diff --git a/server/src/engine/core/space.rs b/server/src/engine/core/space.rs
index d282d837..ab686bc7 100644
--- a/server/src/engine/core/space.rs
+++ b/server/src/engine/core/space.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ use {
         error::{DatabaseError, DatabaseResult},
         idx::{IndexST, STIndex},
         ql::ddl::{alt::AlterSpace, crt::CreateSpace, drop::DropSpace},
+        txn::gns as gnstxn,
     },
     parking_lot::RwLock,
 };
@@ -168,15 +169,34 @@ impl Space {
 }
 
 impl Space {
-    /// Execute a `create` stmt
-    pub fn exec_create(gns: &super::GlobalNS, space: CreateSpace) -> DatabaseResult<()> {
+    pub fn transactional_exec_create<TI: gnstxn::GNSTransactionDriverLLInterface>(
+        gns: &super::GlobalNS,
+        txn_driver: &mut gnstxn::GNSTransactionDriverAnyFS<TI>,
+        space: CreateSpace,
+    ) -> DatabaseResult<()> {
+        // process create
         let ProcedureCreate { space_name, space } = Self::process_create(space)?;
+        // acquire access
         let mut wl = gns.spaces().write();
-        if wl.st_insert(space_name, space) {
-            Ok(())
-        } else {
-            Err(DatabaseError::DdlSpaceAlreadyExists)
+        if wl.st_contains(&space_name) {
+            return Err(DatabaseError::DdlSpaceAlreadyExists);
         }
+        // commit txn
+        if TI::NONNULL {
+            // prepare and commit txn
+            let s_read = space.metadata().env().read();
+            txn_driver.try_commit(gnstxn::CreateSpaceTxn::new(&s_read, &space_name, &space))?;
+        }
+        // update global state
+        let _ = wl.st_insert(space_name, space);
+        Ok(())
+    }
+    /// Execute a `create` stmt
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    pub fn exec_create(gns: &super::GlobalNS, space: CreateSpace) -> DatabaseResult<()> {
+        gnstxn::GNSTransactionDriverNullZero::nullzero_create_exec(gns, move |driver| {
+            Self::transactional_exec_create(gns, driver, space)
+        })
     }
     /// Execute a `alter` stmt
     pub fn exec_alter(
diff --git a/server/src/engine/storage/v1/journal.rs b/server/src/engine/storage/v1/journal.rs
index d993f61e..eba132c3 100644
--- a/server/src/engine/storage/v1/journal.rs
+++ b/server/src/engine/storage/v1/journal.rs
@@ -57,10 +57,33 @@ use {
 const CRC: crc::Crc<u32> = crc::Crc::<u32>::new(&crc::CRC_32_ISO_HDLC);
 const RECOVERY_BLOCK_AUTO_THRESHOLD: usize = 5;
 
-pub fn open_journal<
-    TA: JournalAdapter + core::fmt::Debug,
-    LF: RawFileIOInterface + core::fmt::Debug,
->(
+/// A journal to `/dev/null` (app. level impl)
+#[cfg(test)]
+pub fn null_journal<TA: JournalAdapter>(
+    log_file_name: &str,
+    log_kind: FileSpecifier,
+    log_kind_version: FileSpecifierVersion,
+    host_setting_version: u32,
+    host_run_mode: HostRunMode,
+    host_startup_counter: u64,
+    _: &TA::GlobalState,
+) -> JournalWriter<super::rw::NullZero, TA> {
+    let FileOpen::Created(journal) = SDSSFileIO::<super::rw::NullZero>::open_or_create_perm_rw(
+        log_file_name,
+        FileScope::Journal,
+        log_kind,
+        log_kind_version,
+        host_setting_version,
+        host_run_mode,
+        host_startup_counter,
+    )
+    .unwrap() else {
+        panic!()
+    };
+    JournalWriter::new(journal, 0, true).unwrap()
+}
+
+pub fn open_journal<TA: JournalAdapter, LF: RawFileIOInterface>(
     log_file_name: &str,
     log_kind: FileSpecifier,
     log_kind_version: FileSpecifierVersion,
diff --git a/server/src/engine/storage/v1/mod.rs b/server/src/engine/storage/v1/mod.rs
index 0031839c..b4113c78 100644
--- a/server/src/engine/storage/v1/mod.rs
+++ b/server/src/engine/storage/v1/mod.rs
@@ -41,8 +41,11 @@ mod tests;
 // re-exports
 pub use {
     journal::{open_journal, JournalAdapter, JournalWriter},
-    rw::BufferedScanner,
+    rw::{BufferedScanner, NullZero, RawFileIOInterface, SDSSFileIO},
 };
+pub mod header_meta {
+    pub use super::header_impl::{FileScope, FileSpecifier, FileSpecifierVersion, HostRunMode};
+}
 
