diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/DefaultFlowRule.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/DefaultFlowRule.java
index fae1fe3..62e331f 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/DefaultFlowRule.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/DefaultFlowRule.java
@@ -15,19 +15,20 @@
     private final FlowId id;
     private final long created;
     private final long life;
-    private final long idle;
     private final long packets;
     private final long bytes;
+    private final FlowRuleState state;
 
 
     public DefaultFlowRule(DeviceId deviceId,
-            TrafficSelector selector, TrafficTreatment treatment, int priority) {
+            TrafficSelector selector, TrafficTreatment treatment,
+            int priority, FlowRuleState state) {
         this.deviceId = deviceId;
         this.priority = priority;
         this.selector = selector;
         this.treatment = treatment;
+        this.state = state;
         this.life = 0;
-        this.idle = 0;
         this.packets = 0;
         this.bytes = 0;
         this.id = FlowId.valueOf(this.hashCode());
@@ -35,22 +36,32 @@
     }
 
     public DefaultFlowRule(DeviceId deviceId, TrafficSelector selector,
-            TrafficTreatment treatment, int priority,
-            long life, long idle, long packets, long bytes, Integer flowId) {
+            TrafficTreatment treatment, int priority, FlowRuleState state,
+            long life, long packets, long bytes, Integer flowId) {
         this.deviceId = deviceId;
         this.priority = priority;
         this.selector = selector;
         this.treatment = treatment;
+        this.state = state;
 
         this.id = FlowId.valueOf(flowId);
 
         this.life = life;
-        this.idle = idle;
         this.packets = packets;
         this.bytes = bytes;
         this.created = System.currentTimeMillis();
     }
 
+    public DefaultFlowRule(DeviceId deviceId, TrafficSelector selector,
+            TrafficTreatment treatement, int priority) {
+        this(deviceId, selector, treatement, priority, FlowRuleState.CREATED);
+    }
+
+    public DefaultFlowRule(FlowRule rule, FlowRuleState state) {
+        this(rule.deviceId(), rule.selector(), rule.treatment(),
+                rule.priority(), state);
+    }
+
 
     @Override
     public FlowId id() {
@@ -83,11 +94,6 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public long idleMillis() {
-        return idle;
-    }
-
-    @Override
     public long packets() {
         return packets;
     }
@@ -98,6 +104,12 @@
     }
 
     @Override
+    public FlowRuleState state() {
+        return this.state;
+    }
+
+
+    @Override
     /*
      * The priority and statistics can change on a given treatment and selector
      *
@@ -116,19 +128,14 @@
      * @see java.lang.Object#equals(java.lang.Object)
      */
     public boolean equals(Object obj) {
-        if (obj instanceof FlowRule) {
-            DefaultFlowRule that = (DefaultFlowRule) obj;
-            if (!this.deviceId().equals(that.deviceId())) {
-                return false;
-            }
-            if (!this.treatment().equals(that.treatment())) {
-                return false;
-            }
-            if (!this.selector().equals(that.selector())) {
-                return false;
-            }
+        if (this == obj) {
             return true;
         }
+        if (obj instanceof FlowRule) {
+            FlowRule that = (FlowRule) obj;
+            return Objects.equals(deviceId, that.deviceId()) &&
+                    Objects.equals(id, that.id());
+        }
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -144,5 +151,4 @@
                 .toString();
     }
 
-
 }
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowId.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowId.java
index 03140f7..c7c44cb 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowId.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowId.java
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 package org.onlab.onos.net.flow;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Objects;
+
 /**
  * Representation of a Flow ID.
  */
 public final class FlowId {
 
-    private final int flowid;
+    private final long flowid;
 
-    private FlowId(int id) {
+    private FlowId(long id) {
         this.flowid = id;
     }
 
@@ -15,7 +17,24 @@
         return new FlowId(id);
     }
 
-    public int value() {
+    public long value() {
         return flowid;
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean equals(Object obj) {
+        if (this == obj) {
+            return true;
+        }
+        if (obj.getClass()  == this.getClass()) {
+            FlowId that = (FlowId) obj;
+            return Objects.equal(this.flowid, that.flowid);
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public int hashCode() {
+        return Objects.hashCode(this.flowid);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowRule.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowRule.java
index f2bc1a0..e72beed 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowRule.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowRule.java
@@ -8,6 +8,42 @@
  */
 public interface FlowRule {
 
+
+    public enum FlowRuleState {
+        /**
+         * Indicates that this rule has been created.
+         */
+        CREATED,
+
+        /**
+         * Indicates that this rule has been submitted for addition.
+         * Not necessarily in  the flow table.
+         */
+        PENDING_ADD,
+
+        /**
+         * Rule has been added which means it is in the flow table.
+         */
+        ADDED,
+
+        /**
+         * Flow has been marked for removal, might still be in flow table.
+         */
+        PENDING_REMOVE,
+
+        /**
+         * Flow has been removed from flow table and can be purged.
+         */
+        REMOVED
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the flow rule state.
+     *
+     * @return flow rule state
+     */
+    FlowRuleState state();
+
     //TODO: build cookie value
     /**
      * Returns the ID of this flow.
@@ -54,13 +90,6 @@
     long lifeMillis();
 
     /**
-     * Returns the number of milliseconds this flow rule has been idle.
-     *
-     * @return number of millis
-     */
-    long idleMillis();
-
-    /**
      * Returns the number of packets this flow rule has matched.
      *
      * @return number of packets
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowRuleProviderService.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowRuleProviderService.java
index 737ac28..df988fe 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowRuleProviderService.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowRuleProviderService.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package org.onlab.onos.net.flow;
 
+import org.onlab.onos.net.DeviceId;
 import org.onlab.onos.net.provider.ProviderService;
 
 /**
@@ -35,6 +36,6 @@
      *
      * @param flowRules collection of flow rules
      */
-    void pushFlowMetrics(Iterable<FlowRule> flowRules);
+    void pushFlowMetrics(DeviceId deviceId, Iterable<FlowRule> flowRules);
 
 }