diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/optical/device/OmsPortHelper.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/optical/device/OmsPortHelper.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c99c53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/optical/device/OmsPortHelper.java
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2016-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.optical.device;
+
+import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
+
+import java.util.Optional;
+
+import org.onlab.util.Frequency;
+import org.onosproject.net.Annotations;
+import org.onosproject.net.DefaultAnnotations;
+import org.onosproject.net.Port;
+import org.onosproject.net.PortNumber;
+import org.onosproject.net.SparseAnnotations;
+import org.onosproject.net.DefaultAnnotations.Builder;
+import org.onosproject.net.device.DefaultPortDescription;
+import org.onosproject.net.device.PortDescription;
+import org.onosproject.net.optical.OmsPort;
+import org.onosproject.net.optical.impl.DefaultOmsPort;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+
+import com.google.common.annotations.Beta;
+
+/**
+ * OMS port related helpers.
+ */
+@Beta
+public final class OmsPortHelper {
+
+    private static final Logger log = getLogger(OmsPortHelper.class);
+
+    // Annotation keys
+    /**
+     * minFrequency in Hz.
+     */
+    private static final String MIN_FREQ_HZ = "minFrequency";
+    /**
+     * maxFrequency in Hz.
+     */
+    private static final String MAX_FREQ_HZ = "maxFrequency";
+    /**
+     * grid in Hz.
+     */
+    private static final String GRID_HZ = "grid";
+
+    /**
+     * Creates OMS port description based on the supplied information.
+     *
+     * @param number        port number
+     * @param isEnabled     port enabled state
+     * @param minFrequency  minimum frequency
+     * @param maxFrequency  maximum frequency
+     * @param grid          grid spacing frequency
+     * @param annotations   key/value annotations map
+     */
+    public static PortDescription omsPortDescription(PortNumber number,
+                                              boolean isEnabled,
+                                              Frequency minFrequency,
+                                              Frequency maxFrequency,
+                                              Frequency grid,
+                                              SparseAnnotations annotations) {
+
+        Builder builder = DefaultAnnotations.builder();
+        builder.putAll(annotations);
+
+        builder.set(MIN_FREQ_HZ, String.valueOf(minFrequency.asHz()));
+        builder.set(MAX_FREQ_HZ, String.valueOf(maxFrequency.asHz()));
+        builder.set(GRID_HZ, String.valueOf(grid.asHz()));
+
+        long portSpeed = 0;
+        return new DefaultPortDescription(number, isEnabled, Port.Type.OMS, portSpeed, builder.build());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates OMS port description based on the supplied information.
+     *
+     * @param number        port number
+     * @param isEnabled     port enabled state
+     * @param minFrequency  minimum frequency
+     * @param maxFrequency  maximum frequency
+     * @param grid          grid spacing frequency
+     */
+    public static PortDescription omsPortDescription(PortNumber number,
+                                              boolean isEnabled,
+                                              Frequency minFrequency,
+                                              Frequency maxFrequency,
+                                              Frequency grid) {
+        return omsPortDescription(number, isEnabled, minFrequency, maxFrequency, grid, DefaultAnnotations.EMPTY);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates OMS port description based on the supplied information.
+     *
+     * @param base          PortDescription to get basic information from
+     * @param minFrequency  minimum frequency
+     * @param maxFrequency  maximum frequency
+     * @param grid          grid spacing frequency
+     * @param annotations   key/value annotations map
+     */
+    public static PortDescription omsPortDescription(PortDescription base,
+                                              Frequency minFrequency,
+                                              Frequency maxFrequency,
+                                              Frequency grid,
+                                              SparseAnnotations annotations) {
+
+        return omsPortDescription(base.portNumber(), base.isEnabled(),
+                                  minFrequency, maxFrequency, grid,
+                                  annotations);
+    }
+
+    public static Optional<OmsPort> asOmsPort(Port port) {
+        if (port instanceof OmsPort) {
+            return Optional.of((OmsPort) port);
+        }
+
+        try {
+            Annotations an = port.annotations();
+
+            Frequency minFrequency = Frequency.ofHz(Long.parseLong(an.value(MIN_FREQ_HZ)));
+            Frequency maxFrequency = Frequency.ofHz(Long.parseLong(an.value(MAX_FREQ_HZ)));
+            Frequency grid = Frequency.ofHz(Long.parseLong(an.value(GRID_HZ)));
+
+            return Optional.of(new DefaultOmsPort(port, minFrequency, maxFrequency, grid));
+
+        } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
+
+            log.warn("{} was not well-formed OMS port.", port, e);
+            return Optional.empty();
+        }
+    }
+
+    // not meant to be instantiated
+    private OmsPortHelper() {}
+}