diff --git a/ndnx/ndnx-common.h b/ndnx/ndnx-common.h
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+++ b/ndnx/ndnx-common.h
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+/* -*- Mode: C++; c-file-style: "gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2012 University of California, Los Angeles
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation;
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+ *
+ * Author: Zhenkai Zhu <zhenkai@cs.ucla.edu>
+ *	   Alexander Afanasyev <alexander.afanasyev@ucla.edu>
+ */
+
+#ifndef NDNX_COMMON_H
+#define NDNX_COMMON_H
+
+extern "C" {
+#include <ndn/ndn.h>
+#include <ndn/charbuf.h>
+#include <ndn/keystore.h>
+#include <ndn/uri.h>
+#include <ndn/bloom.h>
+#include <ndn/signing.h>
+}
+#include <vector>
+#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
+#include <boost/exception/all.hpp>
+#include <boost/function.hpp>
+#include <string>
+#include <sstream>
+#include <map>
+#include <utility>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <boost/iostreams/filter/gzip.hpp>
+#include <boost/iostreams/filtering_stream.hpp>
+#include <boost/iostreams/device/back_inserter.hpp>
+#include <boost/range/iterator_range.hpp>
+#include <boost/make_shared.hpp>
+
+namespace io = boost::iostreams;
+
+namespace Ndnx {
+typedef std::vector<unsigned char> Bytes;
+typedef std::vector<std::string>Comps;
+
+typedef boost::shared_ptr<Bytes> BytesPtr;
+
+inline
+const unsigned char *
+head(const Bytes &bytes)
+{
+  return &bytes[0];
+}
+
+inline
+unsigned char *
+head (Bytes &bytes)
+{
+  return &bytes[0];
+}
+
+// --- Bytes operations start ---
+inline void
+readRaw(Bytes &bytes, const unsigned char *src, size_t len)
+{
+  if (len > 0)
+  {
+    bytes.resize(len);
+    memcpy (head (bytes), src, len);
+  }
+}
+
+inline BytesPtr
+readRawPtr (const unsigned char *src, size_t len)
+{
+  if (len > 0)
+    {
+      BytesPtr ret (new Bytes (len));
+      memcpy (head (*ret), src, len);
+
+      return ret;
+    }
+  else
+    return BytesPtr ();
+}
+
+template<class Msg>
+BytesPtr
+serializeMsg(const Msg &msg)
+{
+  int size = msg.ByteSize ();
+  BytesPtr bytes (new Bytes (size));
+  msg.SerializeToArray (head(*bytes), size);
+  return bytes;
+}
+
+template<class Msg>
+boost::shared_ptr<Msg>
+deserializeMsg (const Bytes &bytes)
+{
+  boost::shared_ptr<Msg> retval (new Msg ());
+  if (!retval->ParseFromArray (head (bytes), bytes.size ()))
+    {
+      // to indicate an error
+      return boost::shared_ptr<Msg> ();
+    }
+  return retval;
+}
+
+template<class Msg>
+boost::shared_ptr<Msg>
+deserializeMsg (const void *buf, size_t length)
+{
+  boost::shared_ptr<Msg> retval (new Msg ());
+  if (!retval->ParseFromArray (buf, length))
+    {
+      // to indicate an error
+      return boost::shared_ptr<Msg> ();
+    }
+  return retval;
+}
+
+
+template<class Msg>
+BytesPtr
+serializeGZipMsg(const Msg &msg)
+{
+  std::vector<char> bytes;   // Bytes couldn't work
+  {
+    boost::iostreams::filtering_ostream out;
+    out.push(boost::iostreams::gzip_compressor()); // gzip filter
+    out.push(boost::iostreams::back_inserter(bytes)); // back_inserter sink
+
+    msg.SerializeToOstream(&out);
+  }
+  BytesPtr uBytes = boost::make_shared<Bytes>(bytes.size());
+  memcpy(&(*uBytes)[0], &bytes[0], bytes.size());
+  return uBytes;
+}
+
+template<class Msg>
+boost::shared_ptr<Msg>
+deserializeGZipMsg(const Bytes &bytes)
+{
+  std::vector<char> sBytes(bytes.size());
+  memcpy(&sBytes[0], &bytes[0], bytes.size());
+  boost::iostreams::filtering_istream in;
+  in.push(boost::iostreams::gzip_decompressor()); // gzip filter
+  in.push(boost::make_iterator_range(sBytes)); // source
+
+  boost::shared_ptr<Msg> retval = boost::make_shared<Msg>();
+  if (!retval->ParseFromIstream(&in))
+    {
+      // to indicate an error
+      return boost::shared_ptr<Msg> ();
+    }
+
+  return retval;
+}
+
+
+// --- Bytes operations end ---
+
+// Exceptions
+typedef boost::error_info<struct tag_errmsg, std::string> error_info_str;
+
+} // Ndnx
+#endif // NDNX_COMMON_H