diff --git a/tests/manager-common-fixture.hpp b/tests/manager-common-fixture.hpp
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+/* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2016,  Regents of the University of California,
+ *                           Arizona Board of Regents,
+ *                           Colorado State University,
+ *                           University Pierre & Marie Curie, Sorbonne University,
+ *                           Washington University in St. Louis,
+ *                           Beijing Institute of Technology,
+ *                           The University of Memphis.
+ *
+ * This file is part of NFD (Named Data Networking Forwarding Daemon).
+ * See AUTHORS.md for complete list of NFD authors and contributors.
+ *
+ * NFD is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms
+ * of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation,
+ * either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * NFD 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
+ * NFD, e.g., in COPYING.md file.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#ifndef NFD_TESTS_MANAGER_COMMON_FIXTURE_HPP
+#define NFD_TESTS_MANAGER_COMMON_FIXTURE_HPP
+
+#include "tests/test-common.hpp"
+#include "tests/identity-management-fixture.hpp"
+#include "core/manager-base.hpp"
+
+#include <ndn-cxx/mgmt/dispatcher.hpp>
+#include <ndn-cxx/util/dummy-client-face.hpp>
+
+namespace nfd {
+namespace tests {
+
+/**
+ * @brief a collection of common functions shared by all manager's testing fixtures.
+ */
+class ManagerCommonFixture : public UnitTestTimeFixture
+                           , public IdentityManagementFixture
+{
+public: // initialize
+  ManagerCommonFixture();
+
+  /**
+   * @brief set topPrefix to the dispatcher.
+   *
+   * after setting @param topPrefix, call advanceClocks to ensure all added filters take effects.
+   *
+   * @param topPrefix top prefix for the dispatcher
+   */
+  void
+  setTopPrefix(const Name& topPrefix);
+
+public: // test
+  typedef std::function<void(shared_ptr<Interest> interest)> InterestHandler;
+
+  /**
+   * @brief create a ControlCommand request
+   *
+   * step1: append the @param parameters to the @param commandName and make an Interest.
+   * step2: call @param beforeSinging to do something with the Interest.
+   * step3: sign the generated command
+   *
+   * @param commandName the command name
+   * @param parameters the ControlParameters
+   * @param beforeSigning a callback that can modify the Interest before it's signed
+   *
+   * @return the signed ControlCommand request
+   */
+  shared_ptr<Interest>
+  makeControlCommandRequest(Name commandName,
+                            const ControlParameters& parameters,
+                            const InterestHandler& beforeSigning = nullptr);
+
+  /**
+   * @brief cause management to receive an Interest
+   *
+   * call DummyClientFace::receive to receive Interest and then call advanceClocks to ensure
+   * the Interest dispatched
+   *
+   * @param interest the Interest to receive
+   */
+  void
+  receiveInterest(shared_ptr<Interest> interest);
+
+public: // verify
+  ControlResponse
+  makeResponse(uint32_t code, const std::string& text,
+               const ControlParameters& parameters);
+
+  enum class CheckResponseResult
+  {
+    OK,
+    OUT_OF_BOUNDARY,
+    WRONG_NAME,
+    WRONG_CONTENT_TYPE,
+    INVALID_RESPONSE,
+    WRONG_CODE,
+    WRONG_TEXT,
+    WRONG_BODY_SIZE,
+    WRONG_BODY_VALUE
+  };
+
+  /**
+   * @brief check a specified response data with the expected ControlResponse
+   *
+   * @param idx the index of the specified Data in m_responses
+   * @param expectedDataName the expected name of this Data
+   * @param expectedResponse the expected ControlResponse
+   * @param expectedContentType the expected content type of this Data, use -1 to skip this check
+   *
+   * @retval OK the response at the specified index can be decoded from the response data,
+   *            and its code, text and response body are all matched with the expected response
+   * @retval OUT_OF_BOUNDARY the specified index out of boundary
+   * @retval WRONG_NAME the name of the specified response data does not match
+   * @retval WRONG_CONTENT_TYPE the content type of the specified response data does not match
+   * @retval INVALID_RESPONSE the data name matches but it fails in decoding a ControlResponse from
+   *                          the content of the specified response data
+   * @retval WRONG_CODE a valid ControlResponse can be decoded but has a wrong code
+   * @retval WRONG_TEXT a valid ControlResponse can be decoded but has a wrong text
+   * @retval WRONG_BODY_SIZE the body size of decoded ControlResponse does not match
+   * @retval WRONT_BODY_VALUE the body value of decoded ControlResponse does not match
+   */
+  CheckResponseResult
+  checkResponse(size_t idx,
+                const Name& expectedName,
+                const ControlResponse& expectedResponse,
+                int expectedContentType = -1);
+
+  /**
+   * @brief concatenate specified response Data into a single block
+   *
+   * @param startIndex the start index in m_responses
+   * @param nResponses the number of response to concatenate
+   *
+   * @return the generated block
+   */
+  Block
+  concatenateResponses(size_t startIndex = 0, size_t nResponses = 0);
+
+protected:
+  shared_ptr<ndn::util::DummyClientFace> m_face;
+  ndn::mgmt::Dispatcher                  m_dispatcher;
+  std::vector<Data>&                     m_responses; // a reference of m_face->sentDatas
+  Name                                   m_identityName; // the identity used to sign request
+  shared_ptr<ndn::IdentityCertificate>   m_certificate; // the certificate used to sign request
+};
+
+std::ostream&
+operator<<(std::ostream &os, const ManagerCommonFixture::CheckResponseResult& result);
+
+} // namespace tests
+} // namespace nfd
+
+#endif // NFD_TESTS_MANAGER_COMMON_FIXTURE_HPP