diff --git a/util.hpp b/util.hpp
index 0ac3878..405e35c 100644
--- a/util.hpp
+++ b/util.hpp
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <fstream>
+#include <map>
 #include <optional>
 #include <string>
+#include <vector>
 
 namespace phosphor::logging::util
 {
@@ -23,4 +25,23 @@
  */
 void journalSync();
 
+namespace additional_data
+{
+/** @brief Pull out metadata name and value from the string
+ *         <metadata name>=<metadata value>
+ *  @param [in] data - metadata key=value entries
+ *  @return map of metadata name:value
+ */
+auto parse(const std::vector<std::string>& data)
+    -> std::map<std::string, std::string>;
+/** @brief Combine the metadata keys and values from the map
+ *         into a vector of strings that look like:
+ *            "<metadata name>=<metadata value>"
+ *  @param [in] data - metadata key:value map
+ *  @return vector of "key=value" strings
+ */
+auto combine(const std::map<std::string, std::string>& data)
+    -> std::vector<std::string>;
+} // namespace additional_data
+
 } // namespace phosphor::logging::util