diff --git a/da/baseclasses/optimizer.py b/da/baseclasses/optimizer.py
index 2b01908c78222d8f57892645ae937238fc30dd93..3e5e0f9fa2abc54fd8e65f654c236666e72c32f8 100755
--- a/da/baseclasses/optimizer.py
+++ b/da/baseclasses/optimizer.py
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ import sys
 import logging
 import datetime
 
+identifier = 'Optimizer baseclass'
+version    = '0.0'
+
 ################### Begin Class Optimizer ###################
 
 class Optimizer(object):
@@ -24,7 +27,14 @@ class Optimizer(object):
         and efficiency.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, dims):
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.Identifier = identifier
+        self.Version    = version
+
+        msg                 = '%s object initialized'%self.Identifier ; logging.debug(msg)
+        msg                 = '%s version: %s'%(self.Identifier,self.Version) ; logging.info(msg)
+
+    def Initialize(self, dims):
 
         self.nlag               = dims[0]
         self.nmembers           = dims[1]