 use crate::util::os::SysIOError as IoError;
 
diff --git a/server/src/engine/storage/v1/rw.rs b/server/src/engine/storage/v1/rw.rs
index e8f8f856..969f8cbc 100644
--- a/server/src/engine/storage/v1/rw.rs
+++ b/server/src/engine/storage/v1/rw.rs
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ pub enum RawFileOpen<F> {
 }
 
 pub trait RawFileIOInterface: Sized {
+    /// Indicates that the interface is not a `/dev/null` (or related) implementation
+    const NOTNULL: bool = true;
     fn fopen_or_create_rw(file_path: &str) -> SDSSResult<RawFileOpen<Self>>;
     fn fread_exact(&mut self, buf: &mut [u8]) -> SDSSResult<()>;
     fn fwrite_all(&mut self, bytes: &[u8]) -> SDSSResult<()>;
@@ -63,6 +65,37 @@ pub trait RawFileIOInterface: Sized {
     fn fcursor(&mut self) -> SDSSResult<u64>;
 }
 
+/// This is a kind of file like `/dev/null`. It exists in ... nothing!
+pub struct NullZero;
+
+impl RawFileIOInterface for NullZero {
+    const NOTNULL: bool = false;
+    fn fopen_or_create_rw(_: &str) -> SDSSResult<RawFileOpen<Self>> {
+        Ok(RawFileOpen::Created(Self))
+    }
+    fn fread_exact(&mut self, _: &mut [u8]) -> SDSSResult<()> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+    fn fwrite_all(&mut self, _: &[u8]) -> SDSSResult<()> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+    fn fsync_all(&mut self) -> SDSSResult<()> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+    fn fseek_ahead(&mut self, _: u64) -> SDSSResult<()> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+    fn flen(&self) -> SDSSResult<u64> {
+        Ok(0)
+    }
+    fn flen_set(&mut self, _: u64) -> SDSSResult<()> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+    fn fcursor(&mut self) -> SDSSResult<u64> {
+        Ok(0)
+    }
+}
+
 impl RawFileIOInterface for File {
     fn fopen_or_create_rw(file_path: &str) -> SDSSResult<RawFileOpen<Self>> {
         let f = File::options()
diff --git a/server/src/engine/storage/v1/test_util.rs b/server/src/engine/storage/v1/test_util.rs
index a2df59fe..54452d20 100644
--- a/server/src/engine/storage/v1/test_util.rs
+++ b/server/src/engine/storage/v1/test_util.rs
@@ -24,10 +24,14 @@
  *
 */
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+use super::{
+    header_impl::{FileScope, FileSpecifier, FileSpecifierVersion, HostRunMode},
+    rw::{FileOpen, SDSSFileIO},
+};
 use {
     super::{
-        header_impl::{FileScope, FileSpecifier, FileSpecifierVersion, HostRunMode},
-        rw::{FileOpen, RawFileIOInterface, RawFileOpen, SDSSFileIO},
+        rw::{RawFileIOInterface, RawFileOpen},
         SDSSResult,
     },
     crate::engine::sync::cell::Lazy,
diff --git a/server/src/engine/txn/gns/mod.rs b/server/src/engine/txn/gns/mod.rs
index 449edfab..eca3b8f6 100644
--- a/server/src/engine/txn/gns/mod.rs
+++ b/server/src/engine/txn/gns/mod.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
  *
 */
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+use crate::engine::storage::v1::test_util::VirtualFS;
 use {
     super::{TransactionError, TransactionResult},
     crate::{
@@ -31,8 +33,9 @@ use {
             core::{space::Space, GlobalNS},
             data::uuid::Uuid,
             storage::v1::{
+                self, header_meta,
                 inf::{self, PersistObject},
-                BufferedScanner, JournalAdapter, JournalWriter, SDSSResult,
+                BufferedScanner, JournalAdapter, JournalWriter, RawFileIOInterface, SDSSResult,
             },
         },
         util::EndianQW,
@@ -54,13 +57,70 @@ pub use {
     space::{AlterSpaceTxn, CreateSpaceTxn, DropSpaceTxn},
 };
 
