diff --git a/xos/onboard/exampleservice/exampleservice-onboard-longform.yaml b/xos/onboard/exampleservice/exampleservice-onboard-longform.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0eddd51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xos/onboard/exampleservice/exampleservice-onboard-longform.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+tosca_definitions_version: tosca_simple_yaml_1_0
+
+description: Onboard the exampleservice
+
+imports:
+   - custom_types/xos.yaml
+
+topology_template:
+  node_templates:
+    exampleservice:
+      type: tosca.nodes.ServiceController
+      properties:
+          base_url: file:/opt/xos/onboard/exampleservice/
+
+    exampleservice_models:
+      type: tosca.nodes.ServiceControllerResource
+      properties:
+          kind: models
+          format: python
+          url: models.py
+      requirements:
+          - controller:
+              node: exampleservice
+              relationship: tosca.relationships.UsedByController
+
+    exampleservice_admin:
+      type: tosca.nodes.ServiceControllerResource
+      properties:
+          kind: admin
+          format: python
+          url: admin.py
+      requirements:
+          - controller:
+              node: exampleservice
+              relationship: tosca.relationships.UsedByController
+
+    exampleservice_synchronizer:
+      type: tosca.nodes.ServiceControllerResource
+      properties:
+          kind: synchronizer
+          format: manifest
+          url: synchronizer/manifest
+      requirements:
+          - controller:
+              node: exampleservice
+              relationship: tosca.relationships.UsedByController
+
+    exampleservice_tosca_types:
+      type: tosca.nodes.ServiceControllerResource
+      properties:
+          kind: tosca_custom_types
+          format: yaml
+          url: exampleservice.yaml
+      requirements:
+          - controller:
+              node: exampleservice
+              relationship: tosca.relationships.UsedByController
diff --git a/xos/onboard/exampleservice/exampleservice-onboard.yaml b/xos/onboard/exampleservice/exampleservice-onboard.yaml
index 25f2a31..67413d0 100644
--- a/xos/onboard/exampleservice/exampleservice-onboard.yaml
+++ b/xos/onboard/exampleservice/exampleservice-onboard.yaml
@@ -11,36 +11,9 @@
       type: tosca.nodes.ServiceController
       properties:
           base_url: file:/opt/xos/onboard/exampleservice/
-
-    exampleservice_models:
-      type: tosca.nodes.ServiceControllerResource
-      properties:
-          kind: models
-          format: python
-          url: models.py
-      requirements:
-          - controller:
-              node: exampleservice
-              relationship: tosca.relationships.UsedByController
-
-    exampleservice_admin:
-      type: tosca.nodes.ServiceControllerResource
-      properties:
-          kind: admin
-          format: python
-          url: admin.py
-      requirements:
-          - controller:
-              node: exampleservice
-              relationship: tosca.relationships.UsedByController
-
-    exampleservice_synchronizer:
-      type: tosca.nodes.ServiceControllerResource
-      properties:
-          kind: synchronizer
-          format: manifest
-          url: synchronizer/manifest
-      requirements:
-          - controller:
-              node: exampleservice
-              relationship: tosca.relationships.UsedByController
+          # The following will concatenate with base_url automatically, if
+          # base_url is non-null.
+          models: models.py
+          admin: admin.py
+          synchronizer: manifest
+          tosca_custom_types: exampleservice.yaml
diff --git a/xos/tosca/custom_types/xos.m4 b/xos/tosca/custom_types/xos.m4
index 93aeb33..c8c48bf 100644
--- a/xos/tosca/custom_types/xos.m4
+++ b/xos/tosca/custom_types/xos.m4
@@ -31,6 +31,22 @@
                 type: string
                 required: false
                 description: Base url, to allow resources to use relative URLs
+            models:
+                type: string
+                required: false
+                description: url of models.py
+            admin:
+                type: string
+                required: false
+                description: url of admin.py
+            synchronizer:
+                type: string
+                required: false
+                description: url of synchronizer manifest
+            tosca_custom_types:
+                type: string
+                required: false
+                description: url of tosca custom_types
 
     tosca.nodes.ServiceControllerResource:
         derived_from: tosca.nodes.Root
diff --git a/xos/tosca/custom_types/xos.yaml b/xos/tosca/custom_types/xos.yaml
index 9e2042b..0d94afa 100644
--- a/xos/tosca/custom_types/xos.yaml
+++ b/xos/tosca/custom_types/xos.yaml
@@ -109,6 +109,22 @@
                 type: string
                 required: false
                 description: Base url, to allow resources to use relative URLs
+            models:
+                type: string
+                required: false
+                description: url of models.py
+            admin:
+                type: string
+                required: false
+                description: url of admin.py
+            synchronizer:
+                type: string
+                required: false
+                description: url of synchronizer manifest
+            tosca_custom_types:
+                type: string
+                required: false
+                description: url of tosca custom_types
 
     tosca.nodes.ServiceControllerResource:
         derived_from: tosca.nodes.Root
diff --git a/xos/tosca/resources/servicecontroller.py b/xos/tosca/resources/servicecontroller.py
index a32d1cc..bde588f 100644
--- a/xos/tosca/resources/servicecontroller.py
+++ b/xos/tosca/resources/servicecontroller.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 sys.path.append("/opt/tosca")
 from translator.toscalib.tosca_template import ToscaTemplate
 
-from core.models import ServiceController
+from core.models import ServiceController, ServiceControllerResource
 
 from xosresource import XOSResource
 
@@ -14,5 +14,25 @@
     xos_model = ServiceController
     copyin_props = ["base_url"]
 
+    def postprocess_resource_prop(self, obj, kind, format):
+        value = self.get_property(kind)
+        if value:
+            scr = ServiceControllerResource.objects.filter(service_controller=obj, kind=kind, format=format)
+            if scr:
+                scr=scr[0]
+                if scr.url != value:
+                    self.info("updating resource %s" % kind)
+                    scr.url = value
+                    scr.save()
+            else:
+                self.info("adding resource %s" % kind)
+                scr = ServiceControllerResource(service_controller=obj, name=kind, kind=kind, format=format, url=value)
+                scr.save()
 
+    def postprocess(self, obj):
+        # allow these common resource to be specified directly by the ServiceController tosca object
+        self.postprocess_resource_prop(obj, "models", "python")
+        self.postprocess_resource_prop(obj, "admin", "python")
+        self.postprocess_resource_prop(obj, "tosca_custom_types", "yaml")
+        self.postprocess_resource_prop(obj, "synchronizer", "manifest")