diff --git a/SAS/ResourceAssignment/RAtoOTDBTaskSpecificationPropagator/test/t_rotspservice.py b/SAS/ResourceAssignment/RAtoOTDBTaskSpecificationPropagator/test/t_rotspservice.py
index 66bfa974c64d2ab006e7a5bc3c5108bb1014d17a..1e49b01e28d6a0f1ab09a39e2ea4671c3dafefb2 100755
--- a/SAS/ResourceAssignment/RAtoOTDBTaskSpecificationPropagator/test/t_rotspservice.py
+++ b/SAS/ResourceAssignment/RAtoOTDBTaskSpecificationPropagator/test/t_rotspservice.py
@@ -42,10 +42,6 @@ with patch('lofar.sas.resourceassignment.ratootdbtaskspecificationpropagator.rpc
         #give pre-cooked answer depending on called service
         if servicename == 'ResourceEstimator':
             return {'Observation':{'total_data_size':1, 'total_bandwidth':1, 'output_files':1}}, "OK"
-        elif servicename == 'SSDBService.GetActiveGroupNames':
-            return {0:'storagenodes', 1:'computenodes', 2:'archivenodes', 3:'locusnodes', 4:'cep4'}, "OK"
-        elif servicename == 'SSDBService.GetHostForGID':
-            return {u'groupname': u'cep4', u'nodes': [{u'claimedspace': 0, u'totalspace': 702716, u'statename': u'Active', u'usedspace': 23084, u'id': 1, u'groupname': u'cep4', u'path': u'/lustre', u'hostname': u'lustre001'}]}, "OK"
 
         return None, None
 
diff --git a/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssigner/lib/assignment.py b/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssigner/lib/assignment.py
index 994a2f5ddd48691e5ea83ddf3aabdbd875a08ce7..bc79c86c91f3d8427b1893f76ac69f6f26b8942c 100755
--- a/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssigner/lib/assignment.py
+++ b/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssigner/lib/assignment.py
@@ -45,10 +45,6 @@ from lofar.sas.resourceassignment.resourceassignmentestimator.config import DEFA
 from lofar.sas.otdb.otdbrpc import OTDBRPC
 from lofar.sas.otdb.config import DEFAULT_OTDB_SERVICE_BUSNAME, DEFAULT_OTDB_SERVICENAME
 
-from lofar.sas.systemstatus.service.SSDBrpc import SSDBRPC
-from lofar.sas.systemstatus.service.config import DEFAULT_SSDB_BUSNAME
-from lofar.sas.systemstatus.service.config import DEFAULT_SSDB_SERVICENAME
-
 from lofar.sas.resourceassignment.resourceassigner.config import DEFAULT_RA_NOTIFICATION_BUSNAME
 from lofar.sas.resourceassignment.resourceassigner.config import DEFAULT_RA_NOTIFICATION_PREFIX
 
@@ -60,8 +56,6 @@ class ResourceAssigner():
                  radb_servicename=RADB_SERVICENAME,
                  re_busname=RE_BUSNAME,
                  re_servicename=RE_SERVICENAME,
-                 ssdb_busname=DEFAULT_SSDB_BUSNAME,
-                 ssdb_servicename=DEFAULT_SSDB_SERVICENAME,
                  otdb_busname=DEFAULT_OTDB_SERVICE_BUSNAME,
                  otdb_servicename=DEFAULT_OTDB_SERVICENAME,
                  ra_notification_busname=DEFAULT_RA_NOTIFICATION_BUSNAME,
@@ -73,13 +67,10 @@ class ResourceAssigner():
         :param radb_servicename: servicename of the radb service (default: RADBService)
         :param re_busname: busname on which the resource estimator service listens (default: lofar.ra.command)
         :param re_servicename: servicename of the resource estimator service (default: ResourceEstimation)
-        :param ssdb_busname: busname on which the ssdb service listens (default: lofar.system)
-        :param ssdb_servicename: servicename of the radb service (default: SSDBService)
         :param broker: Valid Qpid broker host (default: None, which means localhost)
         """
         self.radbrpc = RARPC(servicename=radb_servicename, busname=radb_busname, broker=broker)
         self.rerpc = RPC(re_servicename, busname=re_busname, broker=broker, ForwardExceptions=True)
-        self.ssdbrpc = SSDBRPC(servicename=ssdb_servicename, busname=ssdb_busname, broker=broker)
         self.otdbrpc = OTDBRPC(busname=otdb_busname, servicename=otdb_servicename, broker=broker) ## , ForwardExceptions=True hardcoded in RPCWrapper right now
         self.ra_notification_bus = ToBus(address=ra_notification_busname, broker=broker)
         self.ra_notification_prefix = ra_notification_prefix
@@ -98,7 +89,6 @@ class ResourceAssigner():
         self.radbrpc.open()
         self.rerpc.open()
         self.otdbrpc.open()
-        self.ssdbrpc.open()
         self.ra_notification_bus.open()
 