+pub type GNSTransactionDriverNullZero =
+    GNSTransactionDriverAnyFS<crate::engine::storage::v1::NullZero>;
+pub type GNSTransactionDriver = GNSTransactionDriverAnyFS<File>;
+#[cfg(test)]
+pub type GNSTransactionDriverVFS = GNSTransactionDriverAnyFS<VirtualFS>;
+
+const CURRENT_LOG_VERSION: u32 = 0;
+
+pub trait GNSTransactionDriverLLInterface: RawFileIOInterface {
+    const NONNULL: bool = <Self as RawFileIOInterface>::NOTNULL;
+}
+impl<T: RawFileIOInterface> GNSTransactionDriverLLInterface for T {}
+
 #[derive(Debug)]
 /// The GNS transaction driver is used to handle DDL transactions
-pub struct GNSTransactionDriver {
-    journal: JournalWriter<File, GNSAdapter>,
+pub struct GNSTransactionDriverAnyFS<F = File> {
+    journal: JournalWriter<F, GNSAdapter>,
+}
+
+impl GNSTransactionDriverAnyFS<crate::engine::storage::v1::NullZero> {
+    pub fn nullzero(gns: &GlobalNS) -> Self {
+        let journal = v1::open_journal(
+            "gns.db-tlog",
+            header_meta::FileSpecifier::GNSTxnLog,
+            header_meta::FileSpecifierVersion::__new(CURRENT_LOG_VERSION),
+            0,
+            header_meta::HostRunMode::Dev,
+            0,
+            gns,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        Self { journal }
+    }
+    pub fn nullzero_create_exec<T>(gns: &GlobalNS, f: impl FnOnce(&mut Self) -> T) -> T {
+        let mut j = Self::nullzero(gns);
+        let r = f(&mut j);
+        j.close().unwrap();
+        r
+    }
 }
 
