diff --git a/VirtualMachineService/VirtualMachineServer.py b/VirtualMachineService/VirtualMachineServer.py
index a2057d93..0d2cee8a 100644
--- a/VirtualMachineService/VirtualMachineServer.py
+++ b/VirtualMachineService/VirtualMachineServer.py
@@ -14,15 +14,30 @@
 from thrift.server import TServer
 import yaml
 import click
-import socket
-from contextlib import closing
+
+USERNAME = 'OS_USERNAME'
+PASSWORD = 'OS_PASSWORD'
+PROJECT_NAME = 'OS_PROJECT_NAME'
+PROJECT_ID = 'OS_PROJECT_ID'
+USER_DOMAIN_ID = 'OS_USER_DOMAIN_NAME'
+AUTH_URL = 'OS_AUTH_URL'
+
+environment_variables = [
+    USERNAME,
+    PASSWORD,
+    PROJECT_NAME,
+    PROJECT_ID,
+    USER_DOMAIN_ID,
+    AUTH_URL,
+]
+
 
 @click.command()
 @click.argument('config')
 def startServer(config):
     click.echo("Start Cloud-Client-Portal Server")
 
-    CONFIG_FILE=config
+    CONFIG_FILE = config
 
     with open(CONFIG_FILE, 'r') as ymlfile:
         cfg = yaml.load(ymlfile)
@@ -41,9 +56,15 @@ def startServer(config):
     server.serve()
 
 
+def check_environment_variables(envs):
+    def check_env(var):
+        if var not in os.environ:
+            click.echo("ERROR: There is no {} set in environment.".format(var))
+            click.echo("Please make sure you have sourced your openstack rc file")
+            sys.exit()
+    list(map(lambda var: check_env(var), envs))
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    with closing(
-            socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)) as sock:
-        r = sock.connect_ex(('129.70.51.6', 30072))
-        print(r)
+    check_environment_variables(environment_variables)
     startServer()