diff --git a/roles/onos-vm-install/templates/onos-service.j2 b/roles/onos-vm-install/templates/onos-service.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7eef6f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/onos-vm-install/templates/onos-service.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Starts ONOS Apache Karaf container
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+# uncomment the following line for performance testing
+#export JAVA_OPTS="${JAVA_OPTS:--Xms8G -Xmx8G -XX:+UseConcMarkSweepGC -XX:+CMSIncrementalMode -XX:+PrintGCDetails -XX:+PrintGCTimeStamps}"
+
+# uncomment the following line for Netty TLS encryption
+# Do modify the keystore location/password and truststore location/password accordingly
+#export JAVA_OPTS="${JAVA_OPTS:--DenableNettyTLS=true -Djavax.net.ssl.keyStore=/home/ubuntu/onos.jks -Djavax.net.ssl.keyStorePassword=222222 -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStore=/home/ubuntu/onos.jks -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStorePassword=222222}"
+
+export JAVA_OPTS="-Djavax.net.ssl.trustStore=/usr/local/share/ca-certificates/xos-certs.jks -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStorePassword={{ trust_store_pw }}" 
+
+set -e  # exit on error
+set -u  # exit on undefined variable
+
+# If ONOS_HOME is set, respect its value.
+# If ONOS_HOME is not set (e.g. in the init or service environment),
+# set it based on this script's path.
+ONOS_HOME=${ONOS_HOME:-$(cd $(dirname $0)/.. >/dev/null 2>&1 && pwd)}
+KARAF_ARGS=
+SYS_APPS=drivers
+ONOS_APPS=${ONOS_APPS:-}  # Empty means don't activate any new apps
+
+cd $ONOS_HOME
+
+# Parse out arguments destinted for karaf invocation v. arguments that
+# will be processed in line
+while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
+  case $1 in
+    apps-clean)
+      # Deactivate all applications
+      find ${ONOS_HOME}/apps -name "active" -exec rm \{\} \;
+      ;;
+    *)
+      KARAF_ARGS+=" $1"
+      ;;
+  esac
+  shift
+done
+
+# Activate the system required applications (SYS_APPS) as well as any
+# specified applications in the var ONOS_APPS
+for app in ${SYS_APPS//,/ } ${ONOS_APPS//,/ }; do
+  if [[ "$app" =~ \. ]]; then
+    touch ${ONOS_HOME}/apps/$app/active
+  else
+    touch ${ONOS_HOME}/apps/org.onosproject.$app/active
+  fi
+done
+
+exec ${ONOS_HOME}/apache-karaf-3.0.5/bin/karaf $KARAF_ARGS