diff --git a/roles/prereq/defaults/main.yml b/roles/prereq/defaults/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..731d94f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/prereq/defaults/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#
+# variables needed to be defined in user's playbook
+#
+#
+# user-configurable defaults
+#
+# default install path
+docker_tools_path: '/usr/local/bin'
+docker_tools_pipework_exe_url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jpetazzo/pipework/master/pipework
+
+#docker variables
+docker:
+    registry: "{{ docker_registry | default('docker-registry:5000') }}"
+    image_version: "{{ docker_image_version | default('latest') }}"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/roles/prereq/tasks/main.yml b/roles/prereq/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f8026ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/prereq/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+---
+- name: Install Cord tester prerequisites
+  become: yes
+  apt: name={{ item }} state=latest force=yes
+  with_items:
+    - wget
+    - python
+    - python-dev
+    - python-pip
+    - python-setuptools
+    - python-scapy
+    - python-pexpect
+    - openvswitch-switch
+
+- name: Install Python Prerequisites for cord tester
+  become: yes
+  pip: name={{ item }} state=latest
+  with_items:
+    - nose
+    - scapy
+    - monotonic
+    - configObj
+    - docker-py
+    - pyyaml
+    - nsenter
+    - pyroute2
+    - netaddr
+    - python-daemon
+    - scapy-ssl_tls
+
+- name: install Pipework
+  sudo: True
+  get_url:
+    url: "{{ docker_tools_pipework_exe_url }}"
+    dest: "{{ docker_tools_path }}/pipework"
+    force: yes
+    mode: "a+x"
+
+- name: Pull cord test container
+  become: yes
+  docker:
+    name: cord-test
+    image: "{{ docker.registry }}/cord-test/nose:{{ docker.image_version }}"
+    pull: always
+    state: absent
+
+- name: Pull test radius container
+  become: yes
+  docker:
+    name: cord-radius
+    image: "{{ docker.registry }}/cord-test/radius:{{ docker.image_version }}"
+    pull: always
+    state: absent
+
+- name: Pull test quagga container
+  become: yes
+  docker:
+    name: cord-quagga
+    image: "{{ docker.registry }}/cord-test/quagga:{{ docker.image_version }}"
+    pull: always
+    state: absent