diff --git a/senlin/engine/member.py b/senlin/engine/member.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ac98ced78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/senlin/engine/member.py
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+import uuid
+from datatime import datetime
+
+from senlin.db import api as db_api
+
+
+class Member(object):
+    '''
+    A member is an object that can belong to at most one single cluster.
+
+    All operations are performed without further checking because the
+    checkings are supposed to be de done before/after/during an action is
+    excuted.
+    '''
+
+    statuses = (
+        ACTIVE, ERROR, DELETED, UPDATING,
+    ) = (
+        'ACTIVE', 'ERROR', 'DELETED', 'UPDATING',
+    )
+
+    def __init__(self, name, profile_id, cluster_id=None, **kwargs):
+        self.name = name
+        self.uuid = str(uuid.uuid4())
+        self.physical_id = None
+        self.cluster_id = cluster_id
+        self.index = db_api.get_next_index(cluster_id) if cluster_id or -1
+        self.profile_id = profile_id
+        self.role = None
+        self.status = self.ACTIVE
+        self.status_reason = 'Initialized'
+        self.created_time = None
+        self.updated_time = None
+
+        # TODO: store this to database
+
+    def create(self, name, profile_id, cluster_id=None, **kwargs):
+        # TODO: invoke profile to create new object and get the physical id
+        # TODO: log events?
+        self.created_time = datetime.utcnnow()
+        return member.uuid
+
+    def delete(self):
+        member = db_api.get_member(self.uuid)
+        # TODO: invoke profile to delete this object
+        # TODO: check if actions are working on it and can be canceled
+
+        db_api.delete_member(self.uuid)
+        return True
+
+    def update(self, new_profile_id):
+        old_profile = db_api.get_profile(self.profile_id)
+        new_profile = db_api.get_profile(new_profile_id)
+
+        # TODO: check if profile type matches
+        new_profile_type = new_profile.type_name
+
+        profile_cls = profile_registry.get_class(type_name)
+
+        profile_cls.update_object(self.uuid, new_profile)
+        self.profile_id = new_profile
+        self.updated_time = datetime.utcnow()
+        return True