diff --git a/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/openflow/controller/OpenFlowController.java b/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/openflow/controller/OpenFlowController.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b2ca9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/openflow/controller/OpenFlowController.java
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+package org.onlab.onos.openflow.controller;
+
+import org.projectfloodlight.openflow.protocol.OFMessage;
+
+/**
+ * Abstraction of an OpenFlow controller. Serves as a one stop
+ * shop for obtaining OpenFlow devices and (un)register listeners
+ * on OpenFlow events
+ */
+public interface OpenFlowController {
+
+    /**
+     * Returns all switches known to this OF controller.
+     * @return Iterable of dpid elements
+     */
+    public Iterable<OpenFlowSwitch> getSwitches();
+
+    /**
+     * Returns all master switches known to this OF controller.
+     * @return Iterable of dpid elements
+     */
+    public Iterable<OpenFlowSwitch> getMasterSwitches();
+
+    /**
+     * Returns all equal switches known to this OF controller.
+     * @return Iterable of dpid elements
+     */
+    public Iterable<OpenFlowSwitch> getEqualSwitches();
+
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the actual switch for the given Dpid.
+     * @param dpid the switch to fetch
+     * @return the interface to this switch
+     */
+    public OpenFlowSwitch getSwitch(Dpid dpid);
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the actual master switch for the given Dpid, if one exists.
+     * @param dpid the switch to fetch
+     * @return the interface to this switch
+     */
+    public OpenFlowSwitch getMasterSwitch(Dpid dpid);
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the actual equal switch for the given Dpid, if one exists.
+     * @param dpid the switch to fetch
+     * @return the interface to this switch
+     */
+    public OpenFlowSwitch getEqualSwitch(Dpid dpid);
+
+    /**
+     * Register a listener for meta events that occur to OF
+     * devices.
+     * @param listener the listener to notify
+     */
+    public void addListener(OpenFlowSwitchListener listener);
+
+    /**
+     * Unregister a listener.
+     *
+     * @param listener the listener to unregister
+     */
+    public void removeListener(OpenFlowSwitchListener listener);
+
+    /**
+     * Register a listener for packet events.
+     * @param priority the importance of this listener, lower values are more important
+     * @param listener the listener to notify
+     */
+    public void addPacketListener(int priority, PacketListener listener);
+
+    /**
+     * Unregister a listener.
+     *
+     * @param listener the listener to unregister
+     */
+    public void removePacketListener(PacketListener listener);
+
+    /**
+     * Send a message to a particular switch.
+     * @param dpid the switch to send to.
+     * @param msg the message to send
+     */
+    public void write(Dpid dpid, OFMessage msg);
+
+    /**
+     * Process a message and notify the appropriate listeners.
+     *
+     * @param dpid the dpid the message arrived on
+     * @param msg the message to process.
+     */
+    public void processPacket(Dpid dpid, OFMessage msg);
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the role for a given switch.
+     * @param role the desired role
+     * @param dpid the switch to set the role for.
+     */
+    public void setRole(Dpid dpid, RoleState role);
+}