diff --git a/shade/__init__.py b/shade/__init__.py
index 476897d33..40d55307a 100644
--- a/shade/__init__.py
+++ b/shade/__init__.py
@@ -28,23 +28,11 @@ import troveclient.client as trove_client
 from troveclient import exceptions as trove_exceptions
 import pbr.version
 
+from shade import meta
+
 __version__ = pbr.version.VersionInfo('shade').version_string()
 
 
-def find_nova_addresses(addresses, ext_tag, key_name=None):
-
-    ret = []
-    for (k, v) in addresses.iteritems():
-        if key_name and k == key_name:
-            ret.extend([addrs['addr'] for addrs in v])
-        else:
-            for interface_spec in v:
-                if ('OS-EXT-IPS:type' in interface_spec
-                        and interface_spec['OS-EXT-IPS:type'] == ext_tag):
-                    ret.append(interface_spec['addr'])
-    return ret
-
-
 class OpenStackCloudException(Exception):
     pass
 
@@ -414,6 +402,11 @@ class OpenStackCloud(object):
                 return server.id
         return None
 
+    def get_server_meta(self, server):
+        server_vars = meta.get_hostvars_from_server(self, server)
+        groups = meta.get_groups_from_server(self, server, server_vars)
+        return dict(server_vars=server_vars, groups=groups)
+
     def list_ironic_nodes(self):
         return self.ironic_client.node.list()
 
diff --git a/shade/meta.py b/shade/meta.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8a243f866
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shade/meta.py
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2014 Monty Taylor
+#
+# 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 re
+from types import NoneType
+
+NON_CALLABLES = (basestring, bool, dict, int, list, NoneType)
+
+
+def find_nova_addresses(addresses, ext_tag, key_name=None):
+
+    ret = []
+    for (k, v) in addresses.iteritems():
+        if key_name and k == key_name:
+            ret.extend([addrs['addr'] for addrs in v])
+        else:
+            for interface_spec in v:
+                if ('OS-EXT-IPS:type' in interface_spec
+                        and interface_spec['OS-EXT-IPS:type'] == ext_tag):
+                    ret.append(interface_spec['addr'])
+    return ret
+
+
+def get_groups_from_server(cloud, server, server_vars):
+    groups = []
+
+    region = cloud.region
+    cloud_name = cloud.name
+
+    # Create a group for the cloud
+    groups.append(cloud_name)
+
+    # Create a group on region
+    groups.append(region)
+
+    # And one by cloud_region
+    groups.append("%s_%s" % (cloud_name, region))
+
+    # Check if group metadata key in servers' metadata
+    group = server.metadata.get('group')
+    if group:
+        groups.append(group)
+
+    for extra_group in server.metadata.get('groups', '').split(','):
+        if extra_group:
+            groups.append(extra_group)
+
+    groups.append('instance-%s' % server.id)
+
+    flavor_id = server.flavor['id']
+    groups.append('flavor-%s' % flavor_id)
+    flavor_name = cloud.get_flavor_name(flavor_id)
+    if flavor_name:
+        groups.append('flavor-%s' % flavor_name)
+
+    image_id = server.image['id']
+    groups.append('image-%s' % image_id)
+    image_name = cloud.get_image_name(image_id)
+    if image_name:
+        groups.append('image-%s' % image_name)
+
+    for key, value in server.metadata.iteritems():
+        groups.append('meta_%s_%s' % (key, value))
+
+    az = server_vars.get('az', None)
+    if az:
+        # Make groups for az, region_az and cloud_region_az
+        groups.append(az)
+        groups.append('%s_%s' % (region, az))
+        groups.append('%s_%s_%s' % (cloud.name, region, az))
+    return groups
+
+
+def get_hostvars_from_server(cloud, server):
+    server_vars = dict()
+    # Fist, add an IP address
+    if (cloud.private):
+        interface_ips = find_nova_addresses(
+            getattr(server, 'addresses'), 'fixed', 'private')
+    else:
+        interface_ips = find_nova_addresses(
+            getattr(server, 'addresses'), 'floating', 'public')
+    # TODO: I want this to be richer
+    server_vars['interface_ip'] = interface_ips[0]
+
+    server_vars.update(to_dict(server))
+
+    server_vars['nova_region'] = cloud.region
+    server_vars['openstack_cloud'] = cloud.name
+
+    server_vars['cinder_volumes'] = [
+        to_dict(f, slug=False) for f in cloud.get_volumes(server)]
+
+    az = server_vars.get('nova_os-ext-az_availability_zone', None)
+    if az:
+        server_vars['nova_az'] = az
+
+    return server_vars
+
+
+def to_dict(obj, slug=True, prefix='nova'):
+    instance = {}
+    for key in dir(obj):
+        value = getattr(obj, key)
+        if (isinstance(value, NON_CALLABLES) and not key.startswith('_')):
+            if slug:
+                key = slugify(prefix, key)
+            instance[key] = value
+
+    return instance
+
+
+# TODO: this is something both various modules and plugins could use
+def slugify(pre='', value=''):
+    sep = ''
+    if pre is not None and len(pre):
+        sep = '_'
+    return '%s%s%s' % (
+        pre, sep, re.sub('[^\w-]', '_', value).lower().lstrip('_'))