diff --git a/daemon/core/grpc/client.py b/daemon/core/grpc/client.py
index 6d74e9fe..7d945d33 100644
--- a/daemon/core/grpc/client.py
+++ b/daemon/core/grpc/client.py
@@ -8,11 +8,22 @@ import core_pb2
 import core_pb2_grpc
 
 
+def update_proto(obj, **kwargs):
+    for key in kwargs:
+        value = kwargs[key]
+        if value is not None:
+            logging.info("setting proto key(%s) value(%s)", key, value)
+            setattr(obj, key, value)
+
+
 class CoreApiClient(object):
     def __init__(self, address="localhost:50051"):
         self.address = address
         self.stub = None
 
+    def create_session(self):
+        return self.stub.CreateSession(core_pb2.CreateSessionRequest())
+
     def get_sessions(self):
         return self.stub.GetSessions(core_pb2.SessionsRequest())
 
@@ -27,10 +38,17 @@ class CoreApiClient(object):
         return self.stub.GetSessionOptions(request)
 
     def get_session_location(self, _id):
-        request = core_pb2.SessionLocationRequest()
+        request = core_pb2.GetSessionLocationRequest()
         request.id = _id
         return self.stub.GetSessionLocation(request)
 
+    def set_session_location(self, _id, x=None, y=None , z=None, lat=None, lon=None, alt=None, scale=None):
+        request = core_pb2.SetSessionLocationRequest()
+        request.id = _id
+        update_proto(request.position, x=x, y=y, z=z, lat=lat, lon=lon, alt=alt)
+        update_proto(request, scale=scale)
+        return self.stub.SetSessionLocation(request)
+
     @contextmanager
     def connect(self):
         channel = grpc.insecure_channel(self.address)
@@ -44,15 +62,33 @@ class CoreApiClient(object):
 def main():
     client = CoreApiClient()
     with client.connect():
+        # create session
+        response = client.create_session()
+        print("created session: %s" % response)
+
         response = client.get_sessions()
         print("core client received: %s" % response)
 
         if len(response.sessions) > 0:
             session_data = response.sessions[0]
+
+            # set session location
+            response = client.set_session_location(
+                session_data.id,
+                x=0, y=0, z=None,
+                lat=47.57917, lon=-122.13232, alt=2.0,
+                scale=150000.0
+            )
+            print("set location response: %s" % response)
+
+            # get session
             session = client.get_session(session_data.id)
             print(session)
 
+            # get options
             print(client.get_session_options(session_data.id))
+
+            # get location
             print(client.get_session_location(session_data.id))
 
 
diff --git a/daemon/core/grpc/server.py b/daemon/core/grpc/server.py
index 7e5cc78c..4093ac00 100644
--- a/daemon/core/grpc/server.py
+++ b/daemon/core/grpc/server.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from core.enumerations import NodeTypes
+from core.enumerations import NodeTypes, EventTypes
 
 from concurrent import futures
 import time
@@ -81,6 +81,27 @@ class CoreApiServer(core_pb2_grpc.CoreApiServicer):
         super(CoreApiServer, self).__init__()
         self.coreemu = coreemu
 
+    def CreateSession(self, request, context):
+        session = self.coreemu.create_session()
+        session.set_state(EventTypes.DEFINITION_STATE)
+
+        # default set session location
+        session.location.setrefgeo(47.57917, -122.13232, 2.0)
+        session.location.refscale = 150000.0
+
+        # grpc stream handlers
+        # session.event_handlers.append(websocket_routes.broadcast_event)
+        # session.node_handlers.append(websocket_routes.broadcast_node)
+        # session.config_handlers.append(websocket_routes.broadcast_config)
+        # session.link_handlers.append(websocket_routes.broadcast_link)
+        # session.exception_handlers.append(websocket_routes.broadcast_exception)
+        # session.file_handlers.append(websocket_routes.broadcast_file)
+
+        response = core_pb2.CreateSessionResponse()
+        response.id = session.session_id
+        response.state = session.state
+        return response
+
     def GetSessions(self, request, context):
         response = core_pb2.SessionsResponse()
         for session_id in self.coreemu.sessions:
@@ -95,7 +116,7 @@ class CoreApiServer(core_pb2_grpc.CoreApiServicer):
         session = self.coreemu.sessions.get(request.id)
         x, y, z = session.location.refxyz
         lat, lon, alt = session.location.refgeo
-        response = core_pb2.SessionLocationResponse()
+        response = core_pb2.GetSessionLocationResponse()
         update_proto(
             response.position,
             x=x,
@@ -108,6 +129,15 @@ class CoreApiServer(core_pb2_grpc.CoreApiServicer):
         update_proto(response, scale=session.location.refscale)
         return response
 
+    def SetSessionLocation(self, request, context):
+        session = self.coreemu.sessions.get(request.id)
+
+        session.location.refxyz = (request.position.x, request.position.y, request.position.z)
+        session.location.setrefgeo(request.position.lat, request.position.lon, request.position.alt)
+        session.location.refscale = request.scale
+
+        return core_pb2.SetSessionLocationResponse()
+
     def GetSessionOptions(self, request, context):
         session = self.coreemu.sessions.get(request.id)
         config = session.options.get_configs()
diff --git a/daemon/proto/core.proto b/daemon/proto/core.proto
index 7e295b52..c33eebdd 100644
--- a/daemon/proto/core.proto
+++ b/daemon/proto/core.proto
@@ -3,14 +3,29 @@ syntax = "proto3";
 package core;
 
 service CoreApi {
+    rpc CreateSession (CreateSessionRequest) returns (CreateSessionResponse) {
+    }
     rpc GetSessions (SessionsRequest) returns (SessionsResponse) {
     }
     rpc GetSession (SessionRequest) returns (SessionResponse) {
     }
     rpc GetSessionOptions (SessionOptionsRequest) returns (SessionOptionsResponse) {
     }
-    rpc GetSessionLocation (SessionLocationRequest) returns (SessionLocationResponse) {
+    rpc GetSessionLocation (GetSessionLocationRequest) returns (GetSessionLocationResponse) {
     }
+    rpc SetSessionLocation (SetSessionLocationRequest) returns (SetSessionLocationResponse) {
+
+    }
+}
+
+// rpc request/response messages
+message CreateSessionRequest {
+
+}
+
+message CreateSessionResponse {
+    int32 id = 1;
+    int32 state = 2;
 }
 
 message SessionsRequest {
@@ -38,15 +53,26 @@ message SessionOptionsResponse {
     repeated ConfigGroup groups = 1;
 }
 
-message SessionLocationRequest {
+message GetSessionLocationRequest {
     int32 id = 1;
 }
 
-message SessionLocationResponse {
+message GetSessionLocationResponse {
     Position position = 1;
     float scale = 2;
 }
 
+message SetSessionLocationRequest {
+    int32 id = 1;
+    Position position = 2;
+    float scale = 3;
+}
+
+message SetSessionLocationResponse {
+
+}
+
+// data structures for messages below
 message ConfigGroup {
     string name = 1;
     repeated ConfigOption options = 2;