diff --git a/src/dbSta/src/dbNetwork.cc b/src/dbSta/src/dbNetwork.cc
index ec3c3c14155..843b0c40566 100644
--- a/src/dbSta/src/dbNetwork.cc
+++ b/src/dbSta/src/dbNetwork.cc
@@ -707,14 +707,11 @@ const char* dbNetwork::name(const Cell* cell) const
 // (b) bus port (which has many singletons inside it)
 // (c) bundle port -- todo (which has many singletons inside it).
 //
-// This iterator goes through the ports via the lowest level connections:
-// the singleton modbterms . To see what is inside the
-// aggregated ports (eg bus port/bundle port) we use the member
-// Iterator. (Though this iterator simply skips them).
+// This iterator uses the odb generate iterator dbModulePortItr
+// which has knowledge of he underlying port types and skips
+// over their contents.
 //
 //
-// TODO: remove the traversal at the lowest level.
-//
 
 class dbModulePortIterator : public CellPortIterator
 {
@@ -732,8 +729,8 @@ class dbModulePortIterator : public CellPortIterator
 
 dbModulePortIterator::dbModulePortIterator(dbModule* cell)
 {
-  iter_ = cell->getModBTerms().begin();
-  end_ = cell->getModBTerms().end();
+  iter_ = cell->getPorts().begin();
+  end_ = cell->getPorts().end();
   module_ = cell;
 }
 
@@ -748,13 +745,6 @@ bool dbModulePortIterator::hasNext()
 Port* dbModulePortIterator::next()
 {
   dbModBTerm* ret = *iter_;
-  if (ret->isBusPort()) {
-    dbBusPort* bus_port = ret->getBusPort();
-    // todo: remove this using custom iterator
-    for (int i = 0; i < bus_port->getSize(); i++) {
-      iter_++;
-    }
-  }
   iter_++;
   return (reinterpret_cast<Port*>(ret));
 }
diff --git a/src/odb/include/odb/db.h b/src/odb/include/odb/db.h
index 365f489d9cd..61cc66f6d04 100644
--- a/src/odb/include/odb/db.h
+++ b/src/odb/include/odb/db.h
@@ -7181,11 +7181,6 @@ class dbBusPort : public dbObject
                            int from_ix,
                            int to_ix);
 
- private:
-  //  dbModuleBusPortModBTermItr* _members_iter=nullptr;
-  // reallocate the bus port so all members sequential.
-  void Realloc();
-
   // User Code End dbBusPort
 };
 
@@ -7710,6 +7705,9 @@ class dbModule : public dbObject
   dbSet<dbModInst> getChildren();
   dbSet<dbModInst> getModInsts();
   dbSet<dbModNet> getModNets();
+  // Get the ports of a module (STA world uses ports, which contain members).
+  dbSet<dbModBTerm> getPorts();
+  // Get the leaf level connections on a module (flat connected view).
   dbSet<dbModBTerm> getModBTerms();
   dbModBTerm* getModBTerm(uint id);
   dbSet<dbInst> getInsts();
@@ -7723,8 +7721,6 @@ class dbModule : public dbObject
   int getModInstCount();
   int getDbInstCount();
 
-  void staSetCell(void* cell);
-  void* getStaCell();
   const dbModBTerm* getHeadDbModBTerm() const;
 
   static dbModule* create(dbBlock* block, const char* name);
diff --git a/src/odb/src/codeGenerator/schema.json b/src/odb/src/codeGenerator/schema.json
index c4791a2ba3f..7a1970c34fc 100644
--- a/src/odb/src/codeGenerator/schema.json
+++ b/src/odb/src/codeGenerator/schema.json
@@ -1,6 +1,16 @@
 {
     "classes_dir": "schema",
     "iterators":[
+    {
+        "name": "dbModulePortItr",
+        "parentObject": "dbModBTerm",
+        "tableName": "modbterm_tbl",
+        "reversible": "true",
+	"orderReversed": "true",
+        "flags":["private"],	
+        "sequential": 0,
+        "includes": ["dbModBTerm.h", "dbModule.h", "dbBusPort.h", "dbBlock.h"]
+    },
     {
         "name": "dbModuleModBTermItr",
         "parentObject": "dbModBTerm",
diff --git a/src/odb/src/codeGenerator/schema/chip/dbModule.json b/src/odb/src/codeGenerator/schema/chip/dbModule.json
index 507d2398439..f7f1754abd9 100644
--- a/src/odb/src/codeGenerator/schema/chip/dbModule.json
+++ b/src/odb/src/codeGenerator/schema/chip/dbModule.json
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 {
     "name":"dbModule",
     "type":"dbObject",
+    "needs_non_default_destructor" : "true",    
     "fields":[
 	{
 	    "name":"_name",
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@
 	    "schema":"db_schema_update_hierarchy"	    	    	    
 	}
     ],
-    "cpp_includes":["dbBlock.h","dbHashTable.hpp", "dbModBTerm.h", "dbModInst.h", "dbInst.h"],
+    "cpp_includes":["dbBlock.h","dbHashTable.hpp", "dbModBTerm.h", "dbModInst.h", "dbInst.h", "dbModulePortItr.h"],
     "h_includes": [
 	"dbVector.h",
 	"odb/dbSet.h"
diff --git a/src/odb/src/db/CMakeLists.txt b/src/odb/src/db/CMakeLists.txt
index 8b591316991..128aa341cbc 100644
--- a/src/odb/src/db/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/odb/src/db/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ add_library(db
     dbModuleModNetItr.cpp
     dbModuleModNetModBTermItr.cpp
     dbModuleModNetModITermItr.cpp
+    dbModulePortItr.cpp
     dbNetTrackItr.cpp
     dbRegionGroupItr.cpp
     # Generator Code End cpp
diff --git a/src/odb/src/db/dbBusPort.cpp b/src/odb/src/db/dbBusPort.cpp
index e2e71c02fb1..bf26c1670b1 100644
--- a/src/odb/src/db/dbBusPort.cpp
+++ b/src/odb/src/db/dbBusPort.cpp
@@ -299,7 +299,6 @@ dbModBTerm* dbBusPort::getBusIndexedElement(int index) const
       return cur;
     }
   }
-
   return nullptr;
 }
 
