diff --git a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/device/impl/BasicElementOperator.java b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/device/impl/BasicElementOperator.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9177f51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/device/impl/BasicElementOperator.java
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+/*
+ * 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.device.impl;
+
+import org.onosproject.net.AnnotationKeys;
+import org.onosproject.net.DefaultAnnotations;
+import org.onosproject.net.config.ConfigOperator;
+import org.onosproject.net.config.basics.BasicElementConfig;
+
+/**
+ * Abstract base implementation for element operators.
+ */
+public abstract class BasicElementOperator implements ConfigOperator {
+
+    /**
+     * Sets all defined values from the element config on the supplied
+     * annotations builder.
+     *
+     * @param cfg     element configuration
+     * @param builder annotations builder
+     */
+    protected static void combineElementAnnotations(BasicElementConfig cfg,
+                                                    DefaultAnnotations.Builder builder) {
+
+        if (cfg.name() != null) {
+            builder.set(AnnotationKeys.NAME, cfg.name());
+        }
+        if (cfg.uiType() != null) {
+            builder.set(AnnotationKeys.UI_TYPE, cfg.uiType());
+        }
+
+        if (cfg.locType() != null) {
+            builder.set(AnnotationKeys.LOC_TYPE, cfg.locType());
+        }
+        if (cfg.geoCoordsSet()) {
+            builder.set(AnnotationKeys.LATITUDE, Double.toString(cfg.latitude()));
+            builder.set(AnnotationKeys.LONGITUDE, Double.toString(cfg.longitude()));
+        } else if (cfg.gridCoordsSet()) {
+            builder.set(AnnotationKeys.GRID_Y, Double.toString(cfg.gridY()));
+            builder.set(AnnotationKeys.GRID_X, Double.toString(cfg.gridX()));
+        }
+
+        if (cfg.rackAddress() != null) {
+            builder.set(AnnotationKeys.RACK_ADDRESS, cfg.rackAddress());
+        }
+        if (cfg.owner() != null) {
+            builder.set(AnnotationKeys.OWNER, cfg.owner());
+        }
+    }
+}