--- /dev/null
+/*-
+ * ============LICENSE_START=======================================================
+ * ONAP : APPC
+ * ================================================================================
+ * Copyright (C) 2017-2018 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.
+ * ================================================================================
+ * Copyright (C) 2017 Amdocs
+ * =============================================================================
+ * 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.
+ *
+ * ============LICENSE_END=========================================================
+ */
+
+package org.onap.appc.listener;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+
+/**
+ * A controller is responsible for creating a listener for each ListenerProperties object that is passed in to it on
+ * instantiation. The controller will create a thread pool that will contain all of the listener threads so no listener
+ * can crash the controller.
+ *
+ */
+public interface Controller {
+
+ /**
+ * Creates a new thread in the thread pool for an implementation of the {@see #Listener} class set in the
+ * ListenerProperties. This thread is run immediately after it is created.
+ */
+ public void start();
+
+ /**
+ * Stops each of the listeners known by this controller. Takes an optional parameter that indicates the the listener
+ * should stop immediately rather than waiting for all threads to complete.
+ *
+ * @param stopNow
+ * Determines what method the listeners should use to shutdown. If true, listeners will use the stopNow()
+ * method. Otherwise they will use the stop() method.
+ */
+ public void stop(boolean stopNow);
+
+ /**
+ * @return A Map of ListenerProperties and the Listener object that is running in the controllers thread pool.
+ */
+ public Map<ListenerProperties, Listener> getListeners();
+
+}