diff --git a/rbackup/__init__.py b/rbackup/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/rbackup/date.py b/rbackup/date.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb7963b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rbackup/date.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import datetime
+import os.path
+
+def gen_datetime(*paths):
+    """Generate a path for a backup directory that contains
+    the current date and time.
+
+    :param paths: paths to prepend to the result
+    :type paths: str, bytes, or path-like object
+    :returns: stuff
+    """
+    return os.path.join(*paths, datetime.datetime.utcnow().isoformat())
diff --git a/rbackup/hierarchy.py b/rbackup/hierarchy.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8144b2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rbackup/hierarchy.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+"""This module contains a class for creating a backup hierarchy."""
+import os.path
+
+class Hierarchy():
+    dest = None
+
+    def Hierarchy(self, dest):
+        """Default constructor for the hierarchy class.
+
+        :param dest: the root directory of the backup hierarchy
+        :type dest: str, bytes, or path-like object
+        """
+        if not os.path.isdir(dest):
+            raise ValueError(f"{dest} is not a valid directory")
+
+        self.dest = dest
+
+    @property
+    def etc_dir: 
+        """Retrieve the /etc backup directory of this hierarchy.
+
+        :rtype: str
+        """
+        return os.path.join(self.dest, backup, etc)
+
+    @property
+    def home_dir:
+        """Retrieve the /home backup directory of this hierarchy.
+
+        :rtype: str
+        """
+        return os.path.join(self.dest, backup, home)
+
+    @property
+    def snapshot_dir:
+        """Retrieve the snapshot directory of this hierarchy.
+
+        :rtype: str
+        """
+        return os.path.join(self.dest, backup, snapshots)
+
+    @property
+    def root_home_dir:
+        """Retrieve root's home directory of this hierarchy.
+
+        :rtype: str
+        """
+        return os.path.join(self.dest, backup, root)
+
+    @property
+    def base_dir:
+        """Return the base directory of this hierarchy.
+
+        :rtype: str
+        """
+        return dest
diff --git a/rbackup/rsync.py b/rbackup/rsync.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f5eed3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rbackup/rsync.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import subprocess
+
+
+# ========== Constants ==========
+_RSYNC_BIN = '/usr/bin/rsync'
+
+
+# ========== Functions ==========
+def rsync(*args):
+    """Run an rsync command.
+
+    :param args: all arguments to pass to rsync
+    :type args: str
+    :raises: subprocess.CalledProcessError if rsync process failed
+    """
+    cmd = [_RSYNC_BIN, *args]
+    subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, check=True)