diff --git a/utilities/acceptance-tests/script/database_cleanser.rb b/utilities/acceptance-tests/script/database_cleanser.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6bfcc05b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utilities/acceptance-tests/script/database_cleanser.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+=begin
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+Stop the vivo application, delete all mysql tables, and start the application
+again.
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+Parameters:
+  -- the base URL of the vivo application: e.g. "http://localhost:8080/vivo"
+  -- the username and password of a Tomcat account authorized as a "manager".
+  -- the username and password of the MySQL account for the vivo application
+  -- the name of the MySQL database for the vivo application
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+What are we doing?
+  -- Break the URL into parts, so we can get the base Tomcat URL and the name
+     of the webapp.
+  -- Tell Tomcat's manager to stop the app.
+  -- Tell MySQL to drop the database and rebuild it.
+  -- Tell Tomcat's manager to start the app.
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+=end
+require 'open-uri'
+require 'property_file_reader'
+
+class DatabaseCleanser
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  private
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  #
+  # Confirm that the parameters are reasonable.
+  #
+  def sanity_checks_on_parameters()
+    # Check that all necessary properties are here.
+    raise("Properties file must contain a value for 'webapp_url'") if @webapp_url == nil
+    raise("Properties file must contain a value for 'tomcat_username'") if @tomcat_username == nil
+    raise("Properties file must contain a value for 'tomcat_password'") if @tomcat_password == nil
+    raise("Properties file must contain a value for 'mysql_username'") if @mysql_username == nil
+    raise("Properties file must contain a value for 'mysql_password'") if @mysql_password == nil
+    raise("Properties file must contain a value for 'database_name'") if @database_name == nil
+
+    # Check that we can connect to the webapp.
+    begin
+      open(@webapp_url) {|f|}
+    rescue Exception
+      raise "Can't connect to VIVO application at '#{@webapp_url}'"
+    end
+
+    # Check that we can connect to the Tomcat manager app.
+    begin
+      open(@server_url + "manager/list", @tomcat_auth_options) {|f|}
+    rescue Exception
+      raise "Can't connect to Tomcat manager application at " +
+      "'#{@server_url + "manager/list"}', with this authorization: #{@tomcat_auth_options}"
+    end
+
+    # Check that we can connect to the MySQL database.
+    args = []
+    args << "--user=#{@mysql_username}"
+    args << "--password=#{@mysql_password}"
+    args << "--database=#{@database_name}"
+    args << "--version"
+    result = system("mysql", *args)
+    raise("Can't find the 'mysql' command!") if result == nil
+    raise("Can't connect to MySQL database.") if !result
+    raise("Error connecting to MySQL database.") if $?.exitstatus != 0
+  end
+
+  # The Webapp URL must be a valid URL, and the path must be a single token
+  # (with an optional trailing slash).
+  #
+  def parse_webapp_url(webapp_url)
+    match = %r{(\w+://.+/)([^/]+)/?}.match(webapp_url)
+    if match
+      return [match[1], match[2]]
+    else
+      raise "Can't parse the webapp name from this URL: '#{webapp_url}'"
+    end
+  end
+
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  public
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+  # Get the parameters and check them
+  #
+  def initialize(properties)
+    @webapp_url = properties['webapp_url']
+    @tomcat_username = properties['tomcat_username']
+    @tomcat_password = properties['tomcat_password']
+    @mysql_username = properties['mysql_username']
+    @mysql_password = properties['mysql_password']
+    @database_name = properties['database_name']
+
+    @server_url, @webapp_name = parse_webapp_url(@webapp_url)
+    @tomcat_auth_options = {:http_basic_authentication => [@tomcat_username, @tomcat_password]}
+
+    sanity_checks_on_parameters()
+  end
+end
+
+#
+#
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Standalone calling.
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#
+if ARGV.length == 0
+  raise("No arguments - usage is: database_cleanser.rb <properties_file>")
+end
+if !File.file?(ARGV[0])
+  raise "File does not exist: '#{ARGV[0]}'."
+end
+
+properties = PropertyFileReader.read(ARGV[0])
+
+dc = DatabaseCleanser.new(properties)
diff --git a/utilities/acceptance-tests/script/example.acceptance_test.properties b/utilities/acceptance-tests/script/example.acceptance_test.properties
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d885d539
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utilities/acceptance-tests/script/example.acceptance_test.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+webapp_url = http://localhost:8080/vivo/
+tomcat_username = tomcat
+tomcat_password = tomcat
+mysql_username = vitrodbUsername
+mysql_password = vitrodbPassword
+database_name = vivo
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/utilities/acceptance-tests/script/property_file_reader.rb b/utilities/acceptance-tests/script/property_file_reader.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8b3c29b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utilities/acceptance-tests/script/property_file_reader.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+=begin
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+A utility class that reads a properties file and returns a hash containing the
+properties.
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+=end
+
+class PropertyFileReader
+  # Read a properties file and return a hash.
+  #
+  # Parameters: the path to the properties file
+  #
+  # The hash includes the special property "properties_file_path", which holds
+  # the path to the properties file.
+  #
+  def self.read(file_path)
+    properties = {}
+    properties["properties_file_path"] = File.expand_path(file_path)
+
+    File.open(file_path) do |file|
+      file.each_line do |line|
+        line.strip!
+        if line.length == 0 || line[0] == ?# || line[0] == ?!
+          # ignore blank lines, and lines starting with '#' or '!'.
+        elsif line =~ /(.*?)\s*[=:]\s*(.*)/
+          # key and value are separated by '=' or ':' and optional whitespace.
+          properties[$1.strip] = $2
+        else
+          # No '=' or ':' means that the value is empty.
+          properties[line] = ''
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    return properties
+  end
+end
diff --git a/utilities/acceptance-tests/script/run_acceptance_tests.rb b/utilities/acceptance-tests/script/run_acceptance_tests.rb
index 1ded4059..1d407380 100644
--- a/utilities/acceptance-tests/script/run_acceptance_tests.rb
+++ b/utilities/acceptance-tests/script/run_acceptance_tests.rb
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ What are we doing?
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 =end
 require 'open-uri'
+require 'database_cleanser'
 
