diff --git a/nimble/common/exception.py b/nimble/common/exception.py
index bd491a8f..acca8bd6 100644
--- a/nimble/common/exception.py
+++ b/nimble/common/exception.py
@@ -118,3 +118,7 @@ class NotAcceptable(NimbleException):
 
 class ConfigInvalid(NimbleException):
     _msg_fmt = _("Invalid configuration file. %(error_msg)s")
+
+
+class InvalidMAC(Invalid):
+    _msg_fmt = _("Expected a MAC address but received %(mac)s.")
diff --git a/nimble/common/utils.py b/nimble/common/utils.py
index 0b5a605a..209efe03 100644
--- a/nimble/common/utils.py
+++ b/nimble/common/utils.py
@@ -15,9 +15,12 @@
 
 """Utilities and helper functions."""
 
+import re
+
 from oslo_log import log as logging
 import six
 
+from nimble.common import exception
 from nimble.common.i18n import _LW
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -38,3 +41,34 @@ def safe_rstrip(value, chars=None):
         return value
 
     return value.rstrip(chars) or value
+
+
+def is_valid_mac(address):
+    """Verify the format of a MAC address.
+
+    Check if a MAC address is valid and contains six octets. Accepts
+    colon-separated format only.
+
+    :param address: MAC address to be validated.
+    :returns: True if valid. False if not.
+
+    """
+    m = "[0-9a-f]{2}(:[0-9a-f]{2}){5}$"
+    return (isinstance(address, six.string_types) and
+            re.match(m, address.lower()))
+
+
+def validate_and_normalize_mac(address):
+    """Validate a MAC address and return normalized form.
+
+    Checks whether the supplied MAC address is formally correct and
+    normalize it to all lower case.
+
+    :param address: MAC address to be validated and normalized.
+    :returns: Normalized and validated MAC address.
+    :raises: InvalidMAC If the MAC address is not valid.
+
+    """
+    if not is_valid_mac(address):
+        raise exception.InvalidMAC(mac=address)
+    return address.lower()
diff --git a/nimble/objects/__init__.py b/nimble/objects/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/nimble/objects/base.py b/nimble/objects/base.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..67b01add
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nimble/objects/base.py
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+# Copyright 2016 Huawei Technologies Co.,LTD.
+# All Rights Reserved.
+#
+#    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.
+
+"""Nimble common internal object model"""
+
+from oslo_utils import versionutils
+from oslo_versionedobjects import base as object_base
+
+from nimble import objects
+from nimble.objects import fields as object_fields
+
+
+class NimbleObjectRegistry(object_base.VersionedObjectRegistry):
+    def registration_hook(self, cls, index):
+        # NOTE(jroll): blatantly stolen from nova
+        # NOTE(danms): This is called when an object is registered,
+        # and is responsible for maintaining nimble.objects.$OBJECT
+        # as the highest-versioned implementation of a given object.
+        version = versionutils.convert_version_to_tuple(cls.VERSION)
+        if not hasattr(objects, cls.obj_name()):
+            setattr(objects, cls.obj_name(), cls)
+        else:
+            cur_version = versionutils.convert_version_to_tuple(
+                getattr(objects, cls.obj_name()).VERSION)
+            if version >= cur_version:
+                setattr(objects, cls.obj_name(), cls)
+
+
+class NimbleObject(object_base.VersionedObject):
+    """Base class and object factory.
+
+    This forms the base of all objects that can be remoted or instantiated
+    via RPC. Simply defining a class that inherits from this base class
+    will make it remotely instantiatable. Objects should implement the
+    necessary "get" classmethod routines as well as "save" object methods
+    as appropriate.
+    """
+
+    OBJ_SERIAL_NAMESPACE = 'nimble_object'
+    OBJ_PROJECT_NAMESPACE = 'nimble'
+
+    # TODO(lintan) Refactor these fields and create PersistentObject and
+    # TimeStampObject like Nova when it is necessary.
+    fields = {
+        'created_at': object_fields.DateTimeField(nullable=True),
+        'updated_at': object_fields.DateTimeField(nullable=True),
+    }
+
+    def as_dict(self):
+        return dict((k, getattr(self, k))
