diff --git a/manifests/api.pp b/manifests/api.pp
index 164b0cf44..8bbffb483 100644
--- a/manifests/api.pp
+++ b/manifests/api.pp
@@ -12,18 +12,14 @@ class nova::api($enabled=false) {
   exec { "initial-db-sync":
     command     => "/usr/bin/nova-manage db sync",
     refreshonly => true,
-    require     => [Package["nova-common"], Nova_config['sql_connection']],
+    require     => [Package[$::nova::params::package_names], Nova_config['sql_connection']],
   }
 
-  package { "nova-api":
-    ensure  => present,
-    require => Package["python-greenlet"],
-    notify  => Exec['initial-db-sync'],
-  }
   service { "nova-api":
+    name    => $::nova::params::api_service_name,
     ensure  => $service_ensure,
     enable  => $enabled,
-    require => Package["nova-api"],
+    require => Package[$::nova::params::package_names],
     #subscribe => File["/etc/nova/nova.conf"]
   }
 }
diff --git a/manifests/compute.pp b/manifests/compute.pp
index c3acfef75..3ca5da296 100644
--- a/manifests/compute.pp
+++ b/manifests/compute.pp
@@ -16,15 +16,11 @@ class nova::compute(
     $service_ensure = 'stopped'
   }
 
-  package { "nova-compute":
-    ensure => present,
-    require => Package['nova-common'],
-  }
-
   service { "nova-compute":
+    name => $::nova::params::compute_service_name,
     ensure  => $service_ensure,
     enable  => $enabled,
-    require => Package["nova-compute"],
+    require => Package[$::nova::params::package_names],
     before  => Exec['networking-refresh'],
   }
 
diff --git a/manifests/compute/libvirt.pp b/manifests/compute/libvirt.pp
index 498bf85b6..0d4864aa5 100644
--- a/manifests/compute/libvirt.pp
+++ b/manifests/compute/libvirt.pp
@@ -3,9 +3,29 @@ class nova::compute::libvirt (
   $flat_network_bridge = 'br100',
   $flat_network_bridge_ip,
   $flat_network_bridge_netmask
-) {
+) inherits nova::compute{
+
+  include nova::params
+
+  package { 'libvirt':
+    name   => $::nova::params::libvirt_package_name,
+    ensure => present,
+  }
+
+  service {"libvirt" :
+    name     => $::nova::params::libvirt_service_name,
+    ensure   => running,
+    provider => $::nova::params::special_service_provider,
+    require  => Package['libvirt'],
+  }
+
+  Service['nova-compute'] {
+    require +> Service['libvirt'],
+  }
+
   nova_config { 'libvirt_type': value => $libvirt_type }
   nova_config { 'connection_type': value => 'libvirt' }
+
   nova::network::bridge { $flat_network_bridge:
     ip      => $flat_network_bridge_ip,
     netmask => $flat_network_bridge_netmask,
diff --git a/manifests/controller.pp b/manifests/controller.pp
index dec89d857..c04015c1a 100644
--- a/manifests/controller.pp
+++ b/manifests/controller.pp
@@ -56,7 +56,10 @@ class nova::controller(
     flat_network_bridge_netmask => $flat_network_bridge_netmask,
   }
 
-  class { "nova::objectstore": enabled => true }
+  class { "nova::objectstore":
+    enabled => true,
+  }
+
   class { "nova::scheduler": enabled => true }
 
   nova::manage::admin { $admin_user: }
diff --git a/manifests/db.pp b/manifests/db.pp
index c5393afa9..fc99b476c 100644
--- a/manifests/db.pp
+++ b/manifests/db.pp
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ class nova::db(
   $cluster_id = 'localzone'
 ) {
 
-  # Create the db instance before nova-common if its installed
-  Mysql::Db[$dbname] -> Package<| title == "nova-common" |>
+  # Create the db instance before openstack-nova if its installed
+  Mysql::Db[$dbname] -> Anchor<| title == "nova-start" |>
   Mysql::Db[$dbname] ~> Exec<| title == 'initial-db-sync' |>
 
   # now this requires storedconfigs
diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index c428e0ed1..6af627d74 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -24,13 +24,23 @@ class nova(
   $nodaemon = false,
   $periodic_interval = '60',
   $report_interval = '10'
+
 ) {
 
+  include nova::params
+
   Nova_config<| |> {
-    require +> Package["nova-common"],
+    require +> Package[$::nova::params::package_names],
     before +> File['/etc/nova/nova.conf'],
     notify +> Exec['post-nova_config']
   }
+
+  File {
+    require => Package[$::nova::params::package_names],
+    owner   => 'nova',
+    group   => 'nova',
+  }
+
   # TODO - why is this required?
   package { 'python':
     ensure => present,
@@ -41,10 +51,21 @@ class nova(
   }
 
   class { 'nova::utilities': }
-  package { ["python-nova", "nova-common", "nova-doc"]:
+
+  # this anchor is used to simplify the graph between nova components by
+  # allowing a resource to serve as a point where the configuration of nova begins
+  anchor { 'nova-start': }
+
+  package { ["python-nova", $::nova::params::doc_package_name]:
     ensure  => present,
     require => Package["python-greenlet"]
   }
+
+  package { $::nova::params::package_names:
+    ensure  => present,
+    require => [Package["python-greenlet"], Anchor['nova-start']]
+  }
+
   group { 'nova':
     ensure => present
   }
@@ -55,13 +76,8 @@ class nova(
   file { $logdir:
     ensure  => directory,
     mode    => '751',
-    owner   => 'nova',
-    group   => 'nova',
-    require => Package['nova-common'],
   }
   file { '/etc/nova/nova.conf':
-    owner => 'nova',
-    group => 'nova',
     mode  => '0640',
   }
   exec { "nova-db-sync":
diff --git a/manifests/network.pp b/manifests/network.pp
index db3bc8848..d27d13402 100644
--- a/manifests/network.pp
+++ b/manifests/network.pp
@@ -9,15 +9,11 @@ class nova::network( $enabled=false ) {
     $service_ensure = 'stopped'
   }
 
