diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/IOFSwitch.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/IOFSwitch.java
index 6bc92c98fae1e9866c99606d352f6115d1b0c618..0d823d839a59ac5d705349bddc9fe67b9e71e538 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/IOFSwitch.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/IOFSwitch.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package net.floodlightcontroller.core;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.net.SocketAddress;
 import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.concurrent.Future;
@@ -293,7 +292,7 @@ public interface IOFSwitch {
      * Retrieves the date the switch connected to this controller
      * @return the date
      */
-    public Date getConnectedSince();
+    public String getConnectedSince();
 
     /**
      * Returns the next available transaction id
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/OFSwitchBase.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/OFSwitchBase.java
index 01fc34d53d3d360d57050c082959563151bc3d4b..8e00a08c82a02f8f2ddf275b20544ecb6fe9685e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/OFSwitchBase.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/core/OFSwitchBase.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 public abstract class OFSwitchBase implements IOFSwitch {
     // TODO: should we really do logging in the class or should we throw
     // exception that can then be handled by callers?
-    protected static Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(OFSwitchBase.class);
+    protected static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(OFSwitchBase.class);
 
     protected ConcurrentMap<Object, Object> attributes;
     protected IFloodlightProviderService floodlightProvider;
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ public abstract class OFSwitchBase implements IOFSwitch {
 
         // Defaults properties for an ideal switch
         this.setAttribute(PROP_FASTWILDCARDS, OFMatch.OFPFW_ALL);
-        this.setAttribute(PROP_SUPPORTS_OFPP_FLOOD, new Boolean(true));
-        this.setAttribute(PROP_SUPPORTS_OFPP_TABLE, new Boolean(true));
+        this.setAttribute(PROP_SUPPORTS_OFPP_FLOOD, Boolean.valueOf(true));
+        this.setAttribute(PROP_SUPPORTS_OFPP_TABLE, Boolean.valueOf(true));
     }
     
     
@@ -440,8 +440,8 @@ public abstract class OFSwitchBase implements IOFSwitch {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public Date getConnectedSince() {
-        return connectedSince;
+    public String getConnectedSince() {
+        return connectedSince.toString();
     }
 
     @JsonIgnore
diff --git a/src/test/java/net/floodlightcontroller/util/OFMessageDamperMockSwitch.java b/src/test/java/net/floodlightcontroller/util/OFMessageDamperMockSwitch.java
index 29191365cddad3344d7390f4d363cfcd0eaf8820..c4f8b83dbdeaac97ead70ea85fd31fcaada827ab 100644
--- a/src/test/java/net/floodlightcontroller/util/OFMessageDamperMockSwitch.java
+++ b/src/test/java/net/floodlightcontroller/util/OFMessageDamperMockSwitch.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.net.SocketAddress;
 
 import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.concurrent.Future;
@@ -228,7 +227,7 @@ public class OFMessageDamperMockSwitch implements IOFSwitch {
     }
     
     @Override
-    public Date getConnectedSince() {
+    public String getConnectedSince() {
         assertTrue("Unexpected method call", false);
         return null;
     }