diff --git a/lib/filesystem.py b/lib/filesystem.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a6af89ade5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/filesystem.py
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+# Copyright 2014, Rackspace US, Inc.
+#
+# 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.
+#
+# (c) 2014, Kevin Carter <kevin.carter@rackspace.com>
+# (c) 2015, Major Hayden <major@mhtx.net>
+#
+
+import json
+import os
+
+
+def _get_search_paths(preferred_path=None, suffix=None):
+    search_paths = [
+        os.path.join(
+            '/etc', 'openstack_deploy'
+        ),
+    ]
+    if preferred_path is not None:
+        search_paths.insert(0, os.path.expanduser(preferred_path))
+
+    if suffix:
+        search_paths = [os.path.join(p, suffix) for p in search_paths]
+
+    return search_paths
+
+
+def file_find(filename, preferred_path=None, pass_exception=False):
+    """Return the path to a file, or False if no file is found.
+
+    If no file is found and pass_exception is True, the system will exit.
+    The file lookup will be done in the following directories:
+      ``preferred_path`` [Optional]
+      /etc/openstack_deploy/
+      $(pwd)/openstack_deploy/
+
+    :param filename: ``str``  Name of the file to find
+    :param preferred_path: ``str`` Additional directory to look in FIRST
+    :param pass_exception: ``bool`` Should a SystemExit be raised if the file
+      is not found
+    """
+    search_paths = _get_search_paths(preferred_path, suffix=filename)
+
+    for file_candidate in search_paths:
+        if os.path.isfile(file_candidate):
+            return file_candidate
+    else:
+        if pass_exception is False:
+            raise SystemExit('No file found at: {}'.format(search_paths))
+        else:
+            return False
+
+
+def save_to_json(filename, dictionary):
+    """Write out the given dictionary
+
+    :param filename: ``str``  Name of the file to write to
+    :param dictionary: ``dict`` A dictionary to write
+    """
+    target_file = file_find(filename)
+    with open(target_file, 'wb') as f_handle:
+        inventory_json = json.dumps(dictionary, indent=2)
+        f_handle.write(inventory_json)
+
+
+def load_from_json(filename):
+    """Return a dictionary found in a given file
+
+    :param filename: ``str``  Name of the file to read from
+    """
+    target_file = file_find(filename)
+    with open(target_file, 'rb') as f_handle:
+        dictionary = json.loads(f_handle.read())
+
+    return dictionary
diff --git a/lib/manage.py b/lib/manage.py
index 6859c64a27..99261d30b3 100644
--- a/lib/manage.py
+++ b/lib/manage.py
@@ -20,43 +20,11 @@
 """Returns data about containers and groups in tabular formats."""
 import argparse
 import json
-import os
 import prettytable
 
 from dictutils import recursive_dict_removal
-
-
-def file_find(filename, user_file=None, pass_exception=False):
-    """Return the path to a file.
-
-    If no file is found the system will exit.
-    The file lookup will be done in the following directories:
-      /etc/openstack_deploy/
-      $(pwd)/openstack_deploy/
-
-    :param filename: ``str``  Name of the file to find
-    :param user_file: ``str`` Additional location to look in FIRST for a file
-    """
-    file_check = [
-        os.path.join(
-            '/etc', 'openstack_deploy', filename
-        ),
-        os.path.join(
-            os.getcwd(), filename
-        )
-    ]
-
-    if user_file is not None:
-        file_check.insert(0, os.path.expanduser(user_file))
-
-    for filename in file_check:
-        if os.path.isfile(filename):
-            return filename
-    else:
-        if pass_exception is False:
-            raise SystemExit('No file found at: {}'.format(file_check))
-        else:
-            return False
+from filesystem import load_from_json
+from filesystem import save_to_json
 
 
 def args():
@@ -338,10 +306,8 @@ def main():
     # Parse user args
     user_args = args()
 
-    # Get the contents of the system environment json
-    environment_file = file_find(filename=user_args['file'])
-    with open(environment_file, 'rb') as f_handle:
-        inventory = json.loads(f_handle.read())
+    # Get the contents of the system inventory
+    inventory = load_from_json(user_args['file'])
 
     # Make a table with hosts in the left column and details about each in the
     # columns to the right
@@ -359,15 +325,12 @@ def main():
         print(json.dumps(export_host_info(inventory), indent=2))
     elif user_args['clear_ips'] is True:
         remove_ip_addresses(inventory)
-        with open(environment_file, 'wb') as f_handle:
-            f_handle.write(json.dumps(inventory, indent=2))
+        save_to_json(user_args['file'], inventory)
         print('Success. . .')
     else:
         recursive_dict_removal(inventory, user_args['remove_item'])
-        with open(environment_file, 'wb') as f_handle:
-            f_handle.write(json.dumps(inventory, indent=2))
+        save_to_json(user_args['file'], inventory)
         print('Success. . .')
 
-
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()