     def close(self):
@@ -106,7 +96,6 @@ class ResourceAssigner():
         self.radbrpc.close()
         self.rerpc.close()
         self.otdbrpc.close()
-        self.ssdbrpc.close()
         self.ra_notification_bus.close()
 
     def doAssignment(self, specification_tree):
@@ -174,13 +163,6 @@ class ResourceAssigner():
             logger.error("no task type %s found in estimator results %s" % (taskType, needed[str(otdb_id)]))
             return
 
-        # make sure the availability in the radb is up to date
-        # TODO: this should be updated regularly
-        try:
-            self.updateAvailableResources('cep4')
-        except Exception as e:
-            logger.warning("Exception while updating available resources: %s" % str(e))
-
         # claim the resources for this task
         # during the claim inserts the claims are automatically validated
         # and if not enough resources are available, then they are put to conflict status
@@ -271,34 +253,6 @@ class ResourceAssigner():
         logger.info('getNeededResouces: %s' % replymessage)
         return replymessage
 
-    def updateAvailableResources(self, cluster):
-        # find out which resources are available
-        # and what is their capacity
-        # For now, only look at CEP4 storage
-        # Later, also look at stations up/down for short term scheduling
-
-        #get all active groupnames, find id for cluster group
-        groupnames = self.ssdbrpc.getactivegroupnames()
-        cluster_group_id = next(k for k,v in groupnames.items() if v == cluster)
-
-        # for CEP4 cluster, do hard codes lookup of first and only node
-        node_info = self.ssdbrpc.gethostsforgid(cluster_group_id)['nodes'][0]
-
-        storage_resources = self.radbrpc.getResources(resource_types='storage', include_availability=True)
-        cep4_storage_resource = next(x for x in storage_resources if 'cep4' in x['name'])
-        active = node_info['statename'] == 'Active'
-        total_capacity = node_info['totalspace']
-        available_capacity = total_capacity - node_info['usedspace']
-
-        logger.info("Updating resource availability of %s (id=%s) to active=%s available_capacity=%s total_capacity=%s" %
-                    (cep4_storage_resource['name'], cep4_storage_resource['id'], active, available_capacity, total_capacity))
-
-        self.radbrpc.updateResourceAvailability(cep4_storage_resource['id'],
-                                                active=active,
-                                                available_capacity=available_capacity,
-                                                total_capacity=total_capacity)
-
-
     def claimResources(self, needed_resources, task):
         logger.info('claimResources: task %s needed_resources=%s' % (task, needed_resources))
 
diff --git a/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssigner/lib/raservice.py b/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssigner/lib/raservice.py
index a8cae557c285c661a5eb6dd44b20d46d8f1665ce..18aa2f2733628416e3d026e2ea51147567c85ec8 100755
--- a/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssigner/lib/raservice.py
+++ b/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssigner/lib/raservice.py
@@ -83,8 +83,6 @@ def main():
     from lofar.sas.resourceassignment.resourceassignmentestimator.config import DEFAULT_BUSNAME as RE_BUSNAME
     from lofar.sas.resourceassignment.resourceassignmentestimator.config import DEFAULT_SERVICENAME as RE_SERVICENAME
     from lofar.sas.otdb.config import DEFAULT_OTDB_SERVICE_BUSNAME, DEFAULT_OTDB_SERVICENAME
-    from lofar.sas.systemstatus.service.config import DEFAULT_SSDB_BUSNAME
-    from lofar.sas.systemstatus.service.config import DEFAULT_SSDB_SERVICENAME
     from lofar.sas.resourceassignment.resourceassigner.config import DEFAULT_RA_NOTIFICATION_BUSNAME
     from lofar.sas.resourceassignment.resourceassigner.config import DEFAULT_RA_NOTIFICATION_PREFIX
 
