diff --git a/conf/checkstyle/sun_checks.xml b/conf/checkstyle/sun_checks.xml
index e9bd3ea..8dfe187 100644
--- a/conf/checkstyle/sun_checks.xml
+++ b/conf/checkstyle/sun_checks.xml
@@ -31,6 +31,17 @@
 
 -->
 
+
+<!--
+   The default severity setting in checkstyle is 'error', so some
+   of the rules below are configured to change the severity to
+   'warning'.  Over time, these 'warning' settings should be 
+   removed as more of the ONOS source code is modified to
+   follow the recommended rules.
+-->
+
+
+
 <module name="Checker">
     <!--
         If you set the basedir property below, then all reported file
@@ -42,12 +53,14 @@
     <!-- Checks that a package-info.java file exists for each package.     -->
     <!-- See http://checkstyle.sf.net/config_javadoc.html#JavadocPackage -->
     <!-- ONOS does not currently supply package level Javadoc information
-	 in package-info files -->
+         in package-info files -->
     <!-- <module name="JavadocPackage"/> -->
 
     <!-- Checks whether files end with a new line.                        -->
     <!-- See http://checkstyle.sf.net/config_misc.html#NewlineAtEndOfFile -->
-    <module name="NewlineAtEndOfFile"/>
+    <module name="NewlineAtEndOfFile">
+      <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+    </module>
 
     <!-- Checks that property files contain the same keys.         -->
     <!-- See http://checkstyle.sf.net/config_misc.html#Translation -->
@@ -55,7 +68,9 @@
 
     <!-- Checks for Size Violations.                    -->
     <!-- See http://checkstyle.sf.net/config_sizes.html -->
-    <module name="FileLength"/>
+    <module name="FileLength">
+      <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+    </module>
 
     <!-- Checks for whitespace                               -->
     <!-- See http://checkstyle.sf.net/config_whitespace.html -->
@@ -68,6 +83,7 @@
         <property name="minimum" value="0"/>
         <property name="maximum" value="0"/>
         <property name="message" value="Line has trailing spaces."/>
+      <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
     </module>
 
     <!-- Checks for Headers                                -->
@@ -81,14 +97,21 @@
 
         <!-- Checks for Javadoc comments.                     -->
         <!-- See http://checkstyle.sf.net/config_javadoc.html -->
-        <module name="JavadocMethod"/>
-        <module name="JavadocType"/>
+        <module name="JavadocMethod">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+        <module name="JavadocType">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
         <module name="JavadocVariable">
             <!-- Suppress check for private member Javadocs.
              Possibly revist fixing these. -->
             <property name="scope" value="public"/>
+            <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
         </module>
-        <module name="JavadocStyle"/>
+        <module name="JavadocStyle">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
 
 
         <!-- Checks for Naming Conventions.                  -->
@@ -97,16 +120,33 @@
             <!--  ONOS allows the name "log" for static final Loggers -->
             <property name="format"
                       value="^log$|^[A-Z][A-Z0-9]*(_[A-Z0-9]+)*$"/>
+            <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
         </module>
         <module name="LocalFinalVariableName"/>
-        <module name="LocalVariableName"/>
-        <module name="MemberName"/>
-        <module name="MethodName"/>
-        <module name="PackageName"/>
-        <module name="ParameterName"/>
-        <module name="StaticVariableName"/>
-        <module name="TypeName"/>
 
+        <module name="LocalVariableName">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
+        <module name="MemberName">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
+        <module name="MethodName">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
+        <module name="PackageName"/>
+
+        <module name="ParameterName">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
+        <module name="StaticVariableName">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
+        <module name="TypeName"/>
 
         <!-- Checks for imports                              -->
         <!-- See http://checkstyle.sf.net/config_import.html -->
@@ -123,29 +163,55 @@
             <!-- ONOS standard usage is 80 columns, but we allow up
              to 120 to not break the build. -->
             <property name="max" value="120"/>
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
         </module>
-        <module name="MethodLength"/>
-        <module name="ParameterNumber"/>
+        <module name="MethodLength">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
+        <module name="ParameterNumber">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
 
 
         <!-- Checks for whitespace                               -->
         <!-- See http://checkstyle.sf.net/config_whitespace.html -->
-        <module name="EmptyForIteratorPad"/>
+        <module name="EmptyForIteratorPad">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
         <module name="GenericWhitespace"/>
         <module name="MethodParamPad"/>
-        <module name="NoWhitespaceAfter"/>
-        <module name="NoWhitespaceBefore"/>
+
+        <module name="NoWhitespaceAfter">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
+        <module name="NoWhitespaceBefore">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
         <!-- Disabled for ONOS.  Default rules specify undesired behavior for the '?' operator -->
         <!-- <module name="OperatorWrap"/> -->
         <module name="ParenPad"/>
         <module name="TypecastParenPad"/>
-        <module name="WhitespaceAfter"/>
-        <module name="WhitespaceAround"/>
+
+        <module name="WhitespaceAfter">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
+        <module name="WhitespaceAround">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
 
