--- a
+++ b/src/main/java/net/timbusproject/dpes/alternative/kb/SerialisationUtils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2013/2014 Verein zur Foerderung der IT-Sicherheit in Oesterreich (SBA).
+ * The work has been developed in the TIMBUS Project and the above-mentioned are Members of the TIMBUS Consortium.
+ * TIMBUS is supported by the European Union under the 7th Framework Programme for research and technological
+ * development and demonstration activities (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 269940.
+ *
+ * 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, including without
+ * limitation, any warranties or conditions of TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTIBITLY, or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+ * PURPOSE. In no event and under no legal theory, whether in tort (including negligence), contract, or otherwise,
+ * unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, shall any Contributor be liable for damages, including
+ * any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages of any character arising as a result of this
+ * License or out of the use or inability to use the Work.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitation under the License.
+ */
+package net.timbusproject.dpes.alternative.kb;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.FileInputStream;
+import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
+import java.io.FileOutputStream;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.io.ObjectOutputStream;
+import java.io.PrintWriter;
+import java.io.StringWriter;
+import java.util.SortedMap;
+import java.util.zip.GZIPInputStream;
+import java.util.zip.GZIPOutputStream;
+
+import org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils;
+
+import com.thoughtworks.xstream.XStream;
+import com.thoughtworks.xstream.io.json.JettisonMappedXmlDriver;
+
+/**
+ * @author Rudolf Mayer
+ */
+public class SerialisationUtils {
+
+    private static final XStream xStreamXML = new XStream(); // new XStream(new StaxDriver());
+
+    private static final XStream xstreamJSON = new XStream(new JettisonMappedXmlDriver());
+
+    public static PrintWriter getPrintWriter(boolean gzip, final File file) throws IOException, FileNotFoundException {
+        if (gzip) {
+            return new PrintWriter(new GZIPOutputStream(new FileOutputStream(file)));
+        } else {
+            return new PrintWriter(file);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static InputStream getInputStream(String fileName) throws IOException, FileNotFoundException {
+        if (fileName.endsWith(".gz")) {
+            return new GZIPInputStream(new FileInputStream(fileName));
+        } else {
+            return new FileInputStream(fileName);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static String inputStreamToString(Process process) throws IOException {
+        StringWriter writer = new StringWriter();
+        IOUtils.copy(process.getInputStream(), writer);
+        return writer.toString();
+    }
+
+    public static File writeAsBinary(SortedMap<String, Package> allPackages, final String fileName) throws IOException,
+            FileNotFoundException {
+        final File file = new File(fileName + ".bin");
+        ObjectOutputStream os = new ObjectOutputStream(new FileOutputStream(file));
+        os.writeObject(allPackages);
+        os.close();
+        return file;
+    }
+
+    public static File writeAsXML(Object data, String path, String fileName, boolean gzip) throws IOException {
+        String xml = convertToXML(data);
+        final File file = new File(path + fileName + ".xml" + (gzip ? ".gz" : ""));
+        writeString(gzip, xml, file);
+        return file;
+    }
+
+    public static String convertToXML(Object data) {
+        return xStreamXML.toXML(data);
+    }
+
+    public static Object readFromXMLFile(String providersFileName) throws FileNotFoundException, IOException {
+        return xStreamXML.fromXML(getInputStream(providersFileName));
+    }
+
+    public static Object readFromJSONFile(String providersFileName) throws FileNotFoundException, IOException {
+        return xstreamJSON.fromXML(getInputStream(providersFileName));
+    }
+
+    public static File writeAsJSON(Object data, String path, String fileName, boolean gzip) throws IOException {
+        String json = xstreamJSON.toXML(data);
+        final File file = new File(path + fileName + ".json" + (gzip ? ".gz" : ""));
+        writeString(gzip, json, file);
+        return file;
+    }
+
+    public static void writeString(boolean gzip, String json, final File file) throws IOException,
+            FileNotFoundException {
+        PrintWriter pw = getPrintWriter(gzip, file);
+        pw.println(json);
+        pw.close();
+    }
+
+}