diff --git a/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/Match.java b/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/Match.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..295e558
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/Match.java
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+/*
+ * 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.onlab.util;
+
+import static com.google.common.base.MoreObjects.toStringHelper;
+
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.function.Function;
+
+/**
+ * Utility class for checking matching values.
+ *
+ * @param <T> type of value
+ */
+public final class Match<T> {
+
+    public static final Match ANY = new Match<>();
+    public static final Match NULL = new Match<>(null, false);
+    public static final Match NOT_NULL = new Match<>(null, true);
+
+    private final boolean matchAny;
+    private final T value;
+    private final boolean negation;
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a Match that matches any value including null.
+     * @param <T> match type
+     * @return new instance
+     */
+    public static <T> Match<T> any() {
+        return ANY;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a Match that matches null values.
+     * @param <T> match type
+     * @return new instance
+     */
+    public static <T> Match<T> ifNull() {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a Match that matches all non-null values.
+     * @param <T> match type
+     * @return new instance
+     */
+    public static <T> Match<T> ifNotNull() {
+        return NOT_NULL;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a Match that only matches the specified value.
+     * @param value value to match
+     * @param <T> match type
+     * @return new instance
+     */
+    public static <T> Match<T> ifValue(T value) {
+        return new Match<>(value, false);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a Match that matches any value except the specified value.
+     * @param value value to not match
+     * @param <T> match type
+     * @return new instance
+     */
+    public static <T> Match<T> ifNotValue(T value) {
+        return new Match<>(value, true);
+    }
+
+    private Match() {
+        matchAny = true;
+        negation = false;
+        value = null;
+    }
+
+    private Match(T value, boolean negation) {
+        matchAny = false;
+        this.value = value;
+        this.negation = negation;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Maps this instance to a Match of another type.
+     * @param mapper transformation function
+     * @param <V> new match type
+     * @return new instance
+     */
+    public <V> Match<V> map(Function<T, V> mapper) {
+        if (matchAny) {
+            return any();
+        } else if (value == null) {
+            return negation ? ifNotNull() : ifNull();
+        } else {
+            return negation ? ifNotValue(mapper.apply(value)) : ifValue(mapper.apply(value));
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Checks if this instance matches specified value.
+     * @param other other value
+     * @return true if matches; false otherwise
+     */
+    public boolean matches(T other) {
+        if (matchAny) {
+            return true;
+        } else if (other == null) {
+            return negation ? value != null : value == null;
+        } else {
+            if (value instanceof byte[]) {
+                boolean equal = Arrays.equals((byte[]) value, (byte[]) other);
+                return negation ? !equal : equal;
+            }
+            return negation ? !Objects.equals(value, other) : Objects.equals(value, other);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public int hashCode() {
+        return Objects.hash(matchAny, value, negation);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean equals(Object other) {
+        if (!(other instanceof Match)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        Match<T> that = (Match<T>) other;
+        return Objects.equals(this.matchAny, that.matchAny) &&
+               Objects.equals(this.value, that.value) &&
+               Objects.equals(this.negation, that.negation);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public String toString() {
+        return toStringHelper(this)
+                .add("matchAny", matchAny)
+                .add("negation", negation)
+                .add("value", value)
+                .toString();
+    }
+}
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 ffefbfd..296e14b 100644
--- a/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/Tools.java
+++ b/utils/misc/src/main/java/org/onlab/util/Tools.java
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
 
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Charsets;
 import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import com.google.common.primitives.UnsignedLongs;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ThreadFactoryBuilder;
@@ -210,6 +211,20 @@
     }
 
     /**
+     * Returns the UTF-8 encoded byte[] representation of a String.
+     */
+    public static byte[] getBytesUtf8(String input) {
+        return input.getBytes(Charsets.UTF_8);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the String representation of UTF-8 encoded byte[].
+     */
+    public static String toStringUtf8(byte[] input) {
+        return new String(input, Charsets.UTF_8);
+    }
+
+    /**
      * Returns a copy of the input byte array.
      *
      * @param original input
diff --git a/utils/misc/src/test/java/org/onlab/util/MatchTest.java b/utils/misc/src/test/java/org/onlab/util/MatchTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0b1b78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/misc/src/test/java/org/onlab/util/MatchTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+/*
+ * 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.onlab.util;
+
+import static junit.framework.TestCase.assertEquals;
+import static junit.framework.TestCase.assertFalse;
+import static junit.framework.TestCase.assertTrue;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import com.google.common.base.Objects;
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests for Match.
+ */
+public class MatchTest {
+
+    @Test
+    public void testMatches() {
+        Match<String> m1 = Match.any();
+        assertTrue(m1.matches(null));
+        assertTrue(m1.matches("foo"));
+        assertTrue(m1.matches("bar"));
+
+        Match<String> m2 = Match.ifNull();
+        assertTrue(m2.matches(null));
+        assertFalse(m2.matches("foo"));
+
+        Match<String> m3 = Match.ifValue("foo");
+        assertFalse(m3.matches(null));
+        assertFalse(m3.matches("bar"));
+        assertTrue(m3.matches("foo"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testEquals() {
+        Match<String> m1 = Match.any();
+        Match<String> m2 = Match.any();
+        Match<String> m3 = Match.ifNull();
+        Match<String> m4 = Match.ifValue("bar");
+        assertEquals(m1, m2);
+        assertFalse(Objects.equal(m1, m3));
+        assertFalse(Objects.equal(m3, m4));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testMap() {
+        Match<String> m1 = Match.ifNull();
+        assertEquals(m1.map(s -> "bar"), Match.ifNull());
+        Match<String> m2 = Match.ifValue("foo");
+        Match<String> m3 = m2.map(s -> "bar");
+        assertTrue(m3.matches("bar"));
+    }
+}