diff --git a/examples/vm_power_manager/Makefile b/examples/vm_power_manager/Makefile
index ef2a9f959..0c925967c 100644
--- a/examples/vm_power_manager/Makefile
+++ b/examples/vm_power_manager/Makefile
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ APP = vm_power_mgr
 
 # all source are stored in SRCS-y
 SRCS-y := main.c vm_power_cli.c power_manager.c channel_manager.c
-SRCS-y += channel_monitor.c
+SRCS-y += channel_monitor.c parse.c
 
 CFLAGS += -O3 -I$(RTE_SDK)/lib/librte_power/
 CFLAGS += $(WERROR_FLAGS)
diff --git a/examples/vm_power_manager/main.c b/examples/vm_power_manager/main.c
index 0d3846971..613a40af0 100644
--- a/examples/vm_power_manager/main.c
+++ b/examples/vm_power_manager/main.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "channel_monitor.h"
 #include "power_manager.h"
 #include "vm_power_cli.h"
+#include "parse.h"
 #include <rte_pmd_ixgbe.h>
 #include <rte_pmd_i40e.h>
 #include <rte_pmd_bnxt.h>
@@ -133,18 +134,22 @@ parse_portmask(const char *portmask)
 static int
 parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	int opt, ret;
+	int opt, ret, cnt, i;
 	char **argvopt;
+	uint16_t *oob_enable;
 	int option_index;
 	char *prgname = argv[0];
+	struct core_info *ci;
 	static struct option lgopts[] = {
 		{ "mac-updating", no_argument, 0, 1},
 		{ "no-mac-updating", no_argument, 0, 0},
+		{ "core-list", optional_argument, 0, 'l'},
 		{NULL, 0, 0, 0}
 	};
 	argvopt = argv;
+	ci = get_core_info();
 
-	while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argvopt, "p:q:T:",
+	while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argvopt, "l:p:q:T:",
 				  lgopts, &option_index)) != EOF) {
 
 		switch (opt) {
@@ -156,6 +161,27 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 				return -1;
 			}
 			break;
+		case 'l':
+			oob_enable = malloc(ci->core_count * sizeof(uint16_t));
+			if (oob_enable == NULL) {
+				printf("Error - Unable to allocate memory\n");
+				return -1;
+			}
+			cnt = parse_set(optarg, oob_enable, ci->core_count);
+			if (cnt < 0) {
+				printf("Invalid core-list - [%s]\n",
+						optarg);
+				break;
+			}
+			for (i = 0; i < ci->core_count; i++) {
+				if (oob_enable[i]) {
+					printf("***Using core %d\n", i);
+					ci->cd[i].oob_enabled = 1;
+					ci->cd[i].global_enabled_cpus = 1;
+				}
+			}
+			free(oob_enable);
+			break;
 		/* long options */
 		case 0:
 			break;
@@ -261,6 +287,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	uint16_t portid;
 
