diff --git a/doc/source/dev/install.rst b/doc/source/dev/install.rst
index 4d85f55..ef5dfbd 100755
--- a/doc/source/dev/install.rst
+++ b/doc/source/dev/install.rst
@@ -157,13 +157,16 @@ Database Setup
     # exit
 
 ------------------------------------
-Modify etc/craton-api-conf.sample
+Create etc/craton-api-conf.dev
 ------------------------------------
+* Copy the sample config in the etc directory to make a development config file.
+
+    # cp craton-api-conf.sample craton-api-conf.dev
 
 * Make api_paste_config use a fully qualified path (not relative).
   This will be specific for your machine
 
-.. note:: Make sure you have the proper path for craton-api-conf.sample
+.. note:: Make sure you have the proper path for craton-api-conf.dev
 
     # api_paste_config=/home/cratonuser/craton/etc/craton-api-paste.ini
 
@@ -181,13 +184,11 @@ Run dbsync
 
 * Make sure to run dbsync to get the db tables created::
 
-    # craton-dbsync --config-file=etc/craton
-    -api-conf.sample version
-    # craton-dbsync --config-file=etc/craton
-    -api-conf.sample upgrade
+    # craton-dbsync --config-file=etc/craton-api-conf.dev version
+    # craton-dbsync --config-file=etc/craton-api-conf.dev upgrade
 
 * Make sure to run dbsync bootstrap to create initial project and root user::
-  # craton-dbsync --config-file=etc/craton-api-conf.sample bootstrap
+  # craton-dbsync --config-file=etc/craton-api-conf.dev bootstrap
 
   Note: The above command outputs user, project-id and API key to use with
   python-cratonclient to interact with craton server.
@@ -198,8 +199,7 @@ Start the API Service
 
 * To start the API service, run the following command::
 
-    # craton-api --config-file=etc/
-    craton-api-conf.sample
+    # craton-api --config-file=etc/craton-api-conf.dev
 
 
 * Some examples of API calls are as below:
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ Create a Region
 ---------------
 
 * In order to create the region, export the IP address you set in
-  /etc/craton-api-conf.sample::
+  /etc/craton-api-conf.dev::
 
     # export MY_IP=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
 
@@ -267,6 +267,44 @@ Get a particular host
            -H "X-Auth-User: demo" \
            -H "X-Auth-Project: 717e9a216e2d44e0bc848398563bda06"
 
+-----------------------
+Using wrapper functions
+-----------------------
+
+Some wrapper functions have been included in craton/tools to quickly build, reload, populate, and query craton.
+
+* To load the wrapper functions, run the following in the craton parent directory::
+
+    # source tools/wrapper-functions.sh
+
+* To start craton directly, run the following from the craton parent directory::
+
+    # craton-direct-start
+
+* The following environment variables must be exported for working with the craton API server::
+
+  * CRATON_URL
+  * OS_PROJECT_ID
+  * OS_USERNAME
+  * OS_PASSWORD
+
+* You can search the logs for these values or run::
+
+    # export eval $(craton-direct-env)
+
+* Populate craton with fake data by running::
+
+    # craton-fake-data
+
+* Run API calls against craton with the following wrappers::
+.. note:: *Requires the installation of httpie*
+
+    # craton-post v1/regions name=HKG
+    # craton-get v1/hosts
+    # craton-put v1/hosts/3 device_type=container
+    # craton-put v1/hosts/3/variables foo=47 bar:='["a", "b", "c"]'
+    # craton-delete v1/hosts/4
+
 -------------
 Running Tests
 -------------
diff --git a/doc/source/docker-install.rst b/doc/source/docker-install.rst
index 4fe664e..7774449 100755
--- a/doc/source/docker-install.rst
+++ b/doc/source/docker-install.rst
@@ -89,6 +89,35 @@ Calling into Craton
 
     $ curl -i "http://${ContainerIP}:7780/v1/hosts?region_id=1" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "X-Auth-Token: ${CRATON_API_KEY}" -H "X-Auth-User: ${CRATON_USERNAME}" -H "X-Auth-Project: ${CRATON_PROJECT_ID}"
 
+-----------------------
+Using wrapper functions
+-----------------------
+
+*Some wrapper functions have been included in craton/tools to quickly build, reload, populate, and query craton.
+* To load the wrapper functions, run the following in the craton parent directory::
+
+    # source tools/wrapper-functions.sh
+
+* To quick start and populate craton in docker, run the following from the craton parent directory::
+
+    # craton-docker-start
+
+* In order to interact with craton, export the bootstrap credentials by running::
+
+    # export eval $(craton-docker-env)
+
+* Populate craton with fake data by running::
+
+    # craton-fake-data
+
+* Run API calls against craton with the following wrappers::
+.. note:: *Requires the installation of httpie*
+
+    # craton-post v1/regions name=HKG
+    # craton-get v1/hosts
+    # craton-put v1/hosts/3 device_type=container
+    # craton-put v1/hosts/3/variables foo=47 bar:='["a", "b", "c"]'
+    # craton-delete v1/hosts/4
 
