diff --git a/drivers/utilities/features.xml b/drivers/utilities/features.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc2e905
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/utilities/features.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
+
+<!--
+  ~ Copyright 2016 Open Networking Laboratory
+  ~
+  ~ Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+  ~ you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+  ~ You may obtain a copy of the License at
+  ~
+  ~     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+  ~
+  ~ Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+  ~ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+  ~ WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+  ~ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+  ~ limitations under the License.
+  -->
+
+<features xmlns="http://karaf.apache.org/xmlns/features/v1.2.0" name="${project.artifactId}-${project.version}">
+    <feature name="${project.artifactId}" version="${project.version}"
+             description="${project.description}">
+        <feature>onos-api</feature>
+        <bundle>mvn:${project.groupId}/${project.artifactId}/${project.version}</bundle>
+    </feature>
+</features>
diff --git a/drivers/utilities/pom.xml b/drivers/utilities/pom.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f498a47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/utilities/pom.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!--
+  ~ Copyright 2016 Open Networking Laboratory
+  ~
+  ~ Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+  ~ you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+  ~ You may obtain a copy of the License at
+  ~
+  ~     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+  ~
+  ~ Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+  ~ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+  ~ WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+  ~ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+  ~ limitations under the License.
+  -->
+
+<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
+         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
+         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
+    <parent>
+        <artifactId>onos-drivers-general</artifactId>
+        <groupId>org.onosproject</groupId>
+        <version>1.5.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    </parent>
+    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
+
+    <description>Device drivers utilities</description>
+
+    <artifactId>onos-drivers-utilities</artifactId>
+    <packaging>bundle</packaging>
+
+</project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/drivers/utilities/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/utilities/XmlConfigParser.java b/drivers/utilities/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/utilities/XmlConfigParser.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5541461
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/utilities/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/utilities/XmlConfigParser.java
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2015 Open Networking Laboratory
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.onosproject.drivers.utilities;
+
+import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
+import org.apache.commons.configuration.ConfigurationException;
+import org.apache.commons.configuration.HierarchicalConfiguration;
+import org.apache.commons.configuration.XMLConfiguration;
+import org.apache.commons.configuration.tree.ConfigurationNode;
+import org.onlab.packet.IpAddress;
+import org.onosproject.net.ChannelSpacing;
+import org.onosproject.net.GridType;
+import org.onosproject.net.OchSignal;
+import org.onosproject.net.OduSignalType;
+import org.onosproject.net.PortNumber;
+import org.onosproject.net.SparseAnnotations;
+import org.onosproject.net.behaviour.ControllerInfo;
+import org.onosproject.net.device.OchPortDescription;
+import org.onosproject.net.device.PortDescription;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.io.StringWriter;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
+/**
+ * Parser for Netconf XML configurations and replys.
+ */
+public final class XmlConfigParser {
+    public static final Logger log = LoggerFactory
+            .getLogger(XmlConfigParser.class);
+
+    private XmlConfigParser() {
+        //not called, preventing any allocation
+    }
+
+
+    public static HierarchicalConfiguration loadXml(InputStream xmlStream) {
+        XMLConfiguration cfg = new XMLConfiguration();
+        try {
+            cfg.load(xmlStream);
+            return cfg;
+        } catch (ConfigurationException e) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot load xml from Stream", e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static List<ControllerInfo> parseStreamControllers(HierarchicalConfiguration cfg) {
+        List<ControllerInfo> controllers = new ArrayList<>();
+        List<HierarchicalConfiguration> fields =
+                cfg.configurationsAt("data.capable-switch." +
+                                             "logical-switches." +
+                                             "switch.controllers.controller");
+        for (HierarchicalConfiguration sub : fields) {
+            controllers.add(new ControllerInfo(
+                    IpAddress.valueOf(sub.getString("ip-address")),
+                    Integer.parseInt(sub.getString("port")),
+                    sub.getString("protocol")));
+        }
+        return controllers;
+    }
+
+    public static String parseSwitchId(HierarchicalConfiguration cfg) {
+        HierarchicalConfiguration field =
+                cfg.configurationAt("data.capable-switch." +
+                                            "logical-switches." +
+                                            "switch");
+        return field.getProperty("id").toString();
+    }
+
+    public static String parseCapableSwitchId(HierarchicalConfiguration cfg) {
+        HierarchicalConfiguration field =
+                cfg.configurationAt("data.capable-switch");
+        return field.getProperty("id").toString();
+    }
+