 
         <!-- Modifier Checks                                    -->
         <!-- See http://checkstyle.sf.net/config_modifiers.html -->
-        <module name="ModifierOrder"/>
+        <module name="ModifierOrder">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
         <!--  Disabled for ONOS to allow use of public          -->
         <!--  modifiers in interfaces.                          -->
         <!-- <module name="RedundantModifier"/>                 -->
@@ -158,43 +224,85 @@
             <property name="allowInSwitchCase" value="true"/>
             <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
         </module>
-        <module name="EmptyBlock"/>
-        <module name="LeftCurly"/>
-        <module name="NeedBraces"/>
-        <module name="RightCurly"/>
+        <module name="EmptyBlock">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
 
+        <module name="LeftCurly"/>
+
+        <module name="NeedBraces">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
+        <module name="RightCurly"/>
 
         <!-- Checks for common coding problems               -->
         <!-- See http://checkstyle.sf.net/config_coding.html -->
         <!-- ONOS allows conditional operators -->
         <!-- <module name="AvoidInlineConditionals"/> -->
-        <module name="EmptyStatement"/>
+        <module name="EmptyStatement">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
         <module name="EqualsHashCode"/>
-        <module name="HiddenField"/>
+
+        <module name="HiddenField">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
         <module name="IllegalInstantiation"/>
-        <module name="InnerAssignment"/>
+
+        <module name="InnerAssignment">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
         <!-- Many violations of this rule present, revist in a
         subsequent round of cleanups -->
         <!-- <module name="MagicNumber"/> -->
-        <module name="MissingSwitchDefault"/>
-        <module name="RedundantThrows"/>
-        <module name="SimplifyBooleanExpression"/>
-        <module name="SimplifyBooleanReturn"/>
+        <module name="MissingSwitchDefault">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
+        <module name="RedundantThrows">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
+        <module name="SimplifyBooleanExpression">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
+        <module name="SimplifyBooleanReturn">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
 
         <!-- Checks for class design                         -->
         <!-- See http://checkstyle.sf.net/config_design.html -->
         <!-- ONOS produces many warnings of this type.
         Fixing all of these is outside the scope of the current cleanup. -->
         <!-- <module name="DesignForExtension"/> -->
-        <module name="FinalClass"/>
-        <module name="HideUtilityClassConstructor"/>
+        <module name="FinalClass">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
+        <module name="HideUtilityClassConstructor">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
         <module name="InterfaceIsType"/>
-        <module name="VisibilityModifier"/>
+
+        <module name="VisibilityModifier">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
 
 
         <!-- Miscellaneous other checks.                   -->
         <!-- See http://checkstyle.sf.net/config_misc.html -->
-        <module name="ArrayTypeStyle"/>
+        <module name="ArrayTypeStyle">
+          <property name="severity" value="warning"/>
+        </module>
+
         <!--  Many violations of this rule currently, too many to fix
         in the current cleanup. -->
         <!-- <module name="FinalParameters"/> -->
@@ -202,6 +310,6 @@
         <!-- <module name="TodoComment"/> -->
         <module name="UpperEll"/>
 