-  package { "nova-network":
-    ensure  => present,
-    require => Package["python-greenlet"]
-  }
-
   service { "nova-network":
+    name => $::nova::params::network_service_name,
     ensure  => $service_ensure,
     enable  => $enabled,
-    require => Package["nova-network"],
+    require => Package[$::nova::params::package_names],
     before  => Exec['networking-refresh'],
     #subscribe => File["/etc/nova/nova.conf"]
   }
diff --git a/manifests/network/bridge.pp b/manifests/network/bridge.pp
index c8f48fb68..6f3b3be8a 100644
--- a/manifests/network/bridge.pp
+++ b/manifests/network/bridge.pp
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ define nova::network::bridge ( $ip, $netmask = "255.255.255.0" )
       }
     }
 
+    'fedora' : {
+    }
+
     default: { fail('nova::network_bridge currently only supports Debian and Ubuntu') }
 
   }
diff --git a/manifests/objectstore.pp b/manifests/objectstore.pp
index fc580abfb..90980d408 100644
--- a/manifests/objectstore.pp
+++ b/manifests/objectstore.pp
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 class nova::objectstore( $enabled=false ) {
 
+  include nova::params
+
   Exec['post-nova_config'] ~> Service['nova-objectstore']
   Exec['nova-db-sync'] ~> Service['nova-objectstore']
 
@@ -9,15 +11,11 @@ class nova::objectstore( $enabled=false ) {
     $service_ensure = 'stopped'
   }
 
-  package { "nova-objectstore":
-    ensure  => present,
-    require => Package["python-greenlet"]
-  }
-
   service { "nova-objectstore":
+    name => $::nova::params::objectstore_service_name,
     ensure  => $service_ensure,
     enable  => $enabled,
-    require => Package["nova-objectstore"],
+    require => Package[$::nova::params::package_names],
     #subscribe => File["/etc/nova/nova.conf"]
   }
 }
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..21549b2af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# these parameters need to be accessed from several locations and
+# should be considered to be constant
+class nova::params {
+
+  case $::osfamily {
+    'RedHat': {
+      $package_names            = 'openstack-nova'
+      $doc_package_name         = 'openstack-nova-doc'
+      $api_service_name         = 'openstack-nova-api'
+      $compute_service_name     = 'openstack-nova-compute'
+      $network_service_name     = 'openstack-nova-network'
+      $objectstore_service_name = 'openstack-nova-objectstore'
+      $scheduler_service_name   = 'openstack-nova-scheduler'
+      $libvirt_package_name     = 'libvirt'
+      $libvirt_service_name     = 'libvirtd'
+      $special_service_provider = 'init'
+    }
+    'Debian': {
+      $package_names = ['nova-common',
+                        'nova-api',
+                        'nova-compute',
+                        'nova-network',
+                        'nova-objectstore',
+                        'nova-scheduler'
+                       ]
+      $doc_package_name         = 'nova-doc'
+      $api_service_name         = 'nova-api'
+      $compute_service_name     = 'nova-compute'
+      $network_service_name     = 'nova-network'
+      $objectstore_service_name = 'nova-objectstore'
+      $scheduler_service_name   = 'nova-scheduler'
+      $libvirt_package_name     = 'libvirt-bin'
+      $libvirt_service_name     = 'libvirt-bin'
+      # some of the services need to be started form the special upstart provider
+      $special_service_provider = 'upstart'
+    }
+    default: {
+      fail("Unsupported osfamily: ${::osfamily} operatingsystem: ${::operatingsystem}, module ${module_name} only support osfamily RedHat and Debian")
+    }
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/manifests/rabbitmq.pp b/manifests/rabbitmq.pp
index b74f5dc94..21404f384 100644
--- a/manifests/rabbitmq.pp
+++ b/manifests/rabbitmq.pp
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class nova::rabbitmq(
 ) {
 
   # only configure nova after the queue is up
-  Class['rabbitmq::service'] -> Package<| title == 'nova-common' |>
+  Class['rabbitmq::service'] -> Anchor<| title == 'nova-start' |>
 
   # work around hostname bug, LP #653405
   host { $hostname:
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class nova::rabbitmq(
       write_permission     => '.*',
       read_permission      => '.*',
       provider             => 'rabbitmqctl',
-    }->Package<| title == 'nova-common' |>
+    }->Anchor<| title == 'nova-start' |>
   }
   class { 'rabbitmq::server':
     port              => $port,
diff --git a/manifests/scheduler.pp b/manifests/scheduler.pp
index db288db40..2ef1daff0 100644
--- a/manifests/scheduler.pp
+++ b/manifests/scheduler.pp
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 class nova::scheduler( $enabled ) {
 
+  include nova::params
+
   Exec['post-nova_config'] ~> Service['nova-scheduler']
   Exec['nova-db-sync'] -> Service['nova-scheduler']
 
@@ -9,15 +11,11 @@ class nova::scheduler( $enabled ) {
     $service_ensure = 'stopped'
   }
 
-  package { "nova-scheduler":
-    ensure  => present,
-    require => Package["python-greenlet"]
-  }
-
   service { "nova-scheduler":
+    name => $::nova::params::scheduler_service_name,
     ensure  => $service_ensure,
     enable  => $enabled,
-    require => Package["nova-scheduler"],
+    require => Package[$::nova::params::package_names],
     #subscribe => File["/etc/nova/nova.conf"]
   }
 }