@@ -369,38 +368,6 @@ dbSet<dbModBTerm> dbBusPort::getBusPortMembers()
   return dbSet<dbModBTerm>(this, obj->_members_iter);
 }
 
-//
-// TODO future pull request: Reallocate the bus to preserve sequential db
-// ordering This to be added as part of "scaffolding functions"
-//
-void dbBusPort::Realloc()
-{
-  /*
-  _dbBusPort* obj = (_dbBusPort*) this;
-  _dbBlock* block = (_dbBlock*) obj->getOwner();
-  dbModule* parentModule (_dbModule*) obj -> getParent();
-  if (obj -> _flags !=0U){
-    dbModBTerm* busport = block -> modbterm_tbl -> getPtr(obj -> _port);
-    dbModBTerm* cur = busport -> getPrev();
-    //
-    //sequentially reallocate the elements
-    //to assure they are layed out for sequential access
-    //after being tampered with.
-    //
-    int size = obj -> getSize();
-    for (int i =0; i < size; i++){
-      dbModBTerm* new_cur = dbModBTerm::create(parentModule,cur -> getName());
-      new_cur -> _modnet = cur -> _modnet;
-      new_cur -> _next_net_modbterm = cur -> _modbterm;
-      new_cur -> _prev_net_modbterm = cur -> _modbterm;
-      new_cur -> _busPort = cur -> _busPort;
-      new_cur -> _name = cur -> _name;
-      new_cur -> _parent = cur -> _parent;
-    }
-  }
- */
-}
-
 // User Code End dbBusPortPublicMethods
 }  // namespace odb
    // Generator Code End Cpp
diff --git a/src/odb/src/db/dbModule.cpp b/src/odb/src/db/dbModule.cpp
index 3e107ea95f6..6f66968bc2d 100644
--- a/src/odb/src/db/dbModule.cpp
+++ b/src/odb/src/db/dbModule.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include "dbInst.h"
 #include "dbModBTerm.h"
 #include "dbModInst.h"
+#include "dbModulePortItr.h"
 #include "dbTable.h"
 #include "dbTable.hpp"
 #include "odb/db.h"
@@ -364,6 +365,26 @@ dbSet<dbModInst> dbModule::getModInsts()
   return dbSet<dbModInst>(module, block->_module_modinst_itr);
 }
 
+//
+// The ports include higher level views. These have a special
+// iterator which knows about how to skip the contents
+// of the hierarchical objects (busports)
+//
+
+dbSet<dbModBTerm> dbModule::getPorts()
+{
+  _dbModule* obj = (_dbModule*) this;
+  if (obj->_port_iter == nullptr) {
+    _dbBlock* block = (_dbBlock*) obj->getOwner();
+    obj->_port_iter = new dbModulePortItr(block->_modbterm_tbl);
+  }
+  return dbSet<dbModBTerm>(this, obj->_port_iter);
+}
+
+//
+// The modbterms are the leaf level connections
+//"flat view"
+//
 dbSet<dbModBTerm> dbModule::getModBTerms()
 {
   _dbModule* module = (_dbModule*) this;
@@ -508,18 +529,6 @@ std::string dbModule::getHierarchicalName() const
   return "<top>";
 }
 
-void* dbModule::getStaCell()
-{
-  _dbModule* module = (_dbModule*) this;
-  return module->_sta_cell;
-}
-
-void dbModule::staSetCell(void* cell)
-{
-  _dbModule* module = (_dbModule*) this;
-  module->_sta_cell = cell;
-}
-
 dbBlock* dbModule::getOwner()
 {
   _dbModule* obj = (_dbModule*) this;
diff --git a/src/odb/src/db/dbModule.h b/src/odb/src/db/dbModule.h
index fda8088e5c0..520818e0e6f 100644
--- a/src/odb/src/db/dbModule.h
+++ b/src/odb/src/db/dbModule.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include "odb/odb.h"
 // User Code Begin Includes
 #include "dbHashTable.h"
+#include "dbModulePortItr.h"
 // User Code End Includes
 
 namespace odb {
@@ -80,7 +81,8 @@ class _dbModule : public _dbObject
   dbId<_dbModBTerm> _modbterms;
 
   // User Code Begin Fields
-  void* _sta_cell = nullptr;
+  // custom iterator for traversing ports
+  dbModulePortItr* _port_iter = nullptr;
   // User Code End Fields
 };
 dbIStream& operator>>(dbIStream& stream, _dbModule& obj);
diff --git a/src/odb/src/db/dbModuleBusPortModBTermItr.cpp b/src/odb/src/db/dbModuleBusPortModBTermItr.cpp
index 208f1dae070..89d0db7cc7a 100644
--- a/src/odb/src/db/dbModuleBusPortModBTermItr.cpp
+++ b/src/odb/src/db/dbModuleBusPortModBTermItr.cpp
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ uint dbModuleBusPortModBTermItr::begin(dbObject* parent)
 
 uint dbModuleBusPortModBTermItr::end(dbObject* /* unused: parent */)
 {
+  if (_ix == _size) {
+    return _iter->getId();
+  }
   return 0;
 }