       make(map[string]*driver.Driver),
+		ReadOnlyHosts: dashboardInfo.GetAllHostAddresses(),
+		Client:        make(chan *Client),
+		Received:      make(chan *ReceiveMessage),
+	}
+	return hosts
+}
diff --git a/client/messages.go b/client/messages.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5d423c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/messages.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package client
+
+type SendMessage struct {
+	Error   bool
+	Message interface{}
+}
+
+type Message struct {
+	Host     string
+	Name     string
+	Platform string
+	Data     interface{}
+}
+
+// ReceiveMessage : specify the host to filter by
+type ReceiveMessage struct {
+	FilterBy string
+}
diff --git a/cmd/api.go b/cmd/api.go
index cd21898..59da2e2 100644
--- a/cmd/api.go
+++ b/cmd/api.go
@@ -16,181 +16,27 @@ limitations under the License.
 package cmd
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
-	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
-	"strings"
-	"sync"
-	"time"
 
-	"github.com/bisohns/saido/config"
-	"github.com/bisohns/saido/driver"
-	"github.com/bisohns/saido/inspector"
+	"github.com/bisohns/saido/client"
 	"github.com/gorilla/handlers"
-	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
-const (
-	socketBufferSize  = 1042
-	messageBufferSize = 256
-)
-
 var (
-	port     string
-	server   = http.NewServeMux()
-	upgrader = &websocket.Upgrader{
-		ReadBufferSize:  socketBufferSize,
-		WriteBufferSize: socketBufferSize,
-		CheckOrigin: func(r *http.Request) bool {
-			return true
-		}}
+	port   string
+	server = http.NewServeMux()
 )
 
-type FullMessage struct {
-	Error   bool
-	Message interface{}
-}
-
-type Message struct {
-	Host     string
-	Name     string
-	Platform string
-	Data     interface{}
-}
-
-type Client struct {
-	Socket *websocket.Conn
-	Send   chan *FullMessage
-}
-
-// Write to websocket
-func (client *Client) Write() {
-	defer client.Socket.Close()
-	var err error
-	for msg := range client.Send {
-		err = client.Socket.WriteJSON(msg)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Error("Error inside client write ", err)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-type Hosts struct {
-	Info *config.DashboardInfo
-	// Connections : hostname mapped to connection instances to reuse
-	// across metrics
-	mu      sync.Mutex
-	Drivers map[string]*driver.Driver
-	// ReadOnlyHosts : restrict pinging every other server except these
-	ReadOnlyHosts []string
-	Client        chan *Client
-	Start         chan bool
-}
-
-func (hosts *Hosts) getDriver(address string) *driver.Driver {
-	hosts.mu.Lock()
-	defer hosts.mu.Unlock()
-	return hosts.Drivers[address]
-}
-
-func (hosts *Hosts) resetDriver(host config.Host) {
-	hosts.mu.Lock()
-	defer hosts.mu.Unlock()
-	hostDriver := host.Connection.ToDriver()
-	hosts.Drivers[host.Address] = &hostDriver
-}
-
-func (hosts *Hosts) sendMetric(host config.Host, client *Client) {
-	if hosts.getDriver(host.Address) == nil {
-		hosts.resetDriver(host)
-	}
-	for _, metric := range hosts.Info.Metrics {
-		driver := hosts.getDriver(host.Address)
-		initializedMetric, err := inspector.Init(metric, driver)
-		data, err := initializedMetric.Execute()
-		if err == nil {
-			var unmarsh interface{}
-			json.Unmarshal(data, &unmarsh)
-			message := &FullMessage{
-				Message: Message{
-					Host:     host.Address,
-					Platform: (*driver).GetDetails().Name,
-					Name:     metric,
-					Data:     unmarsh,
-				},
-				Error: false,
-			}
-			client.Send <- message
-		} else {
-			// check for error 127 which means command was not found
-			var errorContent string
-			if !strings.Contains(fmt.Sprintf("%s", err), "127") {
-				errorContent = fmt.Sprintf("Could not retrieve metric %s from driver %s with error %s, resetting connection...", metric, host.Address, err)
-			} else {
-				errorContent = fmt.Sprintf("Command %s not found on driver %s", metric, host.Address)
-			}
-			log.Error(errorContent)
-			hosts.resetDriver(host)
-			message := &FullMessage{
-				Message: errorContent,
-				Error:   true,
-			}
-			client.Send <- message
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-func (hosts *Hosts) Run() {
-	log.Debug("In Running")
-	for {
-		select {
-		case client := <-hosts.Client:
-			for {
-				for _, host := range hosts.Info.Hosts {
-					go hosts.sendMetric(host, client)
-				}
-				log.Infof("Delaying for %d seconds", hosts.Info.PollInterval)
-				time.Sleep(time.Duration(hosts.Info.PollInterval) * time.Second)
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-}
-
-func (hosts *Hosts) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
-	socket, err := upgrader.Upgrade(w, req, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-		return
-	}
-	client := &Client{
-		Socket: socket,
-		Send:   make(chan *FullMessage, messageBufferSize),
-	}
-	hosts.Client <- client
-	client.Write()
-}
-
-func newHosts(cfg *config.Config) *Hosts {
-	dashboardInfo := config.GetDashboardInfoConfig(cfg)
-	hosts := &Hosts{
-		Info:    dashboardInfo,
-		Drivers: make(map[string]*driver.Driver),
-		Client:  make(chan *Client),
-	}
-	return hosts
-}
-
 var apiCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "dashboard",
 	Short: "Run saido dashboard on a PORT env variable, fallback to set argument",
 	Long:  ``,
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-		hosts := newHosts(cfg)
+		hosts := client.NewHostsController(cfg)
 		server.Handle("/metrics", hosts)
 		log.Info("listening on :", port)
 		_, err := strconv.Atoi(port)
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 993d950..e37d097 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -18,6 +18,26 @@ type DashboardInfo struct {
 	PollInterval int
 }
 
+type HostList = []string
+
+func Contains(hostList HostList, host Host) bool {
+	for _, compare := range hostList {
+		if host.Address == compare {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// GetAllHostAddresses : returns list of all hosts in the dashboard
+func (dashboardInfo *DashboardInfo) GetAllHostAddresses() (addresses HostList) {
+	addresses = []string{}
+	for _, host := range dashboardInfo.Hosts {
+		addresses = append(addresses, host.Address)
+	}
+	return
+}
+
 type Connection struct {
 	Type           string `mapstructure:"type"`
 	Username       string `mapstructure:"username"`