diff --git a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topo.js b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topo.js
index 480e499..66386f9 100644
--- a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topo.js
+++ b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topo.js
@@ -28,13 +28,13 @@
     ];
 
     // references to injected services etc.
-    var $log, ks, zs, gs, ms, ps, wss, tes;
+    var $log, ks, zs, gs, ms, ps, tes;
 
     // DOM elements
     var ovtopo, svg, defs, zoomLayer, map;
 
     // Internal state
-    var zoomer, wsock, evDispatcher;
+    var zoomer, evDispatcher;
 
     // Note: "exported" state should be properties on 'self' variable
 
@@ -129,44 +129,6 @@
         //showCallibrationPoints();
     }
 
-    // --- Web Socket Connection -----------------------------------------
-    // TODO: migrate this code to be encapsulated by TopoEventService
-
-    function onWsOpen() {
-        $log.log('web socket opened...');
-        evDispatcher.sendEvent('requestSummary');
-    }
-
-    function onWsMessage(ev) {
-        evDispatcher.handleEvent(ev);
-    }
-
-    function onWsClose(reason) {
-        $log.log('web socket closed; reason=', reason);
-        wsock = null;
-        tes.bindSock(null);
-    }
-
-    // wsport indicates web-socket-server port other than the default.
-    // Used for testing with the mock-web-socket-server.
-    function setUpWebSocket(wsport) {
-        wsock = wss.createWebSocket('topology', {
-            onOpen: onWsOpen,
-            onMessage: onWsMessage,
-            onClose: onWsClose,
-            wsport: wsport
-        });
-
-        tes.bindSock(wsock);
-
-        // TODO: handle "guiSuccessor" functionality (replace host)
-        // TODO: implement retry on close functionality
-
-
-        $log.log('created web socket', wsock);
-        // TODO: complete implementation...
-
-    }
 
     // --- Controller Definition -----------------------------------------
 
@@ -175,10 +137,10 @@
         .controller('OvTopoCtrl', [
             '$scope', '$log', '$location', '$timeout',
             'KeyService', 'ZoomService', 'GlyphService', 'MapService',
-            'PanelService', 'WebSocketService', 'TopoEventService',
+            'PanelService', 'TopoEventService',
 
         function ($scope, _$log_, $loc, $timeout,
-                  _ks_, _zs_, _gs_, _ms_, _ps_, _wss_, _tes_) {
+                  _ks_, _zs_, _gs_, _ms_, _ps_, _tes_) {
             var self = this;
             $log = _$log_;
             ks = _ks_;
@@ -186,7 +148,6 @@
             gs = _gs_;
             ms = _ms_;
             ps = _ps_;
-            wss = _wss_;
             tes = _tes_;
 
             self.notifyResize = function () {
@@ -196,9 +157,7 @@
             // Cleanup on destroyed scope..
             $scope.$on('$destroy', function () {
                 $log.log('OvTopoCtrl is saying Buh-Bye!');
-                wsock && wsock.close();
-                wsock = null;
-                tes.bindSock(null);
+                tes.closeSock();
                 ps.destroyPanel('topo-p-summary');
             });
 
@@ -206,14 +165,16 @@
             ovtopo = d3.select('#ov-topo');
             svg = ovtopo.select('svg');
 
-            // bind to topo event service..
-            evDispatcher = tes.dispatcher;
+            // bind to topo event dispatcher..
+            evDispatcher = tes.bindDispatcher('TODO: topo-DOM-elements-here');
 
             setUpKeys();
             setUpDefs();
             setUpZoom();
             setUpMap();
-            setUpWebSocket($loc.search().wsport);
+
+            // open up a connection to the server...
+            tes.openSock();
 
             // TODO: remove this temporary code....
             var p = ps.createPanel('topo-p-summary');
diff --git a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topoEvent.js b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topoEvent.js
index 943c883..73bcc25 100644
--- a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topoEvent.js
+++ b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topoEvent.js
@@ -22,11 +22,17 @@
 (function () {
     'use strict';
 
-    var $log, wes;
+    // injected refs
+    var $log, wss, wes;
+
+    // internal state
+    var wsock;
 
     var evHandler = {
         showSummary: showSummary,
         addInstance: addInstance
+        // TODO: implement remaining handlers..
+
     };
 
     function unknownEvent(ev) {
@@ -43,31 +49,81 @@
         $log.log(' *** We got an ADD INSTANCE event: ', ev);
     }
 
+    // ==========================
+
+    var dispatcher = {
+        handleEvent: function (ev) {
+            (evHandler[ev.event] || unknownEvent)(ev);
+        },
+        sendEvent: function (evType, payload) {
+            if (wsock) {
+                wes.sendEvent(wsock, evType, payload);
+            } else {
+                $log.warn('sendEvent: no websocket open:', evType, payload);
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
+    // ===  Web Socket functions ===
+
+    function onWsOpen() {
+        $log.debug('web socket opened...');
+        // kick off request for periodic summary data...
+        dispatcher.sendEvent('requestSummary');
+    }
+
+    function onWsMessage(ev) {
+        dispatcher.handleEvent(ev);
+    }
+
+    function onWsClose(reason) {
+        $log.log('web socket closed; reason=', reason);
+        wsock = null;
+    }
+
+    // ==========================
+
     angular.module('ovTopo')
-        .factory('TopoEventService', ['$log', 'WsEventService',
-        function (_$log_, _wes_) {
+    .factory('TopoEventService',
+        ['$log', '$location', 'WebSocketService', 'WsEventService',
+
+        function (_$log_, $loc, _wss_, _wes_) {
             $log = _$log_;
+            wss = _wss_;
             wes = _wes_;
 
-            var wsock;
+            function bindDispatcher(TopoDomElementsPassedHere) {
+                // TODO: store refs to topo DOM elements...
+
+                return dispatcher;
+            }
+
+            // TODO: handle "guiSuccessor" functionality (replace host)
+            // TODO: implement retry on close functionality
+            function openSock() {
+                wsock = wss.createWebSocket('topology', {
+                    onOpen: onWsOpen,
+                    onMessage: onWsMessage,
+                    onClose: onWsClose,
+                    wsport: $loc.search().wsport
+                });
+                $log.debug('web socket opened:', wsock);
+            }
+
+            function closeSock() {
+                var path;
+                if (wsock) {
+                    path = wsock.meta.path;
+                    wsock.close();
+                    wsock = null;
+                    $log.debug('web socket closed. path:', path);
+                }
+            }
 
             return {
-                dispatcher: {
-                    handleEvent: function (ev) {
-                        (evHandler[ev.event] || unknownEvent)(ev);
-                    },
-                    sendEvent: function (evType, payload) {
-                        if (wsock) {
-                            wes.sendEvent(wsock, evType, payload);
-                        } else {
-                            $log.warn('sendEvent: no websocket open:',
-                                evType, payload);
-                        }
-                    }
-                },
-                bindSock: function (ws) {
-                    wsock = ws;
-                }
+                bindDispatcher: bindDispatcher,
+                openSock: openSock,
+                closeSock: closeSock
             }
         }]);
 }());