diff --git a/net/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/device/DeviceProviderService.java b/net/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/device/DeviceProviderService.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5ee1f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/net/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/device/DeviceProviderService.java
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package org.onlab.onos.net.device;
+
+import org.onlab.onos.net.ProviderService;
+
+import java.util.List;
+
+/**
+ * Service through which device providers can inject device information into
+ * the core.
+ */
+public interface DeviceProviderService extends ProviderService {
+
+    // TODO: define suspend and remove actions on the mezzanine administrative API
+
+    /**
+     * Signals the core that a device has connected or has been detected somehow.
+     *
+     * @param deviceDescription information about network device
+     */
+    void deviceConnected(DeviceDescription deviceDescription);
+
+    /**
+     * Signals the core that a device has disconnected or is no longer reachable.
+     *
+     * @param deviceDescription device to be removed
+     */
+    void deviceDisconnected(DeviceDescription deviceDescription);
+
+    /**
+     * Sends information about all ports of a device. It is up to the core to
+     * determine what has changed.
+     *
+     * @param ports list of device ports
+     */
+    void updatePorts(List<PortDescription> ports);
+
+    /**
+     * Used to notify the core about port status change of a single port.
+     *
+     * @param port description of the port that changed
+     */
+    void portStatusChanged(PortDescription port);
+
+}