diff --git a/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/api/common/AsterixHyracksIntegrationUtil.java b/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/api/common/AsterixHyracksIntegrationUtil.java
index a568464..c67eb70 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/api/common/AsterixHyracksIntegrationUtil.java
+++ b/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/api/common/AsterixHyracksIntegrationUtil.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 package org.apache.asterix.api.common;
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.EnumSet;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@
             ncConfig1.nodeId = ncName;
             ncConfig1.resultTTL = 30000;
             ncConfig1.resultSweepThreshold = 1000;
+            ncConfig1.appArgs = Arrays.asList("-virtual-NC");
             String tempPath = System.getProperty(IO_DIR_KEY);
             if (tempPath.endsWith(File.separator)) {
                 tempPath = tempPath.substring(0, tempPath.length() - 1);
@@ -109,8 +111,19 @@
                 }
             }
             ncConfig1.appNCMainClass = NCApplicationEntryPoint.class.getName();
-            ncs[n] = new NodeControllerService(ncConfig1);
-            ncs[n].start();
+            NodeControllerService nodeControllerService = new NodeControllerService(ncConfig1);
+            ncs[n] = nodeControllerService;
+            Thread ncStartThread = new Thread() {
+                @Override
+                public void run() {
+                    try {
+                        nodeControllerService.start();
+                    } catch (Exception e) {
+                        e.printStackTrace();
+                    }
+                }
+            };
+            ncStartThread.start();
             ++n;
         }
         hcc = new HyracksConnection(cc.getConfig().clientNetIpAddress, cc.getConfig().clientNetPort);
diff --git a/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/hyracks/bootstrap/NCApplicationEntryPoint.java b/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/hyracks/bootstrap/NCApplicationEntryPoint.java
index 4922ae6..643bb16 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/hyracks/bootstrap/NCApplicationEntryPoint.java
+++ b/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/hyracks/bootstrap/NCApplicationEntryPoint.java
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@
     @Option(name = "-initial-run", usage = "A flag indicating if it's the first time the NC is started (default: false)", required = false)
     public boolean initialRun = false;
 
+    @Option(name = "-virtual-NC", usage = "A flag indicating if this NC is running on virtual cluster (default: false)", required = false)
+    public boolean virtualNC = false;
+
     private INCApplicationContext ncApplicationContext = null;
     private IAsterixAppRuntimeContext runtimeContext;
     private String nodeId;
@@ -88,7 +91,6 @@
 
         ncAppCtx.setThreadFactory(new AsterixThreadFactory(ncAppCtx.getLifeCycleComponentManager()));
         ncApplicationContext = ncAppCtx;
-
         nodeId = ncApplicationContext.getNodeId();
         if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
             LOGGER.info("Starting Asterix node controller: " + nodeId);
@@ -120,7 +122,8 @@
                 LOGGER.info("System is in a state: " + systemState);
             }
 
-            if (replicationEnabled) {
+            //do not attempt to perform remote recovery if this is a virtual NC
+            if (replicationEnabled && !virtualNC) {
                 if (systemState == SystemState.NEW_UNIVERSE || systemState == SystemState.CORRUPTED) {
                     //Try to perform remote recovery
                     IRemoteRecoveryManager remoteRecoveryMgr = runtimeContext.getRemoteRecoveryManager();
diff --git a/asterix-app/src/main/resources/asterix-build-configuration.xml b/asterix-app/src/main/resources/asterix-build-configuration.xml
index 731113b..ff03ab6 100644
--- a/asterix-app/src/main/resources/asterix-build-configuration.xml
+++ b/asterix-app/src/main/resources/asterix-build-configuration.xml
@@ -98,4 +98,10 @@
 		<description>Enabling plot of Algebricks plan to tmp folder. (Default = false)
 		</description>
 	</property>
+    <property>
+        <name>log.level</name>
+        <value>WARNING</value>
+        <description>The minimum log level to be displayed. (Default = INFO)
+        </description>
+    </property>
 </asterixConfiguration>
diff --git a/asterix-app/src/main/resources/cluster.xml b/asterix-app/src/main/resources/cluster.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8f0b694
--- /dev/null
+++ b/asterix-app/src/main/resources/cluster.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+<!--
+ ! Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+ ! or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+ ! distributed with this work for additional information
+ ! regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+ ! to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+ ! "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+ ! with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ !
+ !   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ !
+ ! Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+ ! software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+ ! "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+ ! KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+ ! specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ ! under the License.
+ !-->
+<cluster xmlns="cluster">
+  <instance_name>asterix</instance_name>
+  <store>storage</store>
+
+  <data_replication>
+    <enabled>false</enabled>
+    <replication_port>2016</replication_port>
+    <replication_factor>2</replication_factor>
+    <auto_failover>false</auto_failover>
+    <replication_time_out>30</replication_time_out>
+  </data_replication>
+
+  <master_node>
+    <id>master</id>
+    <client_ip>127.0.0.1</client_ip>
+    <cluster_ip>127.0.0.1</cluster_ip>
+    <client_port>1098</client_port>
+    <cluster_port>1099</cluster_port>
+    <http_port>8888</http_port>
+  </master_node>
+  <node>
+    <id>nc1</id>
+    <cluster_ip>127.0.0.1</cluster_ip>
+    <replication_port>2016</replication_port>
+  </node>
+  <node>
+    <id>nc2</id>
+    <cluster_ip>127.0.0.1</cluster_ip>
+    <replication_port>2017</replication_port>
+  </node>
+</cluster>
\ No newline at end of file