diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/core.py b/confluent_server/confluent/core.py
index e5003ef9..a6492611 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/core.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/core.py
@@ -233,6 +233,14 @@ def _init_core():
                     'pluginattrs': ['hardwaremanagement.method'],
                     'default': 'ipmi',
                 }),
+                'updates': {
+                    'active': {
+                        PluginCollection({
+                            'pluginattrs': ['hardwaremanagement.method'],
+                            'default': 'ipmi',
+                        }),
+                    },
+                },
             },
         },
         'power': {
diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/firmwaremanager.py b/confluent_server/confluent/firmwaremanager.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..50aad2b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/firmwaremanager.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# vim: tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
+
+
+# Copyright 2017 Lenovo
+#
+# 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.
+
+# provide managing firmware update process and firmware repository if/when
+# the time comes
+
+import confluent.messages as msg
+import eventlet
+
+updatesbytarget = {}
+
+def execupdate(handler, filename, updateobj):
+    try:
+        handler(filename, progress=updateobj.handle_progress)
+        updateobj.handle_progress({'phase': 'complete', 'progress': 100.0})
+    except Exception as e:
+        updateobj.handle_progress({'phase': 'error', 'progress': 0.0,
+                                   'detail': repr(e)})
+
+class Updater(object):
+    def __init__(self, node, handler, filename, tenant=None, name=None):
+        self.node = node
+        self.phase = 'initializing'
+        self.percent = 0.0
+        self.updateproc = eventlet.spawn(execupdate, handler, filename, self)
+        if (node, tenant) not in updatesbytarget:
+            updatesbytarget[(node, tenant)] = {}
+        if name is None:
+            name = 1
+            while name in updatesbytarget[(node, tenant)]:
+                name += 1
+        updatesbytarget[(node, tenant)][name] = self
+
+    def handle_progress(self, progress):
+        self.phase = progress['phase']
+        self.percent = float(progress['progress'])
+        self.detail = progress.get('detail', '')
+
+    @property
+    def progress(self):
+        return {'phase': self.phase, 'progress': self.percent,
+                'detail': self.detail}
+
+
+def list_updates(nodes, tenant=None):
+    for node in nodes:
+        for updateid in updatesbytarget.get((node, None), {}):
+            yield msg.ChildCollection(updateid)
diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/messages.py b/confluent_server/confluent/messages.py
index ac26d3da..a4c14144 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/messages.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/messages.py
@@ -389,8 +389,17 @@ def get_input_message(path, operation, inputdata, nodes=None, multinode=False):
     elif (path[:4] == ['configuration', 'management_controller', 'ntp',
             'servers'] and operation != 'retrieve' and len(path) == 5):
         return InputNTPServer(path, nodes, inputdata)
+    elif 'inventory/firmware/updates/active' in '/'.join(path) and inputdata:
+        return InputFirmwareUpdate(path, nodes, inputdata)
     elif inputdata:
-        raise exc.InvalidArgumentException()
+        raise exc.InvalidArgumentException(
+            'No known input handler for request')
+
+class InputFirmwareUpdate(ConfluentMessage):
+
+    def __init__(self, path, nodes, inputdata):
+        self.filename = inputdata['filename']
+        self.nodes = nodes
 
 
 class InputAlertData(ConfluentMessage):
diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/ipmi.py b/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/ipmi.py
index c5c1d72d..b724e1eb 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/ipmi.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/ipmi.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 import atexit
 import confluent.exceptions as exc
+import confluent.firmwaremanager as firmwaremanager
 import confluent.interface.console as conapi
 import confluent.messages as msg
 import confluent.util as util
@@ -350,6 +351,7 @@ class IpmiHandler(object):
         connparams = get_conn_params(node, self.cfg)
         self.ipmicmd = None
         self.inputdata = inputdata
+        self.tenant = cfg.tenant
         tenant = cfg.tenant
         if ((node, tenant) not in persistent_ipmicmds or
                 not persistent_ipmicmds[(node, tenant)].ipmi_session.logged):
@@ -417,6 +419,8 @@ class IpmiHandler(object):
             self.handle_sensors()
         elif self.element[0] == 'configuration':
             self.handle_configuration()
+        elif self.element[:3] == ['inventory', 'firmware', 'updates']:
+            self.handle_update()
         elif self.element[0] == 'inventory':
             self.handle_inventory()
         elif self.element == ['events', 'hardware', 'log']:
@@ -428,6 +432,11 @@ class IpmiHandler(object):
         else:
             raise Exception('Not Implemented')
 
+    def handle_update(self):
+        firmwaremanager.Updater(self.node, self.ipmicmd.update_firmware,
+                                self.inputdata.filename, self.tenant)
+
+
     def handle_configuration(self):
         if self.element[1:3] == ['management_controller', 'alerts']:
             return self.handle_alerts()
@@ -961,9 +970,16 @@ def update(nodes, element, configmanager, inputdata):
     return create(nodes, element, configmanager, inputdata)
 
 
+def list_active_updates(nodes, configmanager):
+    raise Exception('Not Implemented')
+
+
 def retrieve(nodes, element, configmanager, inputdata):
     initthread()
-    return perform_requests('read', nodes, element, configmanager, inputdata)
+    if '/'.join(element).startswith('inventory/firmware/updates/active'):
+        return firmwaremanager.list_updates(nodes, configmanager.tenant)
+    else:
+        return perform_requests('read', nodes, element, configmanager, inputdata)
 
 def delete(nodes, element, configmanager, inputdata):
     initthread()