diff --git a/ndn-cpp/common.h b/ndn-cpp/common.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e45f067
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ndn-cpp/common.h
@@ -0,0 +1,221 @@
+/* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil -*- */
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2013, Regents of the University of California
+ *                     Alexander Afanasyev
+ *                     Zhenkai Zhu
+ *
+ * BSD license, See the LICENSE file for more information
+ *
+ * Author: Zhenkai Zhu <zhenkai@cs.ucla.edu>
+ *         Alexander Afanasyev <alexander.afanasyev@ucla.edu>
+ */
+
+#ifndef NDN_COMMON_H
+#define NDN_COMMON_H
+
+#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
+#include <boost/make_shared.hpp>
+#include <boost/date_time/posix_time/posix_time_types.hpp>
+
+namespace ndn
+{
+template<class T>
+struct Ptr : public boost::shared_ptr<T>
+{
+  Ptr () { }
+  Ptr (boost::shared_ptr<T> ptr) : boost::shared_ptr<T>(ptr) { }
+  Ptr (T *ptr) :  boost::shared_ptr<T>(ptr) { }
+
+  template<class Y>
+  Ptr & operator = (boost::shared_ptr<Y> ptr)
+  {
+    boost::static_pointer_cast<T> (ptr).swap (*this);
+    // *this = boost::static_pointer_cast<T> (ptr);
+    return *this;
+  }
+
+  operator Ptr<const T> () const { return *this; }
+
+  static Ptr
+  Create () { return boost::make_shared<T> (); }
+};
+
+typedef boost::posix_time::ptime Time;
+typedef boost::posix_time::time_duration TimeInterval;
+
+namespace time
+{
+inline TimeInterval Seconds (int secs) { return boost::posix_time::seconds (secs); }
+inline TimeInterval Milliseconds (int msecs) { return boost::posix_time::milliseconds (msecs); }
+inline TimeInterval Microseconds (int musecs) { return boost::posix_time::microseconds (musecs); }
+
+inline TimeInterval Seconds (double fractionalSeconds)
+{
+  double seconds, microseconds;
+  seconds = std::modf (fractionalSeconds, &microseconds);
+  microseconds *= 1000000;
+
+  return time::Seconds((int)seconds) + time::Microseconds((int)microseconds);
+}
+
+inline Time Now () { return boost::posix_time::microsec_clock::universal_time (); }
+
+const Time UNIX_EPOCH_TIME = Time (boost::gregorian::date (1970, boost::gregorian::Jan, 1));
+inline TimeInterval NowUnixTimestamp ()
+{
+  return TimeInterval (time::Now () - UNIX_EPOCH_TIME);
+}
+} // time
+} // ndn
+
+
+extern "C" {
+#include <ccn/ccn.h>
+#include <ccn/charbuf.h>
+#include <ccn/keystore.h>
+#include <ccn/uri.h>
+#include <ccn/bloom.h>
+#include <ccn/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 ndn {
+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;
+
+} // ndn
+#endif // NDN_COMMON_H