diff --git a/incubator/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/VirtualNetworkProvider.java b/incubator/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/VirtualNetworkProvider.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e5b19a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/incubator/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/VirtualNetworkProvider.java
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual;
+
+import org.onosproject.incubator.net.tunnel.TunnelId;
+import org.onosproject.net.ConnectPoint;
+import org.onosproject.net.provider.Provider;
+
+/**
+ * Entity capable of providing traffic isolation constructs for use in
+ * implementation of virtual devices and virtual links.
+ */
+public interface VirtualNetworkProvider extends Provider {
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a network tunnel for all traffic from the specified source
+     * connection point to the indicated destination connection point.
+     *
+     * @param networkId virtual network identifier
+     * @param src       source connection point
+     * @param dst       destination connection point
+     */
+    TunnelId createTunnel(NetworkId networkId, ConnectPoint src, ConnectPoint dst);
+
+    /**
+     * Destroys the specified network tunnel.
+     *
+     * @param networkId virtual network identifier
+     * @param tunnelId  tunnel identifier
+     */
+    void destroyTunnel(NetworkId networkId, TunnelId tunnelId);
+
+}
diff --git a/incubator/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/VirtualNetworkProviderRegistry.java b/incubator/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/VirtualNetworkProviderRegistry.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e89316
--- /dev/null
+++ b/incubator/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/VirtualNetworkProviderRegistry.java
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2014 Open Networking Laboratory
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual;
+
+import org.onosproject.net.provider.ProviderRegistry;
+
+/**
+ * Abstraction of a virtual network provider registry.
+ */
+public interface VirtualNetworkProviderRegistry
+        extends ProviderRegistry<VirtualNetworkProvider, VirtualNetworkProviderService> {
+}
diff --git a/incubator/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/VirtualNetworkProviderService.java b/incubator/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/VirtualNetworkProviderService.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cba933c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/incubator/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/VirtualNetworkProviderService.java
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual;
+
+import org.onosproject.net.provider.ProviderService;
+
+/**
+ * Service through which virtual network providers can inject information into
+ * the core.
+ */
+public interface VirtualNetworkProviderService extends ProviderService<VirtualNetworkProvider> {
+    // TODO: Add methods for notification of core about damaged tunnels, etc.
+}
diff --git a/incubator/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/impl/VirtualNetworkManager.java b/incubator/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/impl/VirtualNetworkManager.java
index 55bb630..fe9f884 100644
--- a/incubator/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/impl/VirtualNetworkManager.java
+++ b/incubator/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/incubator/net/virtual/impl/VirtualNetworkManager.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Reference;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.ReferenceCardinality;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Service;
-import org.onosproject.event.AbstractListenerManager;
 import org.onosproject.incubator.net.tunnel.TunnelId;
 import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.NetworkId;
 import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.TenantId;
@@ -31,6 +30,9 @@
 import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.VirtualNetworkAdminService;
 import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.VirtualNetworkEvent;
 import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.VirtualNetworkListener;
+import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.VirtualNetworkProvider;
+import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.VirtualNetworkProviderRegistry;
+import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.VirtualNetworkProviderService;
 import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.VirtualNetworkService;
 import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.VirtualNetworkStore;
 import org.onosproject.incubator.net.virtual.VirtualNetworkStoreDelegate;
@@ -39,6 +41,8 @@
 import org.onosproject.net.DeviceId;
 import org.onosproject.net.Port;
 import org.onosproject.net.PortNumber;
+import org.onosproject.net.provider.AbstractListenerProviderRegistry;
+import org.onosproject.net.provider.AbstractProviderService;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -52,8 +56,9 @@
 @Component(immediate = true)
 @Service
 public class VirtualNetworkManager
-        extends AbstractListenerManager<VirtualNetworkEvent, VirtualNetworkListener>
-        implements VirtualNetworkService, VirtualNetworkAdminService {
+        extends AbstractListenerProviderRegistry<VirtualNetworkEvent, VirtualNetworkListener,
+                                                 VirtualNetworkProvider, VirtualNetworkProviderService>
+        implements VirtualNetworkService, VirtualNetworkAdminService, VirtualNetworkProviderRegistry {
 
     private final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());
 
@@ -67,7 +72,7 @@
 
     private VirtualNetworkStoreDelegate delegate = new InternalStoreDelegate();
 
-    // TODO: figure out how to coordinate "implementation" of a virtual network
+    // TODO: figure out how to coordinate "implementation" of a virtual network in a cluster
 
     @Activate
     protected void activate() {
@@ -191,6 +196,21 @@
         return null;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    protected VirtualNetworkProviderService createProviderService(VirtualNetworkProvider provider) {
+        return new InternalVirtualNetworkProviderService(provider);
+    }
+
+    // Service issued to registered virtual network providers so that they
+    // can interact with the core.
+    private class InternalVirtualNetworkProviderService
+            extends AbstractProviderService<VirtualNetworkProvider>
+            implements VirtualNetworkProviderService {
+        InternalVirtualNetworkProviderService(VirtualNetworkProvider provider) {
+            super(provider);
+        }
+    }
+
     // Auxiliary store delegate to receive notification about changes in
     // the virtual network configuration store state - by the store itself.
     private class InternalStoreDelegate implements VirtualNetworkStoreDelegate {