diff --git a/stress/test_case.py b/stress/test_case.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a9d2d20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stress/test_case.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# Copyright 2011 Quanta Research Cambridge, Inc.
+#
+#    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.
+"""Abstract class for implementing an action. You only need to override
+the `run` method which specifies all the actual nova API class you wish
+to make."""
+
+
+import logging
+
+
+class StressTestCase(object):
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._logger = logging.getLogger(self.__class__.__name__)
+
+    def run(self, nova_manager, state_obj, *pargs, **kargs):
+        """Nova API methods to call that would modify state of the cluster"""
+        return