 =begin
 <h1>Test suite results </h1>
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ class AcceptanceRunner
   #
   def sanity_checks_on_parameters()
     confirm_is_readable_directory(@test_root_directory, "Test root directory")
-    if !has_sub_directories?(@test_root_directory)
+    if get_sub_directories(@test_root_directory).empty?
       raise "Test root directory '#{@test_root_directory}' has no sub-directories."
     end
 
@@ -128,25 +129,35 @@ class AcceptanceRunner
     end
   end
 
-  # Does this directory contain any sub-directories?
+  # Get an array of paths to all of the sub-directories in this directory.
   #
-  def has_sub_directories?(directory_path)
-    found_one = false
+  def get_sub_directories(directory_path)
+    subs = []
     Dir.foreach(directory_path) do |filename|
       if filename[0,1] != '.'
         path = File.expand_path(filename, directory_path)
-        found_one = true if File.directory?(path)
+        subs << path if File.directory?(path)
       end
     end
-    return found_one
+    return subs
   end
 
+  # For each directory under the test root, cleanse the data model and run
+  # the test suite.
+  #
   def run_all_suites()
-    # get a list of all sub-directories
-    # for each sub-directory
-    # -- run the cleanser
-    # -- run the suite
-    puts "BOGUS run_all_suites()"
+    get_sub_directories(@test_root_directory).each do |suite_path|
+      cleanse_data_model()
+      run_test_suite(suite_path)
+    end
+  end
+  
+  def cleanse_data_model()
+    puts "BOGUS cleanse_data_model()"
+  end
+  
+  def run_test_suite(suite_path)
+    puts "BOGUS run_test_suite()"
   end
 
   def create_summary_html()