@@ -114,12 +112,6 @@ def main():
                       help="Name of the resource estimator service. [default: %default]")
     parser.add_option("--otdb_busname", dest="otdb_busname", type="string", default=DEFAULT_OTDB_SERVICE_BUSNAME, help="Name of the bus on which the OTDB service listens, default: %default")
     parser.add_option("--otdb_servicename", dest="otdb_servicename", type="string", default=DEFAULT_OTDB_SERVICENAME, help="Name of the OTDB service, default: %default")
-    parser.add_option("--ssdb_busname", dest="ssdb_busname", type="string",
-                      default=DEFAULT_SSDB_BUSNAME,
-                      help="Name of the bus on which the ssdb service listens. [default: %default]")
-    parser.add_option("--ssdb_servicename", dest="ssdb_servicename", type="string",
-                      default=DEFAULT_SSDB_SERVICENAME,
-                      help="Name of the ssdb service. [default: %default]")
     parser.add_option("--ra_notification_busname", dest="ra_notification_busname", type="string",
                       default=DEFAULT_RA_NOTIFICATION_BUSNAME,
                       help="Name of the notification bus on which the resourceassigner publishes its notifications. [default: %default]")
@@ -139,8 +131,6 @@ def main():
                           re_servicename=options.re_servicename,
                           otdb_busname=options.otdb_busname,
                           otdb_servicename=options.otdb_servicename,
-                          ssdb_busname=options.ssdb_busname,
-                          ssdb_servicename=options.ssdb_servicename,
                           ra_notification_busname=options.ra_notification_busname,
                           ra_notification_prefix=options.ra_notification_prefix,
                           broker=options.broker) as assigner:
diff --git a/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssigner/test/t_resourceassigner.py b/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssigner/test/t_resourceassigner.py
index 90a9cb2828a55b6bf0dc68ba2ba7bf79c1495935..eec15481b8c5f7317d17e6fc25ef717c79ea7c3e 100755
--- a/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssigner/test/t_resourceassigner.py
+++ b/SAS/ResourceAssignment/ResourceAssigner/test/t_resourceassigner.py
@@ -47,10 +47,6 @@ with patch('lofar.sas.resourceassignment.resourceassignmentservice.rpc.RARPC', a
         #give pre-cooked answer depending on called service
         if servicename == 'ResourceEstimation':
             return {'1290472': {'observation': {'bandwidth': {'total_size': 9372800}, 'storage': {'total_size': 140592000, 'output_files': {'is': {'is_nr_stokes': 1, 'is_file_size': 36864000, 'nr_of_is_files': 1}, 'uv': {'nr_of_uv_files': 50, 'uv_file_size': 2074560}, 'saps': [{'sap_nr': 0, 'properties': {'nr_of_uv_files': 50, 'nr_of_is_files': 1}}]}}}}}, "OK"
-        elif servicename == 'SSDBService.GetActiveGroupNames':
-            return {0:'storagenodes', 1:'computenodes', 2:'archivenodes', 3:'locusnodes', 4:'cep4'}, "OK"
-        elif servicename == 'SSDBService.GetHostForGID':
-            return {u'groupname': u'cep4', u'nodes': [{u'claimedspace': 0, u'totalspace': 702716, u'statename': u'Active', u'usedspace': 23084, u'id': 1, u'groupname': u'cep4', u'path': u'/lustre', u'hostname': u'lustre001'}]}, "OK"
 
         return None, None