+    public static String createControllersConfig(HierarchicalConfiguration cfg,
+                                                 HierarchicalConfiguration actualCfg,
+                                                 String target, String netconfOperation,
+                                                 String controllerOperation,
+                                                 List<ControllerInfo> controllers) {
+        //cfg.getKeys().forEachRemaining(key -> System.out.println(key));
+        cfg.setProperty("edit-config.target", target);
+        cfg.setProperty("edit-config.default-operation", netconfOperation);
+        cfg.setProperty("edit-config.config.capable-switch.id",
+                        parseCapableSwitchId(actualCfg));
+        cfg.setProperty("edit-config.config.capable-switch." +
+                                "logical-switches.switch.id", parseSwitchId(actualCfg));
+        List<ConfigurationNode> newControllers = new ArrayList<>();
+        for (ControllerInfo ci : controllers) {
+            XMLConfiguration controller = new XMLConfiguration();
+            controller.setRoot(new HierarchicalConfiguration.Node("controller"));
+            String id = ci.type() + ":" + ci.ip() + ":" + ci.port();
+            controller.setProperty("id", id);
+            controller.setProperty("ip-address", ci.ip());
+            controller.setProperty("port", ci.port());
+            controller.setProperty("protocol", ci.type());
+            newControllers.add(controller.getRootNode());
+        }
+        cfg.addNodes("edit-config.config.capable-switch.logical-switches." +
+                             "switch.controllers", newControllers);
+        XMLConfiguration editcfg = (XMLConfiguration) cfg;
+        StringWriter stringWriter = new StringWriter();
+        try {
+            editcfg.save(stringWriter);
+        } catch (ConfigurationException e) {
+            log.error("createControllersConfig()", e);
+        }
+        String s = stringWriter.toString()
+                .replaceAll("<controller>",
+                            "<controller nc:operation=\"" + controllerOperation + "\">");
+        s = s.replace("<target>" + target + "</target>",
+                      "<target><" + target + "/></target>");
+        return s;
+
+    }
+
+    public static List<HierarchicalConfiguration> parseWaveServerCienaPorts(HierarchicalConfiguration cfg) {
+        return cfg.configurationsAt("ws-ports.port-interface");
+    }
+
+    public static PortDescription parseWaveServerCienaOCHPorts(long portNumber, long oduPortSpeed,
+                                                               HierarchicalConfiguration config,
+                                                               SparseAnnotations annotations) {
+        final List<String> tunableType = Lists.newArrayList("Performance-Optimized", "Accelerated");
+        final String transmitterPath = "ptp-config.transmitter-state";
+        final String tunablePath = "ptp-config.adv-config.tx-tuning-mode";
+        final String gridTypePath = "ptp-config.adv-config.wl-spacing";
+        final String frequencyPath = "ptp-config.adv-config.frequency";
+
+        boolean isEnabled = config.getString(transmitterPath).equals("enabled");
+        boolean isTunable = tunableType.contains(config.getString(tunablePath));
+
+        //FIXME change when all optical types have two way information methods, see jira tickets
+        final int speed100GbpsinMbps = 100000;
+        OduSignalType oduSignalType = oduPortSpeed == speed100GbpsinMbps ? OduSignalType.ODU4 : null;
+        GridType gridType = config.getString(gridTypePath).equals("FlexGrid") ? GridType.FLEX : null;
+        ChannelSpacing chSpacing = gridType == GridType.FLEX ? ChannelSpacing.CHL_6P25GHZ : null;
+
+        //Working in Ghz //(Nominal central frequency - 193.1)/channelSpacing = spacingMultiplier
+        final int baseFrequency = 193100;
+        int spacingMult = (int) (toGbps((Integer.parseInt(config.getString(frequencyPath)) -
+                baseFrequency)) / toGbpsFromHz(chSpacing.frequency().asHz())); //FIXME is there a better way ?
+
+        return new OchPortDescription(PortNumber.portNumber(portNumber), isEnabled, oduSignalType, isTunable,
+                                      new OchSignal(gridType, chSpacing, spacingMult, 1), annotations);
+    }
+
+    //FIXME remove when all optical types have two way information methods, see jira tickets
+    private static long toGbps(long speed) {
+        return speed * 1000;
+    }
+
+    private static long toGbpsFromHz(long speed) {
+        return speed / 1000;
+    }
+    //TODO implement mor methods for parsing configuration when you need them
+}
diff --git a/drivers/utilities/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/utilities/package-info.java b/drivers/utilities/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/utilities/package-info.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a4fc8a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/utilities/src/main/java/org/onosproject/drivers/utilities/package-info.java
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2016 Open Networking Laboratory
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Package for device drivers utilities.
+ */
+package org.onosproject.drivers.utilities;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/drivers/utilities/src/main/resources/controllers.xml b/drivers/utilities/src/main/resources/controllers.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21e4dd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/utilities/src/main/resources/controllers.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+<!--
+  ~ Copyright 2015 Open Networking Laboratory
+  ~
+  ~ Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+  ~ you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+  ~ You may obtain a copy of the License at
+  ~
+  ~     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+  ~
+  ~ Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+  ~ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+  ~ WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+  ~ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+  ~ limitations under the License.