 -------------------
 Command Cheat-Sheet
diff --git a/tools/wrapper-functions.sh b/tools/wrapper-functions.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2af3ff6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/wrapper-functions.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+
+# Example usage. Note that we simply pass through httpie conventions,
+# such as nested JSON with :=
+# (https://github.com/jkbrzt/httpie#non-string-json-fields)
+#
+# Run from Craton parent directory
+# $ source tools/wrapper-functions.sh
+#
+# For Docker quick start:
+# $ craton-docker-start
+# $ eval $(craton-docker-env)
+#
+# Direct env quick start:
+# $ craton-direct-start
+# $ eval $(craton-direct-env)
+#
+# Populate with fake data:
+# $ craton-fake-data
+#
+# API calls:
+# $ craton-post v1/regions name=HKG
+# $ craton-get v1/hosts
+# $ craton-put v1/hosts/3 device_type=container
+# $ craton-put v1/hosts/3/variables foo=47 bar:='["a", "b", "c"]'
+# $ craton-delete v1/hosts/4
+
+# NOTE assumes the installation of httpie so that the http command is available!
+
+fix-url() {
+  [[ "$1" =~ ^http ]] && echo $1 || echo "${CRATON_URL}/${1}"
+}
+
+craton-get() {
+  http "$(fix-url $1)" \
+    "Content-Type:application/json" \
+    "X-Auth-Token:${OS_PASSWORD}" \
+    "X-Auth-User:${OS_USERNAME}" \
+    "X-Auth-Project:${OS_PROJECT_ID}"
+}
+
+craton-post() {
+  http POST "$(fix-url $1)" \
+    "Content-Type:application/json" \
+    "X-Auth-Token:${OS_PASSWORD}" \
+    "X-Auth-User:${OS_USERNAME}" \
+    "X-Auth-Project:${OS_PROJECT_ID}" \
+    "${@:2}"
+}
+
+craton-put() {
+  http PUT "$(fix-url $1)" \
+    "Content-Type:application/json" \
+    "X-Auth-Token:${OS_PASSWORD}" \
+    "X-Auth-User:${OS_USERNAME}" \
+    "X-Auth-Project:${OS_PROJECT_ID}" \
+    "${@:2}"
+}
+
+craton-delete() {
+  http DELETE "$(fix-url $1)" \
+    "Content-Type:application/json" \
+    "X-Auth-Token:${OS_PASSWORD}" \
+    "X-Auth-User:${OS_USERNAME}" \
+    "X-Auth-Project:${OS_PROJECT_ID}" \
+    "${@:2}"
+}
+
+_craton-extract-env() {
+    echo OS_PROJECT_ID=$(echo "$1" | grep 'ProjectId' | awk '{print $2}' | tr -d '\r')
+    echo OS_USERNAME=$(echo "$1" | grep 'Username' | awk '{print $2}' | tr -d '\r')
+    echo OS_PASSWORD=$(echo "$1" | grep 'APIKey' | awk '{print $2}' | tr -d '\r')
+}
+
+craton-docker-env() {
+    _craton-extract-env "$(docker logs craton-api)"
+    CRATON_PORT=$(sed -nr "/^\[api\]/ { :l /^port[ ]*=/ { s/.*=[ ]*//; p; q;}; n; b l;}" etc/craton-api-conf.sample)
+    echo CRATON_URL=http://$(docker inspect --format '{{ .NetworkSettings.IPAddress }}' craton-api):${CRATON_PORT}
+}
+
+craton-direct-env() {
+    _craton-extract-env "$(craton-dbsync --config-file=etc/craton-api-conf.dev bootstrap)"
+    CRATON_PORT=$(sed -nr "/^\[api\]/ { :l /^port[ ]*=/ { s/.*=[ ]*//; p; q;}; n; b l;}" etc/craton-api-conf.dev)
+    echo CRATON_URL=http://$(sed -nr "/^\[api\]/ { :l /^host[ ]*=/ { s/.*=[ ]*//; p; q;}; n; b l;}" etc/craton-api-conf.dev):${CRATON_PORT}
+}
+
+craton-direct-start() {
+    # NOTE(jimbaker) Assumes MySQL user 'craton' is setup with password 'craton'!!!
+
+    cat <<EOF | mysql --user=craton --password=craton
+drop database craton;
+create database craton CHARACTER SET='utf8';
+EOF
+
+    python3 -m pip install -e .
+    python3 -m pip install pymysql
+    craton-dbsync --config-file=etc/craton-api-conf.dev upgrade
+    craton-dbsync --config-file=etc/craton-api-conf.dev bootstrap
+
+    echo "Starting API server..."
+    craton-api --config-file=etc/craton-api-conf.dev
+}
+
+craton-direct-reload() {
+    echo "Starting API server..."
+    craton-api --config-file=etc/craton-api-conf.dev
+}
+
+craton-fake-data() {
+    until craton-get v1/regions 2>/dev/null
+    do
+	echo "Waiting for API server"; sleep 1
+    done
+
+    python3 tools/generate_fake_data.py \
+	--url $CRATON_URL/v1 \
+	--user $OS_USERNAME --project $OS_PROJECT_ID --key $OS_PASSWORD
+
+    craton-get v1/regions
+}
+
+craton-docker-start() {
+    echo "Starting Craton docker container..."
+    docker rm -f craton-api 2>/dev/null || true
+    docker build --pull -t craton-api:latest .
+    docker run -t --name craton-api -p 127.0.0.1:7780:7780 -d craton-api:latest
+
+    CRATON_PORT=$(sed -nr "/^\[api\]/ { :l /^port[ ]*=/ { s/.*=[ ]*//; p; q;}; n; b l;}" etc/craton-api-conf.sample)
+    CRATON_URL=http://$(docker inspect --format '{{ .NetworkSettings.IPAddress }}' craton-api):${CRATON_PORT}
+    OS_PROJECT_ID=probe
+    OS_USERNAME=probe
+    OS_PASSWORD=probe
+    until craton-get v1/regions 2>/dev/null
+    do
+	echo "Waiting for API server"; sleep 1
+    done
+
+    eval $(craton-docker-env)
+    craton-fake-data
+
+    docker logs -f craton-api
+}