diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/DefaultAnnotations.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/DefaultAnnotations.java
index 242b0e8..f86df5e 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/DefaultAnnotations.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/DefaultAnnotations.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
 
 import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull;
+import static com.google.common.collect.Maps.transformValues;
 
 /**
  * Represents a set of simple annotations that can be used to add arbitrary
@@ -246,6 +247,18 @@
         }
 
         /**
+         * Adds all entries in specified map.
+         * Any previous entries with same key will be overwritten.
+         *
+         * @param entries annotation key and value entries
+         * @return self
+         */
+        public Builder putAll(Map<String, String> entries) {
+            builder.putAll(transformValues(entries, v -> (v == null) ? REMOVED : v));
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        /**
          * Adds the specified annotation. Any previous value associated with
          * the given annotation key will be overwritten.
          *
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/config/Config.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/config/Config.java
index 9cea1b9..c7d821e 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/config/Config.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/config/Config.java
@@ -908,4 +908,9 @@
         }
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public String toString() {
+        return String.valueOf(node);
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/config/basics/PortAnnotationConfig.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/config/basics/PortAnnotationConfig.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c4b3be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/config/basics/PortAnnotationConfig.java
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2017-present 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.net.config.basics;
+
+import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
+
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+import org.onosproject.net.ConnectPoint;
+import org.onosproject.net.config.BaseConfig;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonProcessingException;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.node.ObjectNode;
+
+/**
+ * Configuration to add extra annotations to a port via netcfg subsystem.
+ */
+public class PortAnnotationConfig
+    extends BaseConfig<ConnectPoint> {
+
+    /**
+     * {@value #CONFIG_KEY} : a netcfg ConfigKey for {@link PortAnnotationConfig}.
+     */
+    public static final String CONFIG_KEY = "annotations";
+
+    /**
+     * JSON key for annotation entries.
+     * Value is a JSON object.
+     */
+    private static final String ENTRIES = "entries";
+
+    private final Logger log = getLogger(getClass());
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean isValid() {
+        return hasField(ENTRIES) && object.get(ENTRIES).isObject();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns annotations to add to a Port.
+     *
+     * @return annotations as a map. null value represent key removal request
+     */
+    public Map<String, String> annotations() {
+        Map<String, String> map = new HashMap<>();
+
+        JsonNode jsonNode = object.path(ENTRIES);
+        if (!jsonNode.isObject()) {
+            return map;
+        }
+
+        jsonNode.fields().forEachRemaining(entry -> {
+            String key = entry.getKey();
+            JsonNode value = entry.getValue();
+            if (value.isTextual()) {
+                map.put(key, value.asText());
+            } else if (value.isNull()) {
+                map.put(key, null);
+            } else {
+                try {
+                    map.put(key, mapper().writeValueAsString(value));
+                } catch (JsonProcessingException e) {
+                    log.warn("Error processing JSON value for {}.", key, e);
+                }
+            }
+        });
+        return map;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets annotations to add to a Port.
+     *
+     * @param replace annotations to be added by this configuration.
+     *                null value represent key removal request
+     * @return self
+     */
+    public PortAnnotationConfig annotations(Map<String, String> replace) {
+        ObjectNode anns = object.objectNode();
+        if (replace != null) {
+            replace.forEach((k, v) -> {
+                anns.put(k, v);
+            });
+        }
+        object.set(ENTRIES, anns);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Add configuration to set or remove annotation entry.
+     *
+     * @param key annotations key
+     * @param value annotations value. specifying null removes the entry.
+     * @return self
+     */
+    public PortAnnotationConfig annotation(String key, String value) {
+        JsonNode ent = object.path(ENTRIES);
+        ObjectNode obj = (ent.isObject()) ? (ObjectNode) ent : object.objectNode();
+
+        obj.put(key, value);
+
+        object.set(ENTRIES, obj);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Remove configuration about specified key.
+     *
+     * @param key annotations key
+     * @return self
+     */
+    public PortAnnotationConfig annotation(String key) {
+        JsonNode ent = object.path(ENTRIES);
+        ObjectNode obj = (ent.isObject()) ? (ObjectNode) ent : object.objectNode();
+
+        obj.remove(key);
+
+        object.set(ENTRIES, obj);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Create a detached {@link PortAnnotationConfig}.
+     * <p>
+     * Note: created instance needs to be initialized by #init(..) before using.
+     */
+    public PortAnnotationConfig() {
+        super();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Create a detached {@link PortAnnotationConfig} for specified port.
+     * <p>
+     * Note: created instance is not bound to NetworkConfigService,
+     * thus cannot use {@link #apply()}. Must be passed to the service
+     * using NetworkConfigService#applyConfig
+     *
+     * @param cp ConnectPoint
+     */
+    public PortAnnotationConfig(ConnectPoint cp) {
+        ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
+        init(cp, CONFIG_KEY, mapper.createObjectNode(), mapper, null);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/device/DefaultPortDescription.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/device/DefaultPortDescription.java
index 300d915..89cc6e8 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/device/DefaultPortDescription.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/device/DefaultPortDescription.java
@@ -88,6 +88,19 @@
              annotations);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates a port description using the supplied information.
+     *
+     * @param base port description to copy fields from
+     * @param annotations to be used in the copied description.
+     *        Note: Annotations on {@code base} will be ignored.
+     * @return copied port description
+     */
+    public static DefaultPortDescription copyReplacingAnnotation(PortDescription base,
+                                                                 SparseAnnotations annotations) {
+        return new DefaultPortDescription(base, annotations);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public PortNumber portNumber() {
         return number;