+  -->
+
+<rpc xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0">
+    <edit-config>
+        <target>
+        </target>
+        <default-operation>
+        </default-operation>
+        <config>
+            <capable-switch xmlns="urn:onf:config:yang">
+                <id></id>
+                <logical-switches>
+                    <switch>
+                        <id></id>
+                        <controllers>
+                        </controllers>
+                    </switch>
+                </logical-switches>
+            </capable-switch>
+        </config>
+    </edit-config>
+</rpc>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/drivers/utilities/src/test/java/org/onosproject/drivers/utilities/XmlConfigParserTest.java b/drivers/utilities/src/test/java/org/onosproject/drivers/utilities/XmlConfigParserTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9c2735c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/utilities/src/test/java/org/onosproject/drivers/utilities/XmlConfigParserTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2015 Open Networking Laboratory
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.onosproject.drivers.utilities;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.onlab.packet.IpAddress;
+import org.onosproject.net.behaviour.ControllerInfo;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
+/**
+ * Test the XML document Parsing for netconf configuration.
+ */
+public class XmlConfigParserTest {
+
+
+    @Test
+    public void basics() throws IOException {
+        InputStream stream = getClass().getResourceAsStream("/testConfig.xml");
+        List<ControllerInfo> controllers = XmlConfigParser
+                .parseStreamControllers(XmlConfigParser.loadXml(stream));
+        assertTrue(controllers.get(0).equals(new ControllerInfo(
+                IpAddress.valueOf("10.128.12.1"), 6653, "tcp")));
+        assertTrue(controllers.get(1).equals(new ControllerInfo(
+                IpAddress.valueOf("10.128.12.2"), 6654, "tcp")));
+
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void switchId() {
+        InputStream stream = getClass().getResourceAsStream("/testConfig.xml");
+        String switchId = XmlConfigParser.parseSwitchId(XmlConfigParser
+                                                                .loadXml(stream));
+        assertTrue(switchId.equals("ofc-bridge"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void capableSwitchId() {
+        InputStream stream = getClass().getResourceAsStream("/testConfig.xml");
+        String capableSwitchId = XmlConfigParser
+                .parseCapableSwitchId(XmlConfigParser.loadXml(stream));
+        assertTrue(capableSwitchId.equals("openvswitch"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void controllersConfig() {
+        InputStream streamOrig = getClass().getResourceAsStream("/testConfig.xml");
+        InputStream streamCFG = XmlConfigParser.class.getResourceAsStream("/controllers.xml");
+        String config = XmlConfigParser
+                .createControllersConfig(XmlConfigParser.loadXml(streamCFG),
+                                         XmlConfigParser.loadXml(streamOrig),
+                                         "running", "merge", "create",
+                                         new ArrayList<>(
+                                                 Arrays.asList(
+                                                         new ControllerInfo(
+                                                                 IpAddress.valueOf(
+                                                                         "192.168.1.1"),
+                                                                 5000, "tcp"))));
+        assertTrue(config.contains("192.168.1.1"));
+        assertTrue(config.contains("tcp"));
+        assertTrue(config.contains("5000"));
+
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/drivers/utilities/src/test/resources/testConfig.xml b/drivers/utilities/src/test/resources/testConfig.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..88d1a3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/utilities/src/test/resources/testConfig.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!--
+  ~ Copyright 2015 Open Networking Laboratory
+  ~
+  ~ Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+  ~ you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+  ~ You may obtain a copy of the License at
+  ~
+  ~     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+  ~
+  ~ Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+  ~ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+  ~ WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+  ~ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+  ~ limitations under the License.
+  -->
+
+<rpc-reply xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0" message-id="7">
+    <data>
+        <capable-switch xmlns="urn:onf:config:yang">
+            <id>openvswitch</id>
+            <resources>
+                <port>
+                    <name>ofc-bridge</name>
+                    <requested-number>666</requested-number>
+                    <configuration>
+                        <admin-state>down</admin-state>
+                        <no-receive>false</no-receive>
+                        <no-forward>false</no-forward>
+                        <no-packet-in>false</no-packet-in>
+                    </configuration>
+                </port>
+            </resources>
+            <logical-switches>
+                <switch>
+                    <id>ofc-bridge</id>
+                    <datapath-id>00:01:02:03:04:05:06:07</datapath-id>
+                    <lost-connection-behavior>failSecureMode</lost-connection-behavior>
+                    <controllers>
+                        <controller>
+                            <id>(null)</id>
+                            <ip-address>10.128.12.1</ip-address>
+                            <port>6653</port>
+                            <protocol>tcp</protocol>
+                        </controller>
+                        <controller>
+                            <id>(null)</id>
+                            <ip-address>10.128.12.2</ip-address>
+                            <port>6654</port>
+                            <protocol>tcp</protocol>
+                        </controller>
+                    </controllers>
+                    <resources>
+                        <port>ofc-bridge</port>
+                    </resources>
+                </switch>
+            </logical-switches>
+        </capable-switch>
+    </data>
+</rpc-reply>
\ No newline at end of file