diff --git a/pkg/db/model/backend.go b/pkg/db/model/backend.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de731ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/db/model/backend.go
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2018-present Open Networking Foundation
+
+ * 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.
+ */
+
+package model
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/opencord/voltha-lib-go/pkg/common/log"
+	"github.com/opencord/voltha-lib-go/pkg/db/kvstore"
+	"strconv"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+)
+
+//TODO: missing cache stuff
+//TODO: missing retry stuff
+//TODO: missing proper logging
+
+// Backend structure holds details for accessing the kv store
+type Backend struct {
+	sync.RWMutex
+	Client     kvstore.Client
+	StoreType  string
+	Host       string
+	Port       int
+	Timeout    int
+	PathPrefix string
+}
+
+// NewBackend creates a new instance of a Backend structure
+func NewBackend(storeType string, host string, port int, timeout int, pathPrefix string) *Backend {
+	var err error
+
+	b := &Backend{
+		StoreType:  storeType,
+		Host:       host,
+		Port:       port,
+		Timeout:    timeout,
+		PathPrefix: pathPrefix,
+	}
+
+	address := host + ":" + strconv.Itoa(port)
+	if b.Client, err = b.newClient(address, timeout); err != nil {
+		log.Errorw("failed-to-create-kv-client",
+			log.Fields{
+				"type": storeType, "host": host, "port": port,
+				"timeout": timeout, "prefix": pathPrefix,
+				"error": err.Error(),
+			})
+	}
+
+	return b
+}
+
+func (b *Backend) newClient(address string, timeout int) (kvstore.Client, error) {
+	switch b.StoreType {
+	case "consul":
+		return kvstore.NewConsulClient(address, timeout)
+	case "etcd":
+		return kvstore.NewEtcdClient(address, timeout)
+	}
+	return nil, errors.New("unsupported-kv-store")
+}
+
+func (b *Backend) makePath(key string) string {
+	path := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", b.PathPrefix, key)
+	return path
+}
+
+// List retrieves one or more items that match the specified key
+func (b *Backend) List(key string, lock ...bool) (map[string]*kvstore.KVPair, error) {
+	b.Lock()
+	defer b.Unlock()
+
+	formattedPath := b.makePath(key)
+	log.Debugw("listing-key", log.Fields{"key": key, "path": formattedPath, "lock": lock})
+
+	return b.Client.List(formattedPath, b.Timeout, lock...)
+}
+
+// Get retrieves an item that matches the specified key
+func (b *Backend) Get(key string, lock ...bool) (*kvstore.KVPair, error) {
+	b.Lock()
+	defer b.Unlock()
+
+	formattedPath := b.makePath(key)
+	log.Debugw("getting-key", log.Fields{"key": key, "path": formattedPath, "lock": lock})
+
+	start := time.Now()
+	err, pair := b.Client.Get(formattedPath, b.Timeout, lock...)
+	stop := time.Now()
+
+	GetProfiling().AddToDatabaseRetrieveTime(stop.Sub(start).Seconds())
+
+	return err, pair
+}
+
+// Put stores an item value under the specifed key
+func (b *Backend) Put(key string, value interface{}, lock ...bool) error {
+	b.Lock()
+	defer b.Unlock()
+
+	formattedPath := b.makePath(key)
+	log.Debugw("putting-key", log.Fields{"key": key, "value": string(value.([]byte)), "path": formattedPath, "lock": lock})
+
+	return b.Client.Put(formattedPath, value, b.Timeout, lock...)
+}
+
+// Delete removes an item under the specified key
+func (b *Backend) Delete(key string, lock ...bool) error {
+	b.Lock()
+	defer b.Unlock()
+
+	formattedPath := b.makePath(key)
+	log.Debugw("deleting-key", log.Fields{"key": key, "path": formattedPath, "lock": lock})
+
+	return b.Client.Delete(formattedPath, b.Timeout, lock...)
+}
+
+// CreateWatch starts watching events for the specified key
+func (b *Backend) CreateWatch(key string) chan *kvstore.Event {
+	b.Lock()
+	defer b.Unlock()
+
+	formattedPath := b.makePath(key)
+	log.Debugw("creating-key-watch", log.Fields{"key": key, "path": formattedPath})
+
+	return b.Client.Watch(formattedPath)
+}
+
+// DeleteWatch stops watching events for the specified key
+func (b *Backend) DeleteWatch(key string, ch chan *kvstore.Event) {
+	b.Lock()
+	defer b.Unlock()
+
+	formattedPath := b.makePath(key)
+	log.Debugw("deleting-key-watch", log.Fields{"key": key, "path": formattedPath})
+
+	b.Client.CloseWatch(formattedPath, ch)
+}