diff --git a/plstackapi/openstack/shell.py b/plstackapi/openstack/shell.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f11778
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plstackapi/openstack/shell.py
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+from keystoneclient.v2_0 import client as keystone_client
+from glance import client as glance_client
+from novaclient.v1_1 import client as nova_client
+from quantumclient.v2_0 import client as quantum_client
+
+from plstackapi.planetstack.config import Config
+
+def parse_novarc(filename):
+    opts = {}
+    f = open(filename, 'r')
+    for line in f:
+        try:
+            line = line.replace('export', '').strip()
+            parts = line.split('=')
+            if len(parts) > 1:
+                value = parts[1].replace("\'", "")
+                value = value.replace('\"', '')
+                opts[parts[0]] = value
+        except:
+            pass
+    f.close()
+    return opts
+
+class Client:
+    def __init__(self, username=None, password=None, tenant=None, url=None, config=None, *args, **kwds):
+        if config:
+            config = Config(config)
+        else:
+            config = Config()
+        self.username = config.nova_admin_user
+        self.password = config.nova_admin_password
+        self.tenant = config.nova_admin_tenant
+        self.url = config.nova_url
+
+        if username:
+            self.username = username
+        if password:
+            self.password = password
+        if tenant:
+            self.tenant = tenant
+        if url:
+            self.url = url
+
+        if '@' in self.username:
+            self.username = self.username[:self.username.index('@')]
+
+class KeystoneClient(Client):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwds):
+        Client.__init__(self, *args, **kwds)
+        self.client = keystone_client.Client(username=self.username,
+                                             password=self.password,
+                                             tenant_name=self.tenant,
+                                             auth_url=self.url)
+
+    def connect(self, *args, **kwds):
+        self.__init__(*args, **kwds)
+
+    def __getattr__(self, name):
+        return getattr(self.client, name)
+
+
+class GlanceClient(Client):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwds):
+        Client.__init__(self, *args, **kwds)
+        self.client = glance_client.get_client(host='0.0.0.0',
+                                               username=self.username,
+                                               password=self.password,
+                                               tenant=self.tenant,
+                                               auth_url=self.url)
+    def __getattr__(self, name):
+        return getattr(self.client, name)
+
+class NovaClient(Client):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwds):
+        Client.__init__(self, *args, **kwds)
+        self.client = nova_client.Client(username=self.username,
+                                         api_key=self.password,
+                                         project_id=self.tenant,
+                                         auth_url=self.url,
+                                         region_name='',
+                                         extensions=[],
+                                         service_type='compute',
+                                         service_name='',
+                                         )
+
+    def connect(self, *args, **kwds):
+        self.__init__(*args, **kwds)
+
+    def __getattr__(self, name):
+        return getattr(self.client, name)
+
+class QuantumClient(Client):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwds):
+        Client.__init__(self, *args, **kwds)
+        self.client = quantum_client.Client(username=self.username,
+                                            password=self.password,
+                                            tenant_name=self.tenant,
+                                            auth_url=self.url)
+    def connect(self, *args, **kwds):
+        self.__init__(*args, **kwds)
+
+    def __getattr__(self, name):
+        return getattr(self.client, name)
+
+class OpenStackShell:
+    """
+    A simple native shell to the openstack backend services.
+    This class can receive all nova calls to the underlying testbed
+    """
+
+    def __init__ ( self, *args, **kwds) :
+        # instantiate managers
+        self.keystone = KeystoneClient(*args, **kwds)
+        self.glance = GlanceClient(*args, **kwds)
+        self.nova = NovaClient(*args, **kwds)
+        self.quantum = QuantumClient(*args, **kwds)
+
+    def authenticate(self):
+        return self.keystone.authenticate()