diff --git a/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/PredictableExecutor.java b/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/PredictableExecutor.java
index 279091c..b18a2fb 100644
--- a/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/PredictableExecutor.java
+++ b/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/PredictableExecutor.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.concurrent.AbstractExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
+import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.concurrent.FutureTask;
@@ -136,6 +137,35 @@
         execute(command, hintFunction.apply(command));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Submits a value-returning task for execution and returns a
+     * Future representing the pending results of the task. The
+     * Future's {@code get} method will return the task's result upon
+     * successful completion.
+     *
+     * @param command the {@link Runnable} task
+     * @param hint value to pick thread to run on.
+     * @return completable future representing the pending results
+     */
+    public CompletableFuture<Void> submit(Runnable command, int hint) {
+        int index = Math.abs(hint) % backends.size();
+        return CompletableFuture.runAsync(command, backends.get(index));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Submits a value-returning task for execution and returns a
+     * Future representing the pending results of the task. The
+     * Future's {@code get} method will return the task's result upon
+     * successful completion.
+     *
+     * @param command the {@link Runnable} task
+     * @param hintFunction Function to compute hint value
+     * @return completable future representing the pending results
+     */
+    public CompletableFuture<Void> submit(Runnable command, Function<Runnable, Integer> hintFunction) {
+        int hint = hintFunction.apply(command);
+        return submit(command, hint);
+    }
 
     private static int hint(Runnable command) {
         if (command instanceof PickyTask) {
diff --git a/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/Tools.java b/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/Tools.java
index e0ea0d5..596e34b 100644
--- a/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/Tools.java
+++ b/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/Tools.java
@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.concurrent.Future;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.ThreadFactory;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;
@@ -80,6 +82,9 @@
 
     private static final String INPUT_JSON_CANNOT_BE_NULL = "Input JSON cannot be null";
 
+    private static ScheduledExecutorService timer = Executors.newScheduledThreadPool(
+            Runtime.getRuntime().availableProcessors(), groupedThreads("onos/tool", "timer"));
+
     /**
      * Returns a thread factory that produces threads named according to the
      * supplied name pattern.
@@ -699,6 +704,19 @@
     }
 
     /**
+     * Returns a future that completes normally after given time period.
+     *
+     * @param timeout amount of time to wait before completing the future
+     * @param unit Time unit
+     * @return a future that completes after given time period
+     */
+    public static CompletableFuture<Void> completeAfter(long timeout, TimeUnit unit) {
+        CompletableFuture<Void> result = new CompletableFuture<>();
+        timer.schedule(() -> result.complete(null), timeout, unit);
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    /**
      * Returns a future that's completed using the given {@code orderedExecutor} if the future is not blocked or the
      * given {@code threadPoolExecutor} if the future is blocked.
      * <p>