diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index fe54e41..a9b5717 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func init() {
 				},
 				{
 					"--source-server-id",
-					[]string{"Required. ID of the server to use a source."},
+					[]string{"Required. ID of the server to use a source. May be the ID of a template, or when cloning, an existing server ID."},
 				},
 				{
 					"--is-managed-os",
@@ -156,14 +156,14 @@ func init() {
 				{
 					"--configuration-id",
 					[]string{
-						"Specifies the identifier for the specific configuration type of bare metal server to deploy.",
+						"Only required for bare metal servers. Specifies the identifier for the specific configuration type of bare metal server to deploy.",
 						"Ignored for standard and hyperscale servers.",
 					},
 				},
 				{
 					"--os-type",
 					[]string{
-						"Specifies the OS to provision with the bare metal server. Currently, the only supported OS types",
+						"Only required for bare metal servers. Specifies the OS to provision with the bare metal server. Currently, the only supported OS types",
 						"are redHat6_64Bit, centOS6_64Bit, windows2012R2Standard_64Bit.",
 						"Ignored for standard and hyperscale servers.",
 					},
diff --git a/models/server/create.go b/models/server/create.go
index 8a8c594..b05e75a 100644
--- a/models/server/create.go
+++ b/models/server/create.go
@@ -5,32 +5,39 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+const (
+	timeFormat = "2006-01-02 15:04:05"
+)
+
 type CreateReq struct {
 	Name                   string `valid:"required"`
-	Description            string `json:"omitempty"`
+	Description            string `json:",omitempty"`
 	GroupId                string
-	GroupName              string `json:"omitempty"`
+	GroupName              string `json:",omitempty"`
 	SourceServerId         string
 	TemplateId             string
-	TemplateName           string           `json:"omitempty"`
-	IsManagedOS            bool             `json:"omitempty"`
-	PrimaryDns             string           `json:"omitempty"`
-	SecondaryDns           string           `json:"omitempty"`
-	NetworkId              string           `json:"omitempty"`
-	IpAddress              string           `json:"omitempty"`
-	RootPassword           string           `json:"omitempty"`
-	SourceServerPassword   string           `json:"omitempty"`
+	TemplateName           string           `json:",omitempty"`
+	IsManagedOS            bool             `json:",omitempty"`
+	PrimaryDns             string           `json:",omitempty"`
+	SecondaryDns           string           `json:",omitempty"`
+	NetworkId              string           `json:",omitempty"`
+	IpAddress              string           `json:",omitempty"`
+	RootPassword           string           `json:",omitempty"`
+	SourceServerPassword   string           `json:",omitempty"`
 	Cpu                    int64            `valid:"required"`
-	CpuAutoscalePolicyId   string           `json:"omitempty"`
+	CpuAutoscalePolicyId   string           `json:",omitempty"`
 	MemoryGB               int64            `valid:"required"`
 	Type                   string           `valid:"required" oneOf:"standard,hyperscale,bareMetal"`
-	StorageType            string           `json:"omitempty" oneOf:"standard,premium,hyperscale"`
-	AntiAffinityPolicyId   string           `json:"omitempty"`
-	AntiAffinityPolicyName string           `json:"omitempty"`
-	CustomFields           []CustomFieldDef `json:"omitempty"`
-	AdditionalDisks        []AddDiskRequest `json:"omitempty"`
-	Ttl                    time.Time        `json:"omitempty"`
-	Packages               []PackageDef     `json:"omitempty"`
+	StorageType            string           `json:",omitempty" oneOf:"standard,premium,hyperscale"`
+	AntiAffinityPolicyId   string           `json:",omitempty"`
+	AntiAffinityPolicyName string           `json:",omitempty"`
+	CustomFields           []CustomFieldDef `json:",omitempty"`
+	AdditionalDisks        []AddDiskRequest `json:",omitempty"`
+	Ttl                    time.Time        `json:"-"`
+	TtlString              string           `json:"Ttl,omitempty"`
+	Packages               []PackageDef     `json:",omitempty"`
+	ConfigurationId        string           `json:",omitempty"`
+	OsType                 string           `json:",omitempty"`
 }
 
 func (c *CreateReq) Validate() error {
@@ -49,6 +56,15 @@ func (c *CreateReq) Validate() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Exactly one parameter from the following: group-id, group-name must be specified.")
 	}
 
+	if c.Type == "bareMetal" {
+		if c.ConfigurationId == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("ConfigurationId: required for bare metal servers.")
+		}
+		if c.OsType == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("OsType: required for bare metal servers.")
+		}
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -56,7 +72,13 @@ func (c *CreateReq) ApplyDefaultBehaviour() error {
 	if c.TemplateId != "" {
 		c.SourceServerId = c.TemplateId
 	}
+
+	zeroTime := time.Time{}
+	if c.Ttl != zeroTime {
+		c.TtlString = c.Ttl.Format(timeFormat)
+	}
 	return nil
+
 	//TODO: implement searching templates by name
 	//TODO: implement searching groups by names
 }
diff --git a/models/server/import.go b/models/server/import.go
index 1e03a0a..008a7be 100644
--- a/models/server/import.go
+++ b/models/server/import.go
@@ -2,17 +2,17 @@ package server
 
 type Import struct {
 	Name         string           `valid:"required"`
-	Description  string           `json:"omitempty"`
+	Description  string           `json:",omitempty"`
 	GroupId      string           `valid:"required"`
-	PrimaryDns   string           `json:"omitempty"`
-	SecondaryDns string           `json:"omitempty"`
-	NetworkId    string           `json:"omitempty"`
+	PrimaryDns   string           `json:",omitempty"`
+	SecondaryDns string           `json:",omitempty"`
+	NetworkId    string           `json:",omitempty"`
 	RootPassword string           `valid:"required"`
 	Cpu          int64            `valid:"required"`
 	MemoryGB     int64            `valid:"required"`
 	Type         string           `valid:"required" oneOf:"standard,hyperscale"`
-	StorageType  string           `json:"omitempty" oneOf:"standard,premium,hyperscale"`
-	CustomFields []CustomFieldDef `json:"omitempty"`
+	StorageType  string           `json:",omitempty" oneOf:"standard,premium,hyperscale"`
+	CustomFields []CustomFieldDef `json:",omitempty"`
 	OvfId        string           `valid:"required"`
 	OvfOsType    string           `valid:"required"`
 }