diff -r be9668fc9e83 -r 1c26850fe008 db/apichanges.xml
--- a/db/apichanges.xml	Fri Feb 08 23:51:55 2008 -0800
+++ b/db/apichanges.xml	Sun Feb 10 12:14:46 2008 -0800
@@ -105,6 +105,24 @@ is the proper place.
     <!-- ACTUAL CHANGES BEGIN HERE: -->
 
     <changes>
+        <change>
+            <api name="database_explorer_api"/>
+            <summary>Allow modules to register a server provider</summary>
+            <version major="1" minor="25"/>
+            <date day="11" month="2" year="2008"/>
+            <author login="davidvc"/>
+            <compatibility addition="yes"/>
+            <description>
+                This change allows a module to register a server provider 
+                through the layer file.  This enables a server node to be
+                displayed under the Database Explorer.  The provider specifies
+                custom actions that are made available from this node.
+                
+                Note that ServerProvider extends DatabaseRuntime - it adds
+                additional behavior onto what a DatabaseRuntime can do.
+            </description>
+            <issue number="123351"/>
+        </change>
         <change>
             <api name="database_explorer_api"/>
             <summary>Made Database Explorer API stable</summary>
diff -r be9668fc9e83 -r 1c26850fe008 db/arch.xml
--- a/db/arch.xml	Fri Feb 08 23:51:55 2008 -0800
+++ b/db/arch.xml	Sun Feb 10 12:14:46 2008 -0800
@@ -82,7 +82,13 @@ made subject to such option by the copyr
    The <api group="layer" name="DatabaseExplorerLayerAPI" type="export" category="official" url="@TOP@index.html"/> 
    allows for the declarative registration of database connections and JDBC
    drivers in the module layer. Database runtimes (which are representations of
-   an instance of a database server) can also be registered in the layer.
+   an instance of a database server that may be started and stopped) can also be 
+   registered in the layer.
+  </p>
+  <p>
+   The <api group="layer" name="ServerProviderLayerAPI" type="export" category="devel" url="@TOP@index.html"/> 
+   allows for the declarative registration of server providers (which are representations of
+   a manageable instance of a database server) can be registered in the layer.
   </p>
   <!--
    The Actions folder for dbschema and sql files. They should actually be in db/model and db/core, but
@@ -221,10 +227,62 @@ made subject to such option by the copyr
     is an abstraction of a database server instance 
     (usually bundled with the IDE, an integration module or with a J2EE server). It allows a database
     server instance to be started and stopped when a connection to this
-    instance is made in the IDE. Database runtimes are represented by the
+    instance is made in the IDE. 
+    </p><p>
+    Database runtimes are represented by the
     <a href="@TOP@org/netbeans/spi/db/explorer/DatabaseRuntime.html">DatabaseRuntime</a>
-    SPI interface and are registered in the <code>Databases/Runtimes</code> of the module layer.
-   </p>
+    SPI interface and are registered in the <code>Databases/Runtimes</code> of the module layer,
+    as an instance of DatabaseRuntime.  It can also be registered as an instance
+    of ServerProvider (see the "Registering database server providers" below) if it provides full
+    server provider functionality.
+    </p><p>
+    Here is an example layer registration:
+    </p>
+    <pre>
+    &lt;filesystem&gt;
+        &lt;folder name="Databases"&gt;
+            &lt;folder name="Runtimes"&gt;
+                &lt;file name="MyDBRuntime.instance"&gt;
+                    &lt;attr name="instanceCreate" methodvalue="org.netbeans.modules.mydb.MyDBRuntime.getDefault"/&gt;
+                    &lt;attr name="instanceOf" stringvalue="org.netbeans.spi.db.explorer.DatabaseRuntime"/&gt;
+                &lt;/file&gt;
+            &lt;/folder&gt;
+        &lt;/folder&gt;
+    &lt;/filesystem&gt;
+    </pre>
+  </usecase>
+  <usecase id="register-providers" name="Registering database server providers">
+   <p>
+    An external module can register new server provider. A server provider
+    is a database runtime which can provide additional management functions, such
+    as creating a database, deleting a database, create sample databases, etc.
+    A server provider is usually bundled with the IDE, an integration module or 
+    with a J2EE server. Server providers are represented by the
+    <a href="@TOP@org/netbeans/spi/db/explorer/ServerProvider.html">ServerProvider</a>
+    SPI interface and are registered in the <code>Databases/Runtimes</code> of the module layer,
+    as an instance of ServerProvider.  
+    </p><p>
+    Note that ServerProvider is an extension
+    of the DatabaseRuntime interface, so if you register a ServerProvider, it will
+    also be used for DatabaseRuntime functionality (that is, starting the server 
+    when a connection is opened).  If a server provider does not have the capability
+    to start and stop the server, then it should return false when the canStart()
+    method is called.
+    </p><p>
+    Here is an example layer registration:
+    </p>
+    <pre>
+    &lt;filesystem&gt;
+        &lt;folder name="Databases"&gt;
+            &lt;folder name="Runtimes"&gt;
+                &lt;file name="DerbyServerProvider.instance"&gt;
+                    &lt;attr name="instanceCreate" methodvalue="org.netbeans.modules.derby.DerbyServerProvider.getDefault"/&gt;
+                    &lt;attr name="instanceOf" stringvalue="org.netbeans.spi.db.explorer.ServerProvider"/&gt;
+                &lt;/file&gt;
+            &lt;/folder&gt;
+        &lt;/folder&gt;
+    &lt;/filesystem&gt;
+   </pre>
   </usecase>
   <usecase id="create-connections" name="Creating database connections">
    <p>