diff --git a/apps/backups/api.py b/apps/backups/api.py
index 5483a91108..f373ddab68 100644
--- a/apps/backups/api.py
+++ b/apps/backups/api.py
@@ -1,39 +1,72 @@
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext
+from django.core.management.commands.dumpdata import Command
+from django.db import router, DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS
 
 
-class BackupManagerBase(object):
+class ElementBackupBase(object):
+    """
+    Sub classes must provide at least:
+        info()
+        backup()
+        restore()
+    """
+
     label = _(u'Base backup manager')
-    #def __init__(self, name, label):
-    #    self.label = label
-    #    self.name = name
 
     def info(self):
+        """
+        Must return at least None
+        """
         return None
 
+    def link(self, app_backup):
+        self.app_backup = app_backup
+        return self
+
     def __unicode__(self):
         return unicode(self.__class__.label)
 
 
-class ModelFixtures(BackupManagerBase):
+class ElementBackupModel(ElementBackupBase):
     label = _(u'Model fixtures')
 
     def __init__(self, models=None):
         self.model_list = models or []
     
     def info(self):
-        return u', '.join(self.model_list) or _(u'All')
+        return _(u'models: %s') % (u', '.join(self.model_list) if self.model_list else _(u'All'))
+
+    def backup(self):
+        """
+        TODO: turn into a generator maybe?
+        """
+        command = Command()
+        if not self.model_list:
+            result = [self.app_backup.name]
+        else:
+            result = [u'%s.%s' (self.app_backup.name, model) for model in self.model_list]
+        result = command.handle(u' '.join(result), format='json', indent=4, using=DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS, exclude=[], user_base_manager=False, use_natural_keys=False)
+        return result
 
 
-class DirectoryCopy(BackupManagerBase):
-    label = _(u'Directory copy')
+class ElementBackupFile(ElementBackupBase):
+    label = _(u'File copy')
 
-    def __init__(self, path):
-        self.path = path
+    def __init__(self, storage_class, filepath):
+        self.storage_class = storage_class
+        self.filepath = filepath
     
     def info(self):
-        return self.path
+        return _(u'%s from %s') % (self.filepath, self.storage_class)
 
+    def backup(self):
+        """
+        Fetch a file specified by filepath from the Django storage class
+        and return a file like object
+        """
+        return None
+        
 
 class AppBackup(object):
     _registry = {}
@@ -59,25 +92,27 @@ class AppBackup(object):
     def __init__(self, name, label, backup_managers):
         self.label = label
         self.name = name
-        self.backup_managers = backup_managers
+        self.backup_managers = [manager.link(self) for manager in backup_managers]
         self.state = self.__class__.STATE_IDLE
         self.__class__._registry[name] = self
 
-    @property
     def info(self):
         results = []
         for manager in self.backup_managers:
             results.append(u'%s - %s' % (manager, manager.info() or _(u'Nothing')))
         return u', '.join(results)
 
-    def backup(self, storage_module=None):
+    def backup(self, storage_module, *args, **kwargs):
         self.state = self.__class__.STATE_BACKING_UP
-        # call storage_module
+        for manager in self.backup_managers:
+            result = manager.backup()
+            storage_module.backup(result)
         self.state = self.__class__.STATE_IDLE
 
     def restore(self, storage_module=None):
         self.state = self.__class__.STATE_RESTORING
-        # call storage_module
+        for manager in self.backup_managers:
+            manager.restore(storage_module.restore())
         self.state = self.__class__.STATE_IDLE
 
     def __unicode__(self):
@@ -85,15 +120,55 @@ class AppBackup(object):
 
 
 class StorageModuleBase(object):
-    _registry = {}
+    #_registry = {}
+    _registry = []
+    
+    REALM_LOCAL = 'local'
+    REALM_REMOTE = 'remote'
+    
+    REALM_CHOICES = (
+        (REALM_LOCAL, _(u'local')),
+        (REALM_REMOTE, _(u'remote')),
+    )
+    
+    # TODO: register subclasses of StorageModuleBase
+    # do not register instances
+    #def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
+    #    print "NEW"
 
-    def __init__(self, name, label):
-        self.label = label
-        self.name = name
-        self.__class__._registry[name] = self
-        
-    def backup(self, *args, **kwargs):
+    @classmethod
+    def register(cls, klass):
+        cls._registry.append(klass)
+
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        pass
+       
+    def backup(self, data):
         raise NotImplemented
         
-    def restore(self, *args, **kwargs):
+    def restore(self):
+        """
+        Must return data or a file like object
+        """
         raise NotImplemented
+
+
+class TestStorageModule(StorageModuleBase):
+    label = _(u'Test storage module')
+
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        self.backup_path = kwargs.pop('backup_path', None)
+        self.restore_path = kwargs.pop('restore_path', None)
+        return super(TestStorageModule, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+    
+    def backup(self, data):
+        print '***** received data'
+        print data 
+        print '***** saving to path: %s' % self.backup_path
+    
+    def restore(self):-
+        print 'restore from path: %s' % self.restore_path
+        return 'sample_data'
+
+# TODO: get rid of register and try to register on subclassing
+StorageModuleBase.register(TestStorageModule)