diff --git a/server/modules/filter/dbfwfilter/test/maxscale/module.hh b/server/modules/filter/dbfwfilter/test/maxscale/module.hh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b8a3e079
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/modules/filter/dbfwfilter/test/maxscale/module.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+#pragma once
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2016 MariaDB Corporation Ab
+ *
+ * Use of this software is governed by the Business Source License included
+ * in the LICENSE.TXT file and at www.mariadb.com/bsl11.
+ *
+ * Change Date: 2020-01-01
+ *
+ * On the date above, in accordance with the Business Source License, use
+ * of this software will be governed by version 2 or later of the General
+ * Public License.
+ */
+
+#include <maxscale/cppdefs.hh>
+#include <memory>
+
+namespace maxscale
+{
+
+/**
+ * The template Module is an abstraction for a MaxScale module, to
+ * be used as the base class of a concrete module.
+ */
+template<class T>
+class Module;
+
+/**
+ * The template specialization Module<void> provides functionality common
+ * to all modules.
+ */
+template <>
+class Module<void>
+{
+public:
+    /**
+     * Load a module with a specific name, assumed to be of a specific type.
+     *
+     * @param zFile_name  The name of the module.
+     * @param zType_name  The expected type of the module.
+     *
+     * @return The module object, if the module could be loaded, otherwise NULL.
+     */
+    static void* load(const char *zFile_name, const char *zType_name);
+
+    /**
+     * Perform process initialization of all modules. Should be called only
+     * when all modules intended to be loaded have been loaded.
+     *
+     * @return True, if the process initialization succeeded.
+     */
+    static bool process_init();
+
+    /**
+     * Perform process finalization of all modules.
+     */
+    static void process_finish();
+
+    /**
+     * Perform thread initialization of all modules. Should be called only
+     * when all modules intended to be loaded have been loaded.
+     *
+     * @return True, if the thread initialization could be performed.
+     */
+    static bool thread_init();
+
+    /**
+     * Perform thread finalization of all modules.
+     */
+    static void thread_finish();
+};
+
+/**
+ * The template Module is intended to be derived from using the derived
+ * class as template argument.
+ *
+ *    class XyzModule : public Module<XyzModule> { ... }
+ *
+ * @param zFile_name  The name of the module.
+ *
+ * @return A module instance if the module could be loaded and it was of
+ *         the expected type.
+ */
+template<class T>
+class Module
+{
+public:
+    static std::auto_ptr<T> load(const char* zFile_name)
+    {
+        std::auto_ptr<T> sT;
+
+        void* pApi = Module<void>::load(zFile_name, T::zName);
+
+        if (pApi)
+        {
+            sT.reset(new T(static_cast<typename T::type_t*>(pApi)));
+        }
+
+        return sT;
+    }
+};
+
+}
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/dbfwfilter/test/module.cc b/server/modules/filter/dbfwfilter/test/module.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..587748670
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/modules/filter/dbfwfilter/test/module.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2016 MariaDB Corporation Ab
+ *
+ * Use of this software is governed by the Business Source License included
+ * in the LICENSE.TXT file and at www.mariadb.com/bsl11.
+ *
+ * Change Date: 2020-01-01
+ *
+ * On the date above, in accordance with the Business Source License, use
+ * of this software will be governed by version 2 or later of the General
+ * Public License.
+ */
+
+#include "maxscale/module.hh"
+#include "../../../../core/maxscale/modules.h"
+
+namespace maxscale
+{
+
+//static
+void* Module<void>::load(const char* zName, const char* zType)
+{
+    return load_module(zName, zType);
+}
+
+//static
+bool Module<void>::process_init()
+{
+    bool initialized = false;
+
+    MXS_MODULE_ITERATOR i = mxs_module_iterator_get(NULL);
+    MXS_MODULE* module = NULL;
+
+    while ((module = mxs_module_iterator_get_next(&i)) != NULL)
+    {
+        if (module->process_init)
+        {
+            int rc = (module->process_init)();
+
+            if (rc != 0)
+            {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (module)
+    {
+        // If module is non-NULL it means that the initialization failed for
+        // that module. We now need to call finish on all modules that were
+        // successfully initialized.
+        MXS_MODULE* failed_module = module;
+        i = mxs_module_iterator_get(NULL);
+
+        while ((module = mxs_module_iterator_get_next(&i)) != failed_module)
+        {
+            if (module->process_finish)
+            {
+                (module->process_finish)();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        initialized = true;
+    }
+
+    return initialized;
+}
+
+//static
+void Module<void>::process_finish()
+{
+    MXS_MODULE_ITERATOR i = mxs_module_iterator_get(NULL);
+    MXS_MODULE* module = NULL;
+
+    while ((module = mxs_module_iterator_get_next(&i)) != NULL)
+    {
+        if (module->process_finish)
+        {
+            (module->process_finish)();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+//static
+bool Module<void>::thread_init()
+{
+    bool initialized = false;
+
+    MXS_MODULE_ITERATOR i = mxs_module_iterator_get(NULL);
+    MXS_MODULE* module = NULL;
+
+    while ((module = mxs_module_iterator_get_next(&i)) != NULL)
+    {
+        if (module->thread_init)
+        {
+            int rc = (module->thread_init)();
+
+            if (rc != 0)
+            {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (module)
+    {
+        // If module is non-NULL it means that the initialization failed for
+        // that module. We now need to call finish on all modules that were
+        // successfully initialized.
+        MXS_MODULE* failed_module = module;
+        i = mxs_module_iterator_get(NULL);
+
+        while ((module = mxs_module_iterator_get_next(&i)) != failed_module)
+        {
+            if (module->thread_finish)
+            {
+                (module->thread_finish)();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        initialized = true;
+    }
+
+    return initialized;
+}
+
+//static
+void Module<void>::thread_finish()
+{
+    MXS_MODULE_ITERATOR i = mxs_module_iterator_get(NULL);
+    MXS_MODULE* module = NULL;
+
+    while ((module = mxs_module_iterator_get_next(&i)) != NULL)
+    {
+        if (module->thread_finish)
+        {
+            (module->thread_finish)();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+}