 
+	ret = core_info_init();
+	if (ret < 0)
+		rte_panic("Cannot allocate core info\n");
+
 	ret = rte_eal_init(argc, argv);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		rte_panic("Cannot init EAL\n");
diff --git a/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.c b/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8231533b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.c
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ * Copyright(c) 2010-2014 Intel Corporation.
+ * Copyright(c) 2014 6WIND S.A.
+ */
+
+#include <string.h>
+#include <rte_log.h>
+#include "parse.h"
+
+/*
+ * Parse elem, the elem could be single number/range or group
+ * 1) A single number elem, it's just a simple digit. e.g. 9
+ * 2) A single range elem, two digits with a '-' between. e.g. 2-6
+ * 3) A group elem, combines multiple 1) or 2) e.g 0,2-4,6
+ *    Within group, '-' used for a range separator;
+ *                       ',' used for a single number.
+ */
+int
+parse_set(const char *input, uint16_t set[], unsigned int num)
+{
+	unsigned int idx;
+	const char *str = input;
+	char *end = NULL;
+	unsigned int min, max;
+
+	memset(set, 0, num * sizeof(uint16_t));
+
+	while (isblank(*str))
+		str++;
+
+	/* only digit or left bracket is qualify for start point */
+	if (!isdigit(*str) || *str == '\0')
+		return -1;
+
+	while (isblank(*str))
+		str++;
+	if (*str == '\0')
+		return -1;
+
+	min = num;
+	do {
+
+		/* go ahead to the first digit */
+		while (isblank(*str))
+			str++;
+		if (!isdigit(*str))
+			return -1;
+
+		/* get the digit value */
+		errno = 0;
+		idx = strtoul(str, &end, 10);
+		if (errno || end == NULL || idx >= num)
+			return -1;
+
+		/* go ahead to separator '-' and ',' */
+		while (isblank(*end))
+			end++;
+		if (*end == '-') {
+			if (min == num)
+				min = idx;
+			else /* avoid continuous '-' */
+				return -1;
+		} else if ((*end == ',') || (*end == '\0')) {
+			max = idx;
+
+			if (min == num)
+				min = idx;
+
+			for (idx = RTE_MIN(min, max);
+					idx <= RTE_MAX(min, max); idx++) {
+				set[idx] = 1;
+			}
+			min = num;
+		} else
+			return -1;
+
+		str = end + 1;
+	} while (*end != '\0');
+
+	return str - input;
+}
diff --git a/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.h b/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a5971e9a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/vm_power_manager/parse.h
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ * Copyright(c) 2018 Intel Corporation
+ */
+
+#ifndef PARSE_H_
+#define PARSE_H_
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+int
+parse_set(const char *, uint16_t [], unsigned int);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+
+#endif /* PARSE_H_ */
diff --git a/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.c b/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.c
index 35db25591..a7849e48a 100644
--- a/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.c
+++ b/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <dirent.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 
+#include <sys/sysinfo.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
 #include <rte_log.h>
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ struct freq_info {
 
 static struct freq_info global_core_freq_info[POWER_MGR_MAX_CPUS];
 
+struct core_info ci;
 static uint64_t global_enabled_cpus;
 
 #define SYSFS_CPU_PATH "/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu%u/topology/core_id"
@@ -76,6 +78,35 @@ set_host_cpus_mask(void)
 	return num_cpus;
 }
 
+struct core_info *
+get_core_info(void)
+{
+	return &ci;
+}
+
+int
+core_info_init(void)
+{
+	struct core_info *ci;
+	int i;
+
+	ci = get_core_info();
+
+	ci->core_count = get_nprocs_conf();
+	ci->cd = malloc(ci->core_count * sizeof(struct core_details));
+	if (!ci->cd) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, POWER_MANAGER, "Failed to allocate memory for core info.");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	for (i = 0; i < ci->core_count; i++) {
+		ci->cd[i].global_enabled_cpus = 1;
+		ci->cd[i].oob_enabled = 0;
+		ci->cd[i].msr_fd = 0;
+	}
+	printf("%d cores in system\n", ci->core_count);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int
 power_manager_init(void)
 {
diff --git a/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.h b/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.h
index 8a8a84aa4..45385de37 100644
--- a/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.h
+++ b/examples/vm_power_manager/power_manager.h
@@ -8,6 +8,26 @@
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
+struct core_details {
+	uint64_t last_branches;
+	uint64_t last_branch_misses;
+	uint16_t global_enabled_cpus;
+	uint16_t oob_enabled;
+	int msr_fd;
+};
+
+struct core_info {
+	uint16_t core_count;
+	struct core_details *cd;
+};
+
+struct core_info *
+get_core_info(void);
+
+int
+core_info_init(void);
+
+#define RTE_LOGTYPE_POWER_MANAGER RTE_LOGTYPE_USER1
 
 /* Maximum number of CPUS to manage */
 #define POWER_MGR_MAX_CPUS 64