-    </module>
+      </module>
 
-</module>
+    </module>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index c6b57dd..0c3286c 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -41,27 +41,27 @@
   <build>
     <plugins>
       <plugin>
-	<!-- Note: the checkstyle configuration is also in the reporting section -->
-	<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-	<artifactId>maven-checkstyle-plugin</artifactId>
-	<version>${checkstyle-plugin.version}</version>
-	<configuration>
-	  <configLocation>conf/checkstyle/sun_checks.xml</configLocation>
-	  <suppressionsLocation>
-	    ${basedir}/conf/checkstyle/onos_suppressions.xml
-	  </suppressionsLocation>
-	  <failsOnError>false</failsOnError>
-	</configuration>
-	<executions>
-	  <execution>
-	    <id>validate-checkstyle</id>
-	    <phase>compile</phase>
-	    <goals>
-	      <!--  Uncomment this goal to make the build fail on Checkstyle errors -->
-	      <!--<goal>check</goal>-->
-	    </goals>
-	  </execution>
-	</executions>
+        <!-- Note: the checkstyle configuration is also in the reporting section -->
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-checkstyle-plugin</artifactId>
+        <version>${checkstyle-plugin.version}</version>
+        <configuration>
+          <configLocation>conf/checkstyle/sun_checks.xml</configLocation>
+          <suppressionsLocation>
+            ${basedir}/conf/checkstyle/onos_suppressions.xml
+          </suppressionsLocation>
+          <failsOnError>false</failsOnError>
+          <logViolationsToConsole>true</logViolationsToConsole>
+        </configuration>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <id>validate-checkstyle</id>
+            <phase>compile</phase>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>check</goal>
+            </goals>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
       </plugin>
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
@@ -194,12 +194,12 @@
       </plugin>
       -->
       <plugin>
-	<artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
-	<configuration>
-	  <descriptorRefs>
-	    <descriptorRef>jar-with-dependencies</descriptorRef>
-	  </descriptorRefs>
-	</configuration>
+        <artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
+        <configuration>
+          <descriptorRefs>
+            <descriptorRef>jar-with-dependencies</descriptorRef>
+          </descriptorRefs>
+        </configuration>
       </plugin>
       <plugin>
         <!-- Using groovy script to set maven property ${hostname}.
@@ -271,22 +271,22 @@
           <effort>${findbugs.effort}</effort>
           <excludeFilterFile>${findbugs.excludeFilterFile}</excludeFilterFile>
         </configuration>
-	<executions>
-	  <execution>
-	    <id>validate-findbugs</id>
-	    <phase>compile</phase>
-	    <goals>
-	      <!--  Uncomment this goal to make the build fail on findbugs errors -->
-	      <!--<goal>check</goal>-->
-	    </goals>
-	  </execution>
-	</executions>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <id>validate-findbugs</id>
+            <phase>compile</phase>
+            <goals>
+              <!--  Uncomment this goal to make the build fail on findbugs errors -->
+              <!--<goal>check</goal>-->
+            </goals>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
       </plugin>
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-pmd-plugin</artifactId>
         <version>3.1</version>
-	<configuration>
+        <configuration>
           <!--
             Note: Exclusion definition exists in multiple places.
             - In file ${findbugs.excludeFilterFile} defined at top of pom.xml
@@ -294,26 +294,26 @@
             - maven-pmd-plugin configuration in pom.xml
               (under build and reporting)
           -->
-	  <excludes>
+          <excludes>
             <exclude>**/datastore/serializers/**</exclude>
-	    <exclude>**/edu/stanford/**</exclude>
-	    <exclude>**/net/floodlightcontroller/**</exclude>
-	    <exclude>**/org/openflow/**</exclude>
-	  </excludes>
-	  <rulesets>
-	    <ruleset>${basedir}/conf/pmd/onos_ruleset.xml</ruleset>
-	  </rulesets>
-	</configuration>
-	<executions>
-	  <execution>
-	    <id>validate-pmd</id>
-	    <phase>compile</phase>
-	    <goals>
-	      <!--  Uncomment this goal to make the build fail on pmd errors -->
-	      <!--<goal>check</goal>-->
-	    </goals>
-	  </execution>
-	</executions>
+            <exclude>**/edu/stanford/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/net/floodlightcontroller/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/org/openflow/**</exclude>
+          </excludes>
+          <rulesets>
+            <ruleset>${basedir}/conf/pmd/onos_ruleset.xml</ruleset>
+          </rulesets>
+        </configuration>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <id>validate-pmd</id>
+            <phase>compile</phase>
+            <goals>
+              <!--  Uncomment this goal to make the build fail on pmd errors -->
+              <!--<goal>check</goal>-->
+            </goals>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
       </plugin>
     </plugins>
     <pluginManagement>
@@ -404,12 +404,12 @@
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
       <plugin>
-	<!-- Note: the checkstyle configuration is also in the build section -->
-	<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-	<artifactId>maven-checkstyle-plugin</artifactId>
-	<version>${checkstyle-plugin.version}</version>
-	<configuration>
-	  <configLocation>conf/checkstyle/sun_checks.xml</configLocation>
+        <!-- Note: the checkstyle configuration is also in the build section -->
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-checkstyle-plugin</artifactId>
+        <version>${checkstyle-plugin.version}</version>
+        <configuration>
+          <configLocation>conf/checkstyle/sun_checks.xml</configLocation>
           <!--
             Note: Exclusion definition exists in multiple places.
             - In file ${findbugs.excludeFilterFile} defined at top of pom.xml
@@ -418,17 +418,17 @@
               (under build and reporting)
           -->
           <excludes>**/datastore/serializers/**</excludes>
-	  <suppressionsLocation>
+          <suppressionsLocation>
              ${basedir}/conf/checkstyle/onos_suppressions.xml
           </suppressionsLocation>
-	</configuration>
-	<reportSets>
-	  <reportSet>
-	    <reports>
-	      <report>checkstyle</report>
-	    </reports>
-	  </reportSet>
-	</reportSets>
+        </configuration>
+        <reportSets>
+          <reportSet>
+            <reports>
+              <report>checkstyle</report>
+            </reports>
+          </reportSet>
+        </reportSets>
       </plugin>
       <!-- Note: the findbugs configuration is also in the build section -->
       <plugin>
@@ -460,19 +460,19 @@
           -->
           <excludes>
             <exclude>**/datastore/serializers/**</exclude>
-	    <exclude>**/edu/stanford/**</exclude>
-	    <exclude>**/net/floodlightcontroller/**</exclude>
-	    <exclude>**/org/openflow/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/edu/stanford/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/net/floodlightcontroller/**</exclude>
+            <exclude>**/org/openflow/**</exclude>
           </excludes>
-	  <rulesets>
-	    <ruleset>${basedir}/conf/pmd/onos_ruleset.xml</ruleset>
-	  </rulesets>
+          <rulesets>
+            <ruleset>${basedir}/conf/pmd/onos_ruleset.xml</ruleset>
+          </rulesets>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
       <plugin>
-	<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-	<artifactId>maven-jxr-plugin</artifactId>
-	<version>2.4</version>
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-jxr-plugin</artifactId>
+        <version>2.4</version>
     </plugin>
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>