diff --git a/xos/synchronizer/steps/sync_container.py b/xos/synchronizer/steps/sync_container.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41e1305
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xos/synchronizer/steps/sync_container.py
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+import hashlib
+import os
+import socket
+import sys
+import base64
+import time
+from django.db.models import F, Q
+from xos.config import Config
+from synchronizers.base.SyncInstanceUsingAnsible import SyncInstanceUsingAnsible
+from synchronizers.base.syncstep import SyncStep, DeferredException
+from synchronizers.base.ansible import run_template_ssh
+from core.models import Service, Slice, Instance
+from xos.logger import Logger, logging
+
+# hpclibrary will be in steps/..
+parentdir = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),"..")
+sys.path.insert(0,parentdir)
+
+logger = Logger(level=logging.INFO)
+
+class SyncContainer(SyncInstanceUsingAnsible):
+    provides=[Instance]
+    observes=Instance
+    requested_interval=0
+    template_name = "sync_container.yaml"
+
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        super(SyncContainer, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    def fetch_pending(self, deletion=False):
+        objs = super(SyncContainer, self).fetch_pending(deletion)
+        objs = [x for x in objs if x.isolation in ["container", "container_vm"]]
+        return objs
+
+    def get_instance_port(self, container_port):
+        for p in container_port.network.links.all():
+            if (p.instance) and (p.instance.isolation=="vm") and (p.instance.node == container_port.instance.node) and (p.mac):
+                return p
+        return None
+
+    def get_parent_port_mac(self, instance, port):
+        if not instance.parent:
+            raise Exception("instance has no parent")
+        for parent_port in instance.parent.ports.all():
+            if parent_port.network == port.network:
+                if not parent_port.mac:
+                     raise DeferredException("parent port on network %s does not have mac yet" % parent_port.network.name)
+                return parent_port.mac
+        raise Exception("failed to find corresponding parent port for network %s" % port.network.name)
+
+    def get_ports(self, o):
+        i=0
+        ports = []
+        if (o.slice.network in ["host", "bridged"]):
+            pass # no ports in host or bridged mode
+        else:
+            for port in o.ports.all():
+                if (not port.ip):
+                    # 'unmanaged' ports may have an ip, but no mac
+                    # XXX: are there any ports that have a mac but no ip?
+                    raise DeferredException("Port on network %s is not yet ready" % port.network.name)
+
+                pd={}
+                pd["mac"] = port.mac or ""
+                pd["ip"] = port.ip or ""
+                pd["xos_network_id"] = port.network.id
+
+                if port.network.name == "wan_network":
+                    if port.ip:
+                        (a, b, c, d) = port.ip.split('.')
+                        pd["mac"] = "02:42:%02x:%02x:%02x:%02x" % (int(a), int(b), int(c), int(d))
+
+
+                if o.isolation == "container":
+                    # container on bare metal
+                    instance_port = self.get_instance_port(port)
+                    if not instance_port:
+                        raise DeferredException("No instance on slice for port on network %s" % port.network.name)
+
+                    pd["snoop_instance_mac"] = instance_port.mac
+                    pd["snoop_instance_id"] = instance_port.instance.instance_id
+                    pd["src_device"] = ""
+                    pd["bridge"] = "br-int"
+                else:
+                    # container in VM
+                    pd["snoop_instance_mac"] = ""
+                    pd["snoop_instance_id"] = ""
+                    pd["parent_mac"] = self.get_parent_port_mac(o, port)
+                    pd["bridge"] = ""
+
+                for (k,v) in port.get_parameters().items():
+                    pd[k] = v
+
+                ports.append(pd)
+
+            # for any ports that don't have a device, assign one
+            used_ports = [x["device"] for x in ports if ("device" in x)]
+            avail_ports = ["eth%d"%i for i in range(0,64) if ("eth%d"%i not in used_ports)]
+            for port in ports:
+                if not port.get("device",None):
+                    port["device"] = avail_ports.pop(0)
+
+        return ports
+
+    def get_extra_attributes(self, o):
+        fields={}
+        fields["ansible_tag"] = "container-%s" % str(o.id)
+        if o.image.tag:
+            fields["docker_image"] = o.image.path + ":" + o.image.tag
+        else:
+            fields["docker_image"] = o.image.path
+        fields["ports"] = self.get_ports(o)
+        if o.volumes:
+            fields["volumes"] = [x.strip() for x in o.volumes.split(",")]
+        else:
+            fields["volumes"] = ""
+        fields["network_method"] = o.slice.network or "default"
+        return fields
+
+    def sync_record(self, o):
+        logger.info("sync'ing object %s" % str(o),extra=o.tologdict())
+
+        fields = self.get_ansible_fields(o)
+
+        # If 'o' defines a 'sync_attributes' list, then we'll copy those
+        # attributes into the Ansible recipe's field list automatically.
+        if hasattr(o, "sync_attributes"):
+            for attribute_name in o.sync_attributes:
+                fields[attribute_name] = getattr(o, attribute_name)
+
+        fields.update(self.get_extra_attributes(o))
+
+        self.run_playbook(o, fields)
+
+        o.instance_id = fields["container_name"]
+        o.instance_name = fields["container_name"]
+
+        o.save()
+
+    def delete_record(self, o):
+        logger.info("delete'ing object %s" % str(o),extra=o.tologdict())
+
+        fields = self.get_ansible_fields(o)
+
+        # If 'o' defines a 'sync_attributes' list, then we'll copy those
+        # attributes into the Ansible recipe's field list automatically.
+        if hasattr(o, "sync_attributes"):
+            for attribute_name in o.sync_attributes:
+                fields[attribute_name] = getattr(o, attribute_name)
+
+        fields.update(self.get_extra_attributes(o))
+
+        self.run_playbook(o, fields, "teardown_container.yaml")
+
+    def run_playbook(self, o, fields, template_name=None):
+        if not template_name:
+            template_name = self.template_name
+        tStart = time.time()
+        run_template_ssh(template_name, fields, path="container")
+        logger.info("playbook execution time %d" % int(time.time()-tStart),extra=o.tologdict())
+
+