+                    for k in self.fields
+                    if hasattr(self, k))
+
+    def obj_refresh(self, loaded_object):
+        """Applies updates for objects that inherit from base.NimbleObject.
+
+        Checks for updated attributes in an object. Updates are applied from
+        the loaded object column by column in comparison with the current
+        object.
+        """
+        for field in self.fields:
+            if (self.obj_attr_is_set(field) and
+                    self[field] != loaded_object[field]):
+                self[field] = loaded_object[field]
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _from_db_object(obj, db_object):
+        """Converts a database entity to a formal object.
+
+        :param obj: An object of the class.
+        :param db_object: A DB model of the object
+        :return: The object of the class with the database entity added
+        """
+
+        for field in obj.fields:
+            obj[field] = db_object[field]
+
+        obj.obj_reset_changes()
+        return obj
+
+
+class NimbleObjectSerializer(object_base.VersionedObjectSerializer):
+    # Base class to use for object hydration
+    OBJ_BASE_CLASS = NimbleObject
diff --git a/nimble/objects/fields.py b/nimble/objects/fields.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7f368318
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nimble/objects/fields.py
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+# Copyright 2016 Huawei Technologies Co.,LTD.
+# All Rights Reserved.
+#
+#    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 ast
+import hashlib
+import inspect
+import six
+
+from oslo_versionedobjects import fields as object_fields
+
+from nimble.common import utils
+
+
+class IntegerField(object_fields.IntegerField):
+    pass
+
+
+class UUIDField(object_fields.UUIDField):
+    pass
+
+
+class StringField(object_fields.StringField):
+    pass
+
+
+class StringAcceptsCallable(object_fields.String):
+    @staticmethod
+    def coerce(obj, attr, value):
+        if callable(value):
+            value = value()
+        return super(StringAcceptsCallable, StringAcceptsCallable).coerce(
+            obj, attr, value)
+
+
+class StringFieldThatAcceptsCallable(object_fields.StringField):
+    """Custom StringField object that allows for functions as default
+
+    In some cases we need to allow for dynamic defaults based on configuration
+    options, this StringField object allows for a function to be passed as a
+    default, and will only process it at the point the field is coerced
+    """
+
+    AUTO_TYPE = StringAcceptsCallable()
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        default = self._default
+        if (self._default != object_fields.UnspecifiedDefault and
+                callable(self._default)):
+            default = "%s-%s" % (
+                self._default.__name__,
+                hashlib.md5(inspect.getsource(
+                    self._default).encode()).hexdigest())
+        return '%s(default=%s,nullable=%s)' % (self._type.__class__.__name__,
+                                               default, self._nullable)
+
+
+class DateTimeField(object_fields.DateTimeField):
+    pass
+
+
+class BooleanField(object_fields.BooleanField):
+    pass
+
+
+class ListOfStringsField(object_fields.ListOfStringsField):
+    pass
+
+
+class FlexibleDict(object_fields.FieldType):
+    @staticmethod
+    def coerce(obj, attr, value):
+        if isinstance(value, six.string_types):
+            value = ast.literal_eval(value)
+        return dict(value)
+
+
+class FlexibleDictField(object_fields.AutoTypedField):
+    AUTO_TYPE = FlexibleDict()
+
+    # TODO(lucasagomes): In our code we've always translated None to {},
+    # this method makes this field to work like this. But probably won't
+    # be accepted as-is in the oslo_versionedobjects library
+    def _null(self, obj, attr):
+        if self.nullable:
+            return {}
+        super(FlexibleDictField, self)._null(obj, attr)
+
+
+class MACAddress(object_fields.FieldType):
+    @staticmethod
+    def coerce(obj, attr, value):
+        return utils.validate_and_normalize_mac(value)
+
+
+class MACAddressField(object_fields.AutoTypedField):
+    AUTO_TYPE = MACAddress()