diff --git a/src/common/tools/context_queries/Slice.py b/src/common/tools/context_queries/Slice.py
index c826c59ce79adbe1e399d674ffd46a421ddd9b5e..41bfb686bd000ac18716e8c06764b309d52c8914 100644
--- a/src/common/tools/context_queries/Slice.py
+++ b/src/common/tools/context_queries/Slice.py
@@ -12,12 +12,20 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-import grpc, logging
-from typing import Optional
+import logging
+from typing import Optional, Tuple, Union
+from uuid import UUID, uuid5
+
+import grpc
+
 from common.Constants import DEFAULT_CONTEXT_NAME
-from common.proto.context_pb2 import Slice, SliceFilter, SliceId
+from common.method_wrappers.ServiceExceptions import InvalidArgumentsException
+from common.proto.context_pb2 import ContextId, Slice, SliceFilter, SliceId
 from context.client.ContextClient import ContextClient
 
+
+NAMESPACE_TFS = UUID("200e3a1f-2223-534f-a100-758e29c37f40")
+
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 def get_slice_by_id(
@@ -59,3 +67,96 @@ def get_slice_by_uuid(
         context_client, slice_id, rw_copy=rw_copy, include_endpoint_ids=include_endpoint_ids,
         include_constraints=include_constraints, include_service_ids=include_service_ids,
         include_subslice_ids=include_subslice_ids, include_config_rules=include_config_rules)
+
+
+def get_uuid_from_string(
+    str_uuid_or_name: Union[str, UUID], prefix_for_name: Optional[str] = None
+) -> str:
+    # if UUID given, assume it is already a valid UUID
+    if isinstance(str_uuid_or_name, UUID):
+        return str_uuid_or_name
+    if not isinstance(str_uuid_or_name, str):
+        MSG = "Parameter({:s}) cannot be used to produce a UUID"
+        raise Exception(MSG.format(str(repr(str_uuid_or_name))))
+    try:
+        # try to parse as UUID
+        return str(UUID(str_uuid_or_name))
+    except:  # pylint: disable=bare-except
+        # produce a UUID within TFS namespace from parameter
+        if prefix_for_name is not None:
+            str_uuid_or_name = "{:s}/{:s}".format(prefix_for_name, str_uuid_or_name)
+        return str(uuid5(NAMESPACE_TFS, str_uuid_or_name))
+
+
+def context_get_uuid(
+    context_id: ContextId,
+    context_name: str = "",
+    allow_random: bool = False,
+    allow_default: bool = False,
+) -> str:
+    context_uuid = context_id.context_uuid.uuid
+
+    if len(context_uuid) > 0:
+        return get_uuid_from_string(context_uuid)
+    if len(context_name) > 0:
+        return get_uuid_from_string(context_name)
+    if allow_default:
+        return get_uuid_from_string(DEFAULT_CONTEXT_NAME)
+
+    raise InvalidArgumentsException(
+        [
+            ("context_id.context_uuid.uuid", context_uuid),
+            ("name", context_name),
+        ],
+        extra_details=["At least one is required to produce a Context UUID"],
+    )
+
+
+def slice_get_uuid(slice_id: SliceId) -> Tuple[str, str]:
+    context_uuid = context_get_uuid(slice_id.context_id, allow_random=False)
+    raw_slice_uuid = slice_id.slice_uuid.uuid
+
+    if len(raw_slice_uuid) > 0:
+        return context_uuid, get_uuid_from_string(
+            raw_slice_uuid, prefix_for_name=context_uuid
+        )
+
+    raise InvalidArgumentsException(
+        [
+            ("slice_id.slice_uuid.uuid", raw_slice_uuid),
+        ],
+        extra_details=["At least one is required to produce a Slice UUID"],
+    )
+
+def get_slice_by_defualt_id(
+    context_client : ContextClient, default_slice_id : SliceId, context_uuid : str = DEFAULT_CONTEXT_NAME,
+    rw_copy : bool = False, include_endpoint_ids : bool = True, include_constraints : bool = True,
+    include_service_ids : bool = True, include_subslice_ids : bool = True, include_config_rules : bool = True
+) -> Optional[Slice]:
+    context_uuid, slice_uuid = slice_get_uuid(default_slice_id)
+    LOGGER.debug(f'P60: {context_uuid} {slice_uuid}')
+    slice_id = SliceId()
+    slice_id.context_id.context_uuid.uuid = context_uuid    # pylint: disable=no-member
+    slice_id.slice_uuid.uuid = slice_uuid                   # pylint: disable=no-member
+    return get_slice_by_id(
+        context_client, slice_id, rw_copy=rw_copy, include_endpoint_ids=include_endpoint_ids,
+        include_constraints=include_constraints, include_service_ids=include_service_ids,
+        include_subslice_ids=include_subslice_ids, include_config_rules=include_config_rules)
+
+
+def get_slice_by_defualt_name(
+    context_client : ContextClient, slice_name : str, context_uuid : str = DEFAULT_CONTEXT_NAME,
+    rw_copy : bool = False, include_endpoint_ids : bool = True, include_constraints : bool = True,
+    include_service_ids : bool = True, include_subslice_ids : bool = True, include_config_rules : bool = True
+) -> Optional[Slice]:
+    default_slice_id = SliceId()
+    default_slice_id.context_id.context_uuid.uuid = context_uuid    # pylint: disable=no-member
+    default_slice_id.slice_uuid.uuid = slice_name                   # pylint: disable=no-member
+    context_uuid, slice_uuid = slice_get_uuid(default_slice_id)
+    slice_id = SliceId()
+    slice_id.context_id.context_uuid.uuid = context_uuid    # pylint: disable=no-member
+    slice_id.slice_uuid.uuid = slice_uuid                   # pylint: disable=no-member
+    return get_slice_by_id(
+        context_client, slice_id, rw_copy=rw_copy, include_endpoint_ids=include_endpoint_ids,
+        include_constraints=include_constraints, include_service_ids=include_service_ids,
+        include_subslice_ids=include_subslice_ids, include_config_rules=include_config_rules)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/common/tools/grpc/ConfigRules.py b/src/common/tools/grpc/ConfigRules.py
index c8919273e65c6f6edb0f3e0ca6f060a5471e8f0e..0cf5165e9a15e1bcbaa4067db1e866ab01fbe33c 100644
--- a/src/common/tools/grpc/ConfigRules.py
+++ b/src/common/tools/grpc/ConfigRules.py
@@ -54,14 +54,13 @@ def update_config_rule_custom(
 
