diff --git a/oslo_utils/specs_matcher.py b/oslo_utils/specs_matcher.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..01486f2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/oslo_utils/specs_matcher.py
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2011 OpenStack Foundation
+# All Rights Reserved.
+#
+#    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.
+
+import operator
+
+# 1. The following operations are supported:
+#   =, s==, s!=, s>=, s>, s<=, s<, <in>, <all-in>, <or>, ==, !=, >=, <=
+# 2. Note that <or> is handled in a different way below.
+# 3. If the first word in the extra_specs is not one of the operators,
+#   it is ignored.
+op_methods = {
+    '=': lambda x, y: float(x) >= float(y),
+    '<in>': lambda x, y: y in x,
+    '<all-in>': lambda x, y: all(val in x for val in y),
+    '==': lambda x, y: float(x) == float(y),
+    '!=': lambda x, y: float(x) != float(y),
+    '>=': lambda x, y: float(x) >= float(y),
+    '<=': lambda x, y: float(x) <= float(y),
+    's==': operator.eq,
+    's!=': operator.ne,
+    's<': operator.lt,
+    's<=': operator.le,
+    's>': operator.gt,
+    's>=': operator.ge
+}
+
+
+def match(value, req):
+    words = req.split()
+
+    op = method = None
+    if words:
+        op = words.pop(0)
+        method = op_methods.get(op)
+
+    if op != '<or>' and not method:
+        return value == req
+
+    if value is None:
+        return False
+
+    if op == '<or>':  # Ex: <or> v1 <or> v2 <or> v3
+        while True:
+            if words.pop(0) == value:
+                return True
+            if not words:
+                break
+            words.pop(0)  # remove a keyword <or>
+            if not words:
+                break
+        return False
+
+    if words:
+        if op == '<all-in>':  # requires a list not a string
+            return method(value, words)
+        return method(value, words[0])
+    return False
diff --git a/oslo_utils/tests/test_specs_matcher.py b/oslo_utils/tests/test_specs_matcher.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7f99f0ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/oslo_utils/tests/test_specs_matcher.py
@@ -0,0 +1,236 @@
+#    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.
+
+from oslotest import base as test_base
+
+from oslo_utils import specs_matcher
+
+
+class SpecsMatcherTestCase(test_base.BaseTestCase):
+    def _do_specs_matcher_test(self, value, req, matches):
+        assertion = self.assertTrue if matches else self.assertFalse
+        assertion(specs_matcher.match(value, req))
+
+    def test_specs_matches_simple(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='1',
+            req='1',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_simple(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='',
+            req='1',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_simple2(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='3',
+            req='1',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_simple3(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='222',
+            req='2',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_bogus_ops(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='4',
+            req='> 2',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_matches_with_op_eq(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='123',
+            req='= 123',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_matches_with_op_eq2(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='124',
+            req='= 123',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_eq(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='34',
+            req='= 234',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_eq3(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='34',
+            req='=',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_matches_with_op_seq(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='123',
+            req='s== 123',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_seq(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='1234',
+            req='s== 123',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_matches_with_op_sneq(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='1234',
+            req='s!= 123',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_sneq(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='123',
+            req='s!= 123',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_sge(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='1000',
+            req='s>= 234',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_sle(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='1234',
+            req='s<= 1000',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_sl(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='2',
+            req='s< 12',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_sg(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='12',
+            req='s> 2',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_matches_with_op_in(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='12311321',
+            req='<in> 11',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_matches_with_op_in2(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='12311321',
+            req='<in> 12311321',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_matches_with_op_in3(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='12311321',
+            req='<in> 12311321 <in>',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_in(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='12310321',
+            req='<in> 11',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_in2(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='12310321',
+            req='<in> 11 <in>',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_matches_with_op_or(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='12',
+            req='<or> 11 <or> 12',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_matches_with_op_or2(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='12',
+            req='<or> 11 <or> 12 <or>',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_or(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='13',
+            req='<or> 11 <or> 12',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_or2(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='13',
+            req='<or> 11 <or> 12 <or>',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_matches_with_op_le(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='2',
+            req='<= 10',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_le(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='3',
+            req='<= 2',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_matches_with_op_ge(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='3',
+            req='>= 1',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_ge(self):
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value='2',
+            req='>= 3',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_matches_all_with_op_allin(self):
+        values = ['aes', 'mmx', 'aux']
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value=str(values),
+            req='<all-in> aes mmx',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_matches_one_with_op_allin(self):
+        values = ['aes', 'mmx', 'aux']
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value=str(values),
+            req='<all-in> mmx',
+            matches=True)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_with_op_allin(self):
+        values = ['aes', 'mmx', 'aux']
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value=str(values),
+            req='<all-in>  txt',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_all_with_op_allin(self):
+        values = ['aes', 'mmx', 'aux']
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value=str(values),
+            req='<all-in> txt 3dnow',
+            matches=False)
+
+    def test_specs_fails_match_one_with_op_allin(self):
+        values = ['aes', 'mmx', 'aux']
+        self._do_specs_matcher_test(
+            value=str(values),
+            req='<all-in> txt aes',
+            matches=False)