diff --git a/netconf/constants.py b/netconf/constants.py
new file mode 100644
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/netconf/constants.py
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+#
+# Copyright 2016 the original author or authors.
+#
+# 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.
+#
+
+class Constants:
+
+	SSH_SUBSYSTEM = "netconf"
+
+	# Secure credentials directories
+	# TODO:  In a production environment these locations require better
+	# protection.  For now the user_passwords file is just a plain text file.
+	KEYS_DIRECTORY = 'security/keys'
+	CERTS_DIRECTORY = 'security/certificates'
+	CLIENT_CRED_DIRECTORY = 'security/client_credentials'
+
+	# Datastores
+	RUNNING = "running"
+	CANDIDATE = "candidate"
+	STARTUP = "startup"
+
+	# RPC - base netconf
+	GET = "get"
+	GET_CONFIG = "get-config"
+	COPY_CONFIG = "copy-config"
+	EDIT_CONFIG = "edit-config"
+	DELETE_CONFIG = "delete-config"
+	LOCK = "lock"
+	UNLOCK = "unlock"
+	CLOSE_SESSION = "close-session"
+	KILL_SESSION = "kill-session"
+
+	# Operations
+	OPERATION = "operation"
+	DEFAULT_OPERATION = "default-operation"
+	MERGE = "merge"
+	REPLACE = "replace"
+	CREATE = "create"
+	DELETE = "delete"
+	NONE = "none"
+
+    # Netconf namespaces
+	NETCONF_BASE_10 = "urn:ietf:params:netconf:base:1.0"
+	NETCONF_BASE_11 = "urn:ietf:params:netconf:base:1.1"
+
+	# XML
+	XML_HEADER = """<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>"""
+
+	# Capability xpath
+	CAPABILITY_XPATH = "//nc:hello/nc:capabilities/nc:capability"
+	RPC_XPATH = "/nc:rpc"
+
+	NC_SOURCE="nc:source"
+	SOURCE = "source"
+	TARGET = "target"
+	CONFIG = "config"
+	
+
+	TEST_OPTION = "test-option"
+	TEST_THEN_SET = "test-then-set"
+	SET = "set"
+
+	ERROR_OPTION = "error-option"
+	STOP_ON_ERROR = "stop-on-error"
+	CONTINUE_ON_ERROR = "continue-on-error"
+	ROLLBACK_ON_ERROR = "rollback-on-error"
+
+	#tags
+	NC = "nc"
+	RPC = "rpc"
+	RPC_REPLY = "rpc-reply"
+	RPC_ERROR = "rpc-error"
+	CAPABILITY = "capability"
+	CAPABILITIES = "capabilities"
+	HELLO = "hello"
+	URL = "url"
+	NC_FILTER="nc:filter"
+	FILTER = "filter"
+	SUBTREE = "subtree"
+	XPATH = "xpath"
+	OK = "ok"
+	SESSION_ID = "session-id"
+	MESSAGE_ID = "message-id"
+	XMLNS = "xmlns"
+	DELIMITER = "]]>]]>"