     config_rule.custom.resource_value = json.dumps(json_resource_value, sort_keys=True)
 
-def copy_config_rules(source_config_rules, target_config_rules):
+def copy_config_rules(source_config_rules, target_config_rules, raise_if_differs = True):
     for source_config_rule in source_config_rules:
         config_rule_kind = source_config_rule.WhichOneof('config_rule')
         if config_rule_kind == 'custom':
             custom = source_config_rule.custom
             resource_key = custom.resource_key
             resource_value = json.loads(custom.resource_value)
-            raise_if_differs = True
             fields = {name:(value, raise_if_differs) for name,value in resource_value.items()}
             update_config_rule_custom(target_config_rules, resource_key, fields)
 
diff --git a/src/pathcomp/frontend/service/algorithms/tools/ComposeConfigRules.py b/src/pathcomp/frontend/service/algorithms/tools/ComposeConfigRules.py
index ca0b5b480c005324bc856cb82627940dbc0210b8..9eac4d353ef48f6e75b478d137e6e9bb9c3e1c03 100644
--- a/src/pathcomp/frontend/service/algorithms/tools/ComposeConfigRules.py
+++ b/src/pathcomp/frontend/service/algorithms/tools/ComposeConfigRules.py
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 SETTINGS_RULE_NAME = '/settings'
 STATIC_ROUTING_RULE_NAME = '/static_routing'
-IETF_DATA = 'ietf_data'
+RUNNING_RESOURCE_KEY = "running_ietf_slice"
+CANDIDATE_RESOURCE_KEY = "candidate_ietf_slice"
 
 RE_UUID = re.compile(r'([0-9a-fA-F]{8})\-([0-9a-fA-F]{4})\-([0-9a-fA-F]{4})\-([0-9a-fA-F]{4})\-([0-9a-fA-F]{12})')
 
