diff --git a/daemon/core/api/coreapi2.py b/daemon/core/api/coreapi2.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..04d3f54e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/daemon/core/api/coreapi2.py
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+#
+# CORE
+# Copyright (c)2016 the Boeing Company.
+# See the LICENSE file included in this distribution.
+#
+# authors: Rod Santiago
+#          John Kharouta
+#
+
+"""
+This is a convenience module that imports the python module generated 
+from the core.proto IDL
+"""
+
+from core_pb2 import *
+import struct
+
+
+API2HDRFMT = "H"
+API2HDRSIZ = struct.calcsize(API2HDRFMT)
+   
+def pack(message):
+    ''' Pack an API2 message for transmission
+    '''
+    data = message.SerializeToString()
+    return struct.pack(API2HDRFMT, len(data)) + data
+
+
+def recvAndUnpack(recv):
+    ''' Receive and unpack from coreapi2
+    '''
+
+    try:
+        hdr = recv(API2HDRSIZ)
+    except Exception, e:
+        raise IOError, "error receiving API 2 header (%s)" % e
+
+    if len(hdr) != API2HDRSIZ:
+        if len(hdr) == 0:
+            raise EOFError, "client disconnected"
+        else:            
+            raise IOError, "invalid message header size"
+                
+    dataToRead = struct.unpack(API2HDRFMT, hdr)[0]
+    data = ""
+    while len(data) < dataToRead:
+        data += recv(dataToRead - len(data))
+    return data
+
+
+def findNodeByIdx(exp, idx):
+    ''' Find a node with the given index in the given Experiment
+    '''
+    for a_node in exp.nodes:
+        if a_node.idx == idx:
+            return a_node
+    return None
+
+def findDeviceByIdx(exp, idx):
+    ''' Find a device with the given index in the given Experiment
+    '''
+    for a_dev in exp.devices:
+        if a_dev.idx == idx:
+            return a_dev
+    return None
+
+def getNodeByIdx(exp, idx):
+    node = findNodeByIdx(exp, idx)
+    if not node:
+        node = exp.nodes.add()
+    return node
+
+def getDeviceByIdx(exp, idx):
+    device = findDeviceByIdx(exp, idx)
+    if not device:
+        device = exp.devices.add()
+    return device
+
+
+