diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowEntry.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowEntry.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b5f89b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/net/flow/FlowEntry.java
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+package org.onlab.onos.net.flow;
+
+
+/**
+ * Represents a generalized match &amp; action pair to be applied to
+ * an infrastucture device.
+ */
+public interface FlowEntry extends FlowRule {
+
+
+    public enum FlowEntryState {
+
+        /**
+         * 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 entry state.
+     *
+     * @return flow entry state
+     */
+    FlowEntryState state();
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the number of milliseconds this flow rule has been applied.
+     *
+     * @return number of millis
+     */
+    long life();
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the number of packets this flow rule has matched.
+     *
+     * @return number of packets
+     */
+    long packets();
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the number of bytes this flow rule has matched.
+     *
+     * @return number of bytes
+     */
+    long bytes();
+
+    /**
+     * When this flow entry was last deemed active.
+     * @return epoch time of last activity
+     */
+    long lastSeen();
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the last active epoch time.
+     */
+    void setLastSeen();
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the new state for this entry.
+     * @param newState new flow entry state.
+     */
+    void setState(FlowEntryState newState);
+
+    /**
+     * Sets how long this entry has been entered in the system.
+     * @param life epoch time
+     */
+    void setLife(long life);
+
+    /**
+     * Number of packets seen by this entry.
+     * @param packets a long value
+     */
+    void setPackets(long packets);
+
+    /**
+     * Number of bytes seen by this rule.
+     * @param bytes a long value
+     */
+    void setBytes(long bytes);
+
+}