@@ -94,7 +95,8 @@ def compose_l3nm_config_rules(main_service_config_rules : List, subservice_confi
     CONFIG_RULES = [
         (SETTINGS_RULE_NAME, L3NM_SETTINGS_FIELD_DEFAULTS),
         (STATIC_ROUTING_RULE_NAME, {}),
-        (IETF_DATA, {}),
+        (RUNNING_RESOURCE_KEY, {}),
+        (CANDIDATE_RESOURCE_KEY, {}),
     ]
     for rule_name, defaults in CONFIG_RULES:
         compose_config_rules(main_service_config_rules, subservice_config_rules, rule_name, defaults)
diff --git a/src/service/requirements.in b/src/service/requirements.in
index 3f8d2a35453691420a9469dfffd0a0d2648c6397..d0dd6dcfe13610fc315a50437fb5f3e094b4ee5e 100644
--- a/src/service/requirements.in
+++ b/src/service/requirements.in
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 
+deepdiff==6.7.*
 anytree==2.8.0
 geopy==2.3.0
 netaddr==0.9.0
diff --git a/src/slice/service/SliceServiceServicerImpl.py b/src/slice/service/SliceServiceServicerImpl.py
index 007d012ed432a6d4ab589f6dfe28648a9a6d2a85..68bd0aef153d2b784605abfe03b891b6990d23d5 100644
--- a/src/slice/service/SliceServiceServicerImpl.py
+++ b/src/slice/service/SliceServiceServicerImpl.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from common.proto.context_pb2 import (
 from common.proto.slice_pb2_grpc import SliceServiceServicer
 from common.method_wrappers.Decorator import MetricsPool, safe_and_metered_rpc_method
 from common.tools.context_queries.InterDomain import is_inter_domain #, is_multi_domain
-from common.tools.context_queries.Slice import get_slice_by_id
+from common.tools.context_queries.Slice import get_slice_by_defualt_id, get_slice_by_id
 from common.tools.grpc.ConfigRules import copy_config_rules
 from common.tools.grpc.Constraints import copy_constraints
 from common.tools.grpc.EndPointIds import copy_endpoint_ids
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ class SliceServiceServicerImpl(SliceServiceServicer):
         # being modified.
         context_client = ContextClient()
         slice_ro : Optional[Slice] = get_slice_by_id(context_client, request.slice_id, rw_copy=False)
+        if not slice_ro:
+            slice_ro : Optional[Slice] = get_slice_by_defualt_id(context_client, request.slice_id, rw_copy=False)
 
         slice_rw = Slice()
         slice_rw.CopyFrom(request if slice_ro is None else slice_ro)
@@ -52,9 +54,9 @@ class SliceServiceServicerImpl(SliceServiceServicer):
         slice_rw.slice_owner.CopyFrom(request.slice_owner)                          # pylint: disable=no-member
         slice_rw.slice_status.slice_status = SliceStatusEnum.SLICESTATUS_PLANNED    # pylint: disable=no-member
 
-        copy_endpoint_ids(request.slice_endpoint_ids,        slice_rw.slice_endpoint_ids       ) # pylint: disable=no-member
-        copy_constraints (request.slice_constraints,         slice_rw.slice_constraints        ) # pylint: disable=no-member
-        copy_config_rules(request.slice_config.config_rules, slice_rw.slice_config.config_rules) # pylint: disable=no-member
+        copy_endpoint_ids(request.slice_endpoint_ids,        slice_rw.slice_endpoint_ids       )        # pylint: disable=no-member
+        copy_constraints (request.slice_constraints,         slice_rw.slice_constraints        )        # pylint: disable=no-member
+        copy_config_rules(request.slice_config.config_rules, slice_rw.slice_config.config_rules, False) # pylint: disable=no-member
 
         slice_id_with_uuids = context_client.SetSlice(slice_rw)
 
@@ -112,7 +114,7 @@ class SliceServiceServicerImpl(SliceServiceServicer):
         # pylint: disable=no-member
         copy_endpoint_ids(request.slice_endpoint_ids, service_request.service_endpoint_ids)
         copy_constraints(request.slice_constraints, service_request.service_constraints)
-        copy_config_rules(request.slice_config.config_rules, service_request.service_config.config_rules)
+        copy_config_rules(request.slice_config.config_rules, service_request.service_config.config_rules, False)
 
         service_request.service_type = ServiceTypeEnum.SERVICETYPE_UNKNOWN
         for config_rule in request.slice_config.config_rules: