diff --git a/src/alpenrose/main.rs b/src/alpenrose/main.rs
index b53573fe..53b354d1 100644
--- a/src/alpenrose/main.rs
+++ b/src/alpenrose/main.rs
@@ -66,11 +66,6 @@ pub struct RealtimeFeedFetch {
     pub fetch_interval_ms: Option<i32>,
 }
 
-#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Clone, Hash, PartialEq, Eq)]
-struct InstructionsPerWorker {
-    feeds: Vec<RealtimeFeedFetch>,
-}
-
 #[tokio::main]
 async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error + Sync + Send>> {
     let this_worker_id = Arc::new(Uuid::new_v4().to_string());
@@ -123,7 +118,8 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error + Sync + Send>> {
                 CreateMode::Ephemeral,
             )
             .await
-            .unwrap().unwrap();
+            .unwrap()
+            .unwrap();
 
         let workers_assignments = zk
             .create(
@@ -135,10 +131,11 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error + Sync + Send>> {
             .await
             .unwrap();
 
+        //each feed id ephemeral id contains the last time updated, with none meaning the data has not been assigned to the node yet
         let this_worker_assignments = zk
             .create(
                 format!("/alpenrose_assignments/{}", this_worker_id).as_str(),
-                vec![],
+                bincode::serialize(&None::<u64>).unwrap(),
                 Acl::open_unsafe(),
                 CreateMode::Ephemeral,
             )
@@ -216,8 +213,10 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error + Sync + Send>> {
                                 // divide feeds between worker nodes
 
                                 // feed id -> List of realtime fetch instructions
-                                let mut assignments: BTreeMap<String, Vec<RealtimeFeedFetch>> =
-                                    BTreeMap::new();
+                                let mut assignments: BTreeMap<
+                                    String,
+                                    HashMap<String, RealtimeFeedFetch>,
+                                > = BTreeMap::new();
 
                                 for (index, (feed_id, realtime_instructions)) in
                                     feeds_map.iter().enumerate()
@@ -225,37 +224,58 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error + Sync + Send>> {
                                     let node_to_assign = &worker_nodes[index % worker_nodes.len()];
 
                                     //append to list
-                                    assignments.entry(node_to_assign.to_string()).and_modify(
-                                        |instructions| {
-                                            instructions.push(realtime_instructions.clone());
-                                        },
-                                    ).or_insert(vec![realtime_instructions.clone()]);
+                                    assignments
+                                        .entry(node_to_assign.to_string())
+                                        .and_modify(|instructions| {
+                                            instructions.insert(
+                                                feed_id.clone(),
+                                                realtime_instructions.clone(),
+                                            );
+                                        })
+                                        .or_insert({
+                                            let mut map = HashMap::new();
+                                            map.insert(
+                                                feed_id.clone(),
+                                                realtime_instructions.clone(),
+                                            );
+                                            map
+                                        });
                                 }
-                                // look at current assignments, delete old assignments
-
-                                // assign feeds to worker nodes
-
-                                for (node, instructions) in assignments.iter() {
-                                    let instructions_per_worker = InstructionsPerWorker {
-                                        feeds: instructions.clone(),
-                                    };
-
-                                    //this is capped at 1MB, I should change the data structure to be smaller
-
-                                    // Option 1: Each worker node has a list of feeds, and then has to lookup the associated instructions in zookeeper
-                                    // downside, what if associated instructions update?
-
-                                    //Option 2: Store each instruction as a sub zookeeper node of the worker node
-                                    // upside is that the instructions disappear when the worker node disappears
-                                    //downside, still has too lookup all the sequential data etc
 
-                                    let _ = zk.set_data(
-                                        format!("/alpenrose_assignments/{}", node).as_str(),
-                                        None,
-                                        bincode::serialize(&instructions_per_worker).unwrap(),
-                                    )
-                                    .await
-                                    .unwrap();
+                                //update assignments in zookeeper
+
+                                for (worker_id, instructions_hashmap) in assignments.iter() {
+                                    for (feed_id, realtime_instruction) in instructions_hashmap {
+                                        let feed_id_str = feed_id.clone();
+
+                                        //update each feed under the workers node's assignment
+                                        let assignment = zk
+                                            .create(
+                                                format!(
+                                                    "/alpenrose_assignments/{}/{}",
+                                                    worker_id, feed_id_str
+                                                )
+                                                .as_str(),
+                                                bincode::serialize(&realtime_instruction).unwrap(),
+                                                Acl::open_unsafe(),
+                                                CreateMode::Ephemeral,
+                                            )
+                                            .await?;
+                                    }
+
+                                    //update the worker's last updated time
+                                    let worker_assignment_metadata = zk
+                                        .create(
+                                            format!("/alpenrose_assignments/{}", this_worker_id)
+                                                .as_str(),
+                                            bincode::serialize(&Some(
+                                                catenary::duration_since_unix_epoch().as_millis(),
+                                            ))
+                                            .unwrap(),
+                                            Acl::open_unsafe(),
+                                            CreateMode::Ephemeral,
+                                        )
+                                        .await?;
                                 }
                             }
                         }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index fb18821d..f9f9e865 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ pub mod schema;
 use fasthash::MetroHasher;
 use std::hash::Hash;
 use std::hash::Hasher;
+use std::time::Duration;
+use std::time::{SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
 
 pub const WGS_84_SRID: u32 = 4326;
 
@@ -102,3 +104,7 @@ pub fn fast_hash<T: Hash>(t: &T) -> u64 {
     t.hash(&mut s);
     s.finish()
 }
+
+pub fn duration_since_unix_epoch() -> Duration {
+    SystemTime::now().duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH).unwrap()
+}