diff --git a/appstore/tycho/api.py b/appstore/tycho/api.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e782dc8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/appstore/tycho/api.py
@@ -0,0 +1,271 @@
+import argparse
+import ipaddress
+import json
+import jsonschema
+import logging
+import netifaces
+import os
+import requests
+import sys
+import traceback
+import yaml
+from flasgger import Swagger
+from flask import Flask, jsonify, g, Response, request, Request
+from flask_restful import Api, Resource
+from flask_cors import CORS
+from tycho.core import Tycho
+from tycho.tycho_utils import NetworkUtils
+
+"""
+Defines the Tycho API
+
+Provides endpoints for creating, monitoring, and deleting distributed systems of cloud native
+containers running on abstracted compute fabrics. 
+ 
+"""
+logger = logging.getLogger (__name__)
+
+app = Flask(__name__)
+
+""" Enable CORS. """
+api = Api(app)
+CORS(app)
+debug=False
+
+""" Load the schema. """
+schema_file_path = os.path.join (
+    os.path.dirname (__file__),
+    'api-schema.yaml')
+template = None
+with open(schema_file_path, 'r') as file_obj:
+    template = yaml.load(file_obj, Loader=yaml.FullLoader) #nosec B506
+
+""" Describe the API. """
+app.config['SWAGGER'] = {
+    'title': 'Tycho Compute API',
+    'description': 'An API, compiler, and executor for cloud native distributed systems.',
+    'uiversion': 3
+}
+
+swagger = Swagger(app, template=template)
+
+backplane = None
+_tycho = Tycho(backplane=backplane)
+
+def tycho ():
+    return _tycho
+#    if not hasattr(g, 'tycho'):
+    if not 'tycho' in g: #hasattr(g, 'tycho'):
+        logger.debug (f"-----------> {dir(g)}")
+        logger.debug (f"--------------------------------> creating tycho object.")
+        g.tycho = Tycho (backplane=backplane)
+        logger.debug (f"-----------> {dir(g)}")
+        logger.debug (f"--------------------------------> creating tycho object.")
+    return g.tycho
+    
+class TychoResource(Resource):
+    """ Base class handler for Tycho API requests. """
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.specs = {}
+        
+    """ Functionality common to Tycho services. """
+    def validate (self, request, component):
+        """ Validate a request against the schema. """
+        if not self.specs:
+            with open(schema_file_path, 'r') as file_obj:
+                self.specs = yaml.load(file_obj, Loader=yaml.FullLoader) #nosec B506
+        to_validate = self.specs["components"]["schemas"][component]
+        try:
+            app.logger.debug (f"--:Validating obj {json.dumps(request.json, indent=2)}")
+            app.logger.debug (f"  schema: {json.dumps(to_validate, indent=2)}")            
+            jsonschema.validate(request.json, to_validate)
+        except jsonschema.exceptions.ValidationError as error:
+            app.logger.error (f"ERROR: {str(error)}")
+            traceback.print_exc()
+            abort(Response(str(error), 400))
+
+    def create_response (self, result=None, status='success', message='', exception=None):
+        """ Create a response. Handle formatting and modifiation of status for exceptions. """
+        if exception:
+            traceback.print_exc()
+            status='error'
+            exc_type, exc_value, exc_traceback = sys.exc_info()
+            message = f"{exception.args[0]} {''.join (exception.args[1])}" \
+                if len(exception.args) == 2 else exception.args[0]
+            result = {
+                'error' : message #str(exception) #repr(traceback.format_exception(exc_type, exc_value, exc_traceback))
+            }
+            print (json.dumps(result, indent=2))
+        return {
+            'status'  : status,
+            'result'  : result,
+            'message' : message
+        }
+            
+class StartSystemResource(TychoResource):
+    """ Parse, model, emit orchestrator artifacts and execute a system. """
+    
+    """ System initiation. """
+    def post(self):
+        """
+        Start a system based on a specification on the compute fabric.
+        
+        The specification is a docker-compose yaml parsed into a JSON object.
+        ---
+        tag: start
+        description: Start a system on the compute fabric.
+        requestBody:
+            description: System start message.
