diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
index 7bed901..5aded10 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ rte_eth_dev_data_alloc(void)
 				RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS * sizeof(*rte_eth_dev_data));
 }
 
-static struct rte_eth_dev *
+struct rte_eth_dev *
 rte_eth_dev_allocated(const char *name)
 {
 	unsigned i;
@@ -426,6 +426,102 @@ rte_eth_dev_count(void)
 	return (nb_ports);
 }
 
+void
+rte_eth_dev_save(struct rte_eth_dev *devs)
+{
+	if (devs == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	/* save current rte_eth_devices */
+	memcpy(devs, rte_eth_devices,
+			sizeof(struct rte_eth_dev) * RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS);
+}
+
+int
+rte_eth_dev_get_changed_port(struct rte_eth_dev *devs, uint8_t *port_id)
+{
+	if ((devs == NULL) || (port_id == NULL))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	/* check which port was attached or detached */
+	for (*port_id = 0; *port_id < RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS; (*port_id)++, devs++) {
+		if (rte_eth_devices[*port_id].attached ^ devs->attached)
+			return 0;
+	}
+	return -ENODEV;
+}
+
+int
+rte_eth_dev_get_addr_by_port(uint8_t port_id, struct rte_pci_addr *addr)
+{
+	if (rte_eth_dev_validate_port(port_id, TRACE) == DEV_INVALID)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	if (addr == NULL) {
+		PMD_DEBUG_TRACE("Null pointer is specified\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	*addr = rte_eth_devices[port_id].pci_dev->addr;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_eth_dev_get_port_by_addr(struct rte_pci_addr *addr, uint8_t *port_id)
+{
+	struct rte_pci_addr *tmp;
+
+	if ((addr == NULL) || (port_id == NULL)) {
+		PMD_DEBUG_TRACE("Null pointer is specified\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	for (*port_id = 0; *port_id < RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS; (*port_id)++) {
+		if (!rte_eth_devices[*port_id].attached)
+			continue;
+		if (!rte_eth_devices[*port_id].pci_dev)
+			continue;
+		tmp = &rte_eth_devices[*port_id].pci_dev->addr;
+		if (eal_compare_pci_addr(tmp, addr) == 0)
+			return 0;
+	}
+	return -ENODEV;
+}
+
+int
+rte_eth_dev_get_name_by_port(uint8_t port_id, char *name)
+{
+	char *tmp;
+
+	if (rte_eth_dev_validate_port(port_id, TRACE) == DEV_INVALID)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	if (name == NULL) {
+		PMD_DEBUG_TRACE("Null pointer is specified\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	/* shouldn't check 'rte_eth_devices[i].data',
+	 * because it might be overwritten by VDEV PMD */
+	tmp = rte_eth_dev_data[port_id].name;
+	strncpy(name, tmp, strlen(tmp) + 1);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int
+rte_eth_dev_check_detachable(uint8_t port_id)
+{
+	uint32_t drv_flags;
+
+	if (port_id >= RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS) {
+		PMD_DEBUG_TRACE("Invalid port_id=%d\n", port_id);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	drv_flags = rte_eth_devices[port_id].driver->pci_drv.drv_flags;
+	return !(drv_flags & RTE_PCI_DRV_DETACHABLE);
+}
+
 static int
 rte_eth_dev_rx_queue_config(struct rte_eth_dev *dev, uint16_t nb_queues)
 {
diff --git a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h
index 91d9e86..9919968 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ether/rte_ethdev.h
@@ -1616,6 +1616,86 @@ extern struct rte_eth_dev rte_eth_devices[];
 extern uint8_t rte_eth_dev_count(void);
 
 /**
+ * Function for internal use by port hotplug functions.
+ * Copies current ethdev structures to the specified pointer.
+ *
+ * @param	devs	The pointer to the ethdev structures
+ */
+extern void rte_eth_dev_save(struct rte_eth_dev *devs);
+
+/**
+ * Function for internal use by port hotplug functions.
+ * Compare the specified ethdev structures with currents. Then
+ * if there is a port which status is changed, fill the specified pointer
+ * with the port id of that port.
+ * @param	devs	The pointer to the ethdev structures
+ * @param	port_id	The pointer to the port id
+ * @return
+ *   - 0 on success, negative on error
+ */
+extern int rte_eth_dev_get_changed_port(
+		struct rte_eth_dev *devs, uint8_t *port_id);
+
+/**
+ * Function for internal use by port hotplug functions.
+ * Returns a pci address of a ethdev specified by port identifier.
+ * @param	port_id
+ *   The port identifier of the Ethernet device
+ * @param	addr
+ *   The pointer to the pci address
+ * @return
+ *   - 0 on success, negative on error
+ */
+extern int rte_eth_dev_get_addr_by_port(
+		uint8_t port_id, struct rte_pci_addr *addr);
+
+/**
+ * Function for internal use by port hotplug functions.
+ * Returns a port identifier of a ethdev specified by pci address.
+ * @param	addr
+ *   The pointer to the pci address of the Ethernet device.
+ * @param	port_id
+ *   The pointer to the port identifier
+ * @return
+ *   - 0 on success, negative on error
+ */
+extern int rte_eth_dev_get_port_by_addr(
+		struct rte_pci_addr *addr, uint8_t *port_id);
+
+/**
+ * Function for internal use by port hotplug functions.
+ * Returns a unique identifier name of a ethdev specified by port identifier.
+ * @param	port_id
+ *   The port identifier.
+ * @param	name
+ *  The pointer to the Unique identifier name for each Ethernet device
+ * @return
+ *   - 0 on success, negative on error
+ */
+extern int rte_eth_dev_get_name_by_port(uint8_t port_id, char *name);
+
+/**
+ * Function for internal use by port hotplug functions.
+ * Check whether or not, a PMD that is handling the ethdev specified by port
+ * identifier can support detach function.
+ * @param	port_id
+ *   The port identifier
+ * @return
+ *   - 0 on supporting detach function, negative on not supporting
+ */
+extern int rte_eth_dev_check_detachable(uint8_t port_id);
+
+/**
+ * Function for internal use by port hotplug functions.
+ * Returns a ethdev slot specified by the unique identifier name.
+ * @param	name
+ *  The pointer to the Unique identifier name for each Ethernet device
+ * @return
+ *   - The pointer to the ethdev slot, on success. NULL on error
+ */
+extern struct rte_eth_dev *rte_eth_dev_allocated(const char *name);
+
+/**
  * Function for internal use by dummy drivers primarily, e.g. ring-based
  * driver.
  * Allocates a new ethdev slot for an ethernet device and returns the pointer