-impl GNSTransactionDriver {
+impl<F: GNSTransactionDriverLLInterface> GNSTransactionDriverAnyFS<F> {
+    pub fn close(self) -> TransactionResult<()> {
+        self.journal
+            .append_journal_close_and_close()
+            .map_err(|e| e.into())
+    }
+    pub fn open_or_reinit(
+        gns: &GlobalNS,
+        host_setting_version: u32,
+        host_run_mode: header_meta::HostRunMode,
+        host_startup_counter: u64,
+    ) -> TransactionResult<Self> {
+        let journal = v1::open_journal(
+            "gns.db-tlog",
+            header_meta::FileSpecifier::GNSTxnLog,
+            header_meta::FileSpecifierVersion::__new(CURRENT_LOG_VERSION),
+            host_setting_version,
+            host_run_mode,
+            host_startup_counter,
+            gns,
+        )?;
+        Ok(Self { journal })
+    }
     /// Attempts to commit the given event into the journal, handling any possible recovery triggers and returning
     /// errors (if any)
     pub fn try_commit<GE: GNSEvent>(&mut self, gns_event: GE) -> TransactionResult<()> {
@@ -89,8 +149,35 @@ impl JournalAdapter for GNSAdapter {
     fn encode(GNSSuperEvent(b): Self::JournalEvent) -> Box<[u8]> {
         b
     }
-    fn decode_and_update_state(_: &[u8], _: &Self::GlobalState) -> TransactionResult<()> {
-        todo!()
+    fn decode_and_update_state(payload: &[u8], gs: &Self::GlobalState) -> TransactionResult<()> {
+        if payload.len() < 2 {
+            return Err(TransactionError::DecodedUnexpectedEof);
+        }
+        macro_rules! dispatch {
+            ($($item:ty),* $(,)?) => {
+                [$(<$item as GNSEvent>::decode_and_update_global_state),*, |_, _| Err(TransactionError::DecodeUnknownTxnOp)]
+            };
+        }
+        static DISPATCH: [fn(&mut BufferedScanner, &GlobalNS) -> TransactionResult<()>; 9] = dispatch!(
+            CreateSpaceTxn,
+            AlterSpaceTxn,
+            DropSpaceTxn,
+            CreateModelTxn,
+            AlterModelAddTxn,
+            AlterModelRemoveTxn,
+            AlterModelUpdateTxn,
+            DropModelTxn
+        );
+        let mut scanner = BufferedScanner::new(&payload);
+        let opc = unsafe {
+            // UNSAFE(@ohsayan):
+            u16::from_le_bytes(scanner.next_chunk())
+        };
+        match DISPATCH[core::cmp::min(opc as usize, DISPATCH.len())](&mut scanner, gs) {
+            Ok(()) if scanner.eof() => return Ok(()),
+            Ok(_) => Err(TransactionError::DecodeCorruptedPayloadMoreBytes),
+            Err(e) => Err(e),
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -121,10 +208,14 @@ where
     fn encode_super_event(commit: Self, buf: &mut Vec<u8>) {
         inf::enc::enc_full_into_buffer::<Self>(buf, commit)
     }
-    /// Attempts to decode the event using the given scanner
-    fn decode_from_super_event(
+    fn decode_and_update_global_state(
         scanner: &mut BufferedScanner,
-    ) -> TransactionResult<Self::RestoreType> {
+        gns: &GlobalNS,
+    ) -> TransactionResult<()> {
+        Self::update_global_state(Self::decode(scanner)?, gns)
+    }
+    /// Attempts to decode the event using the given scanner
+    fn decode(scanner: &mut BufferedScanner) -> TransactionResult<Self::RestoreType> {
         inf::dec::dec_full_from_scanner::<Self>(scanner).map_err(|e| e.into())
     }
     /// Update the global state from the restored event
diff --git a/server/src/engine/txn/gns/tests.rs b/server/src/engine/txn/gns/tests/mod.rs
similarity index 100%
rename from server/src/engine/txn/gns/tests.rs
rename to server/src/engine/txn/gns/tests/mod.rs
diff --git a/server/src/engine/txn/mod.rs b/server/src/engine/txn/mod.rs
index 8f1e5f99..3d9f9e31 100644
--- a/server/src/engine/txn/mod.rs
+++ b/server/src/engine/txn/mod.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,12 @@ pub type TransactionResult<T> = Result<T, TransactionError>;
 #[derive(Debug)]
 #[cfg_attr(test, derive(PartialEq))]
 pub enum TransactionError {
-    SDSSError(SDSSError),
+    /// corrupted txn payload. has more bytes than expected
+    DecodeCorruptedPayloadMoreBytes,
+    /// transaction payload is corrupted. has lesser bytes than expected
+    DecodedUnexpectedEof,
+    /// unknown transaction operation. usually indicates a corrupted payload
+    DecodeUnknownTxnOp,
     /// While restoring a certain item, a non-resolvable conflict was encountered in the global state, because the item was
     /// already present (when it was expected to not be present)
     OnRestoreDataConflictAlreadyExists,
@@ -40,6 +45,7 @@ pub enum TransactionError {
     OnRestoreDataMissing,
     /// On restore, a certain item that was expected to match a certain value, has a different value
     OnRestoreDataConflictMismatch,
+    SDSSError(SDSSError),
 }
 
 direct_from! {