+            required: true
+            content:
+                application/json:
+                    schema:
+                        $ref: '#/components/schemas/System'
+        responses:
+            '200':
+                description: Success
+                content:
+                    text/plain:
+                        schema:
+                            type: string
+                            example: "Successfully validated"
+            '400':
+                description: Malformed message
+                content:
+                    text/plain:
+                        schema:
+                            type: string
+
+        """
+        response = {}
+        try:
+            app.logger.info (f"api.StartSystemResource.post - start-system: start-system: {json.dumps(request.json, indent=2)}")
+            self.validate (request, component="System")
+            system = tycho().parse (request.json)
+            response = self.create_response (
+                result=tycho().get_compute().start (system),
+                message=f"Started system {system.name}")
+        except Exception as e:
+            response = self.create_response (
+                exception=e,
+                message=f"Failed to create system.")
+        return response
+    
+class DeleteSystemResource(TychoResource):
+    """ System termination. Given a GUID for a Tycho system, use Tycho core to eliminate all
+    components comprising the running system."""
+    def post(self):
+        """
+        Delete a system based on a name.
+        ---
+        tag: start
+        description: Delete a system on the compute fabric.
+        requestBody:
+            description: System start message.
+            required: true
+            content:
+                application/json:
+                    schema:
+                        $ref: '#/components/schemas/DeleteRequest'
+        responses:
+            '200':
+                description: Success
+                content:
+                    application/json:
+                        schema:
+                            type: string
+                            example: "Successfully validated"
+            '400':
+                description: Malformed message
+                content:
+                    text/plain:
+                        schema:
+                            type: string
+
+        """
+        response = {}
+        system_name=None
+        try:
+            logger.debug (f"delete-request: {json.dumps(request.json, indent=2)}")
+            self.validate (request, component="DeleteRequest")
+            system_name = request.json['name']
+            response = self.create_response (
+                result=tycho().get_compute().delete (system_name),
+                message=f"Deleted system {system_name}")
+        except Exception as e:
+            response = self.create_response (
+                exception=e,
+                message=f"Failed to delete system {system_name}.")
+        return response
+
+class StatusSystemResource(TychoResource):
+    """ Status executing systems. Given a GUID (or not) determine system status. """
+    def post(self):
+        """
+        Status running systems.
+        ---
+        tag: start
+        description: Status running systems.
+        requestBody:
+            description: List systems.
+            required: true
+            content:
+                application/json:
+                    schema:
+                        $ref: '#/components/schemas/StatusRequest'
+        responses:
+            '200':
+                description: Success
+                content:
+                    application/json:
+                        schema:
+                            type: string
+                            example: "Successfully validated"
+            '400':
+                description: Malformed message
+                content:
+                    text/plain:
+                        schema:
+                            type: string
+
+        """
+        response = {}
+        try:
+            logging.debug (f"list-request: {json.dumps(request.json, indent=2)}")
+            self.validate (request, component="StatusRequest") 
+            system_name = request.json.get('name', None)
+            system_username = request.json.get('username', None)
+            response = self.create_response (
+                result=tycho().get_compute().status (system_name, system_username),
+                message=f"Get status for system {system_name}")
+        except Exception as e:
+            response = self.create_response (
+                exception=e,
+                message=f"Failed to get system status.")
+        print (json.dumps (response, indent=2))
+        return response
+
+""" Register endpoints. """
+api.add_resource(StartSystemResource, '/system/start')
+api.add_resource(StatusSystemResource, '/system/status')
+api.add_resource(DeleteSystemResource, '/system/delete')
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+   parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Tycho Distributed Compute API')
+   parser.add_argument('-b', '--backplane', help='Compute backplane type.', default="kubernetes")
+   parser.add_argument('-p', '--port',  type=int, help='Port to run service on.', default=5000)
+   parser.add_argument('-d', '--debug', help="Debug log level.", default=False, action='store_true')
+
+   args = parser.parse_args ()
+
+   """ Configure the compute back end. """
+   if not Tycho.is_valid_backplane (args.backplane):
+       print (f"Unrecognized backplane value: {args.backplane}.")
+       print (f"Supported backplanes: {Tycho.supported_backplanes()}")
+       parser.print_help ()
+       sys.exit (1)
+   backplane = args.backplane
+   if args.debug:
+       debug = True
+       logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)
+   app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=args.port, threaded=True, debug=args.debug) #nosec B104
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