diff --git a/arangod/CMakeLists.txt b/arangod/CMakeLists.txt
index 879e89dea7..d5dc42ec80 100644
--- a/arangod/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/arangod/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -284,6 +284,7 @@ SET(ARANGOD_SOURCES
   RocksDBEngine/RocksDBTransactionCollection.cpp
   RocksDBEngine/RocksDBTransactionContextData.cpp
   RocksDBEngine/RocksDBTransactionState.cpp
+  RocksDBEngine/RocksDBTypes.cpp
   RocksDBEngine/RocksDBView.cpp
   Scheduler/Acceptor.cpp
   Scheduler/AcceptorTcp.cpp
diff --git a/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBEngine.cpp b/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBEngine.cpp
index a97fc14678..d55b9522df 100644
--- a/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBEngine.cpp
+++ b/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBEngine.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "ProgramOptions/Section.h"
 #include "RestServer/DatabasePathFeature.h"
 #include "RocksDBEngine.h"
+#include "RocksDBTypes.h"
 #include <Basics/Result.h>
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <rocksdb/db.h>
@@ -124,7 +125,17 @@ PhysicalView* RocksDBEngine::createPhysicalView(LogicalView*,
 // -----------------------
 
 void RocksDBEngine::getDatabases(arangodb::velocypack::Builder& result) {
-  throw std::runtime_error("not implemented");
+  LOG_TOPIC(WARN, Logger::STARTUP) << "getting databases for rocksdb";
+
+  rocksdb::ReadOptions read_options;
+  read_options.total_order_seek = true;
+  auto iter = _db->NewIterator(read_options);
+
+  RocksDBEntryType dbPrefix = RocksDBEntryType::Database;
+  rocksdb::Slice key(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&dbPrefix),1);
+  iter->Seek(key);
+
+
 }
 void RocksDBEngine::getCollectionInfo(TRI_vocbase_t* vocbase, TRI_voc_cid_t cid,
                                       arangodb::velocypack::Builder& result,
diff --git a/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBTypes.cpp b/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBTypes.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2108edb8b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBTypes.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// DISCLAIMER
+///
+/// Copyright 2014-2017 ArangoDB GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+/// Copyright 2004-2014 triAGENS GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+///
+/// Licensed 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.
+///
+/// Copyright holder is ArangoDB GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+///
+/// @author Jan Christoph Uhde
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#include "RocksDBTypes.h"
+
+namespace arangodb {
+
+rocksdb::Slice const& rocksDBSlice(RocksDBEntryType const& type) {
+  static RocksDBEntryType database = RocksDBEntryType::Database;
+  static rocksdb::Slice Database(
+      reinterpret_cast<std::underlying_type<RocksDBEntryType>::type*>(
+          &database),
+      1);
+
+  static RocksDBEntryType collection = RocksDBEntryType::Collection;
+  static rocksdb::Slice Collection(
+      reinterpret_cast<std::underlying_type<RocksDBEntryType>::type*>(
+          &collection),
+      1);
+
+  static RocksDBEntryType index = RocksDBEntryType::Index;
+  static rocksdb::Slice Index(
+      reinterpret_cast<std::underlying_type<RocksDBEntryType>::type*>(&index),
+      1);
+
+  static RocksDBEntryType document = RocksDBEntryType::Document;
+  static rocksdb::Slice Document(
+      reinterpret_cast<std::underlying_type<RocksDBEntryType>::type*>(
+          &document),
+      1);
+
+  static RocksDBEntryType indexValue = RocksDBEntryType::IndexValue;
+  static rocksdb::Slice IndexValue(
+      reinterpret_cast<std::underlying_type<RocksDBEntryType>::type*>(
+          &indexValue),
+      1);
+
+  static RocksDBEntryType uniqueIndexValue = RocksDBEntryType::UniqueIndexValue;
+  static rocksdb::Slice UniqueIndexValue(
+      reinterpret_cast<std::underlying_type<RocksDBEntryType>::type*>(
+          &uniqueIndexValue),
+      1);
+
+  static RocksDBEntryType view = RocksDBEntryType::View;
+  static rocksdb::Slice View(
+      reinterpret_cast<std::underlying_type<RocksDBEntryType>::type*>(&view),
+      1);
+
+  static RocksDBEntryType crossReference = RocksDBEntryType::Database;
+  static rocksdb::Slice CrossReference(
+      reinterpret_cast<std::underlying_type<RocksDBEntryType>::type*>(
+          &crossReference),
+      1);
+
+  switch (type) {
+    case RocksDBEntryType::Document:
+      return Document;
+    case RocksDBEntryType::Collection:
+      return Collection;
+    case RocksDBEntryType::Database:
+      return Database;
+    case RocksDBEntryType::Index:
+      return Index;
+    case RocksDBEntryType::IndexValue:
+      return IndexValue;
+    case RocksDBEntryType::UniqueIndexValue:
+      return UniqueIndexValue;
+    case RocksDBEntryType::View:
+      return View;
+    case RocksDBEntryType::CrossReference:
+      return CrossReference;
+  }
+
+  return Document; //avoids warning - errorslice instead ?!
+}
+}
diff --git a/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBTypes.h b/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBTypes.h
index e043db4769..3250c5e00a 100644
--- a/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBTypes.h
+++ b/arangod/RocksDBEngine/RocksDBTypes.h
@@ -25,10 +25,12 @@
 #ifndef ARANGO_ROCKSDB_ROCKSDB_TYPES_H
 #define ARANGO_ROCKSDB_ROCKSDB_TYPES_H 1
 
+#include <rocksdb/slice.h>
 #include <cstdint>
+
 namespace arangodb {
 
-enum class RocksDBEntryType : std::uint8_t {
+enum class RocksDBEntryType : char {
   Database = '0',
   Collection = '1',
   Index = '2',
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ enum class RocksDBEntryType : std::uint8_t {
   CrossReference = '9'
 };
 
+rocksdb::Slice const& rocksDBSlice(RocksDBEntryType const& type);
 }
 
 #endif