diff --git a/asterix-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/common/transactions/LogUtil.java b/asterix-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/common/transactions/LogUtil.java
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+++ b/asterix-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/common/transactions/LogUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2009-2013 by The Regents of the University of California
+ * 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 from
+ * 
+ *     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.
+ */
+package edu.uci.ics.asterix.common.transactions;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.FilenameFilter;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.Comparator;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.logging.Level;
+import java.util.logging.Logger;
+
+import edu.uci.ics.asterix.common.exceptions.ACIDException;
+
+/**
+ * A utility class providing helper methods for the {@link ILogManager}
+ */
+public class LogUtil {
+
+    private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(LogUtil.class.getName());
+
+    // read the log directory and initialize log anchor to point to the
+    // current log partition file and the offset where the log manager shall
+    // continue to insert log records.
+
+    public static PhysicalLogLocator initializeLogAnchor(ILogManager logManager) throws ACIDException {
+        int fileId = 0;
+        long offset = 0;
+        LogManagerProperties logManagerProperties = logManager.getLogManagerProperties();
+        File logDir = new File(logManagerProperties.getLogDir());
+        try {
+            if (logDir.exists()) {
+                List<String> logFiles = getLogFiles(logManagerProperties);
+                if (logFiles == null || logFiles.size() == 0) {
+                    FileUtil.createFileIfNotExists(getLogFilePath(logManagerProperties, 0));
+                    if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
+                        LOGGER.info("created a log file: " + getLogFilePath(logManagerProperties, 0));
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    File logFile = new File(LogUtil.getLogFilePath(logManagerProperties,
+                            Long.parseLong(logFiles.get(logFiles.size() - 1))));
+                    fileId = logFiles.size() - 1;
+                    offset = logFile.length();
+                }
+            } else {
+                FileUtil.createNewDirectory(logManagerProperties.getLogDir());
+                if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
+                    LOGGER.info("created the log directory: " + logManagerProperties.getLogDir());
+                }
+                FileUtil.createFileIfNotExists(getLogFilePath(logManagerProperties, 0));
+                if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
+                    LOGGER.info("created a log file: " + getLogFilePath(logManagerProperties, 0));
+                }
+            }
+        } catch (IOException ioe) {
+            throw new ACIDException("Unable to initialize log anchor", ioe);
+        }
+        if (LOGGER.isLoggable(Level.INFO)) {
+            LOGGER.info(" file id :" + fileId + " offset " + offset);
+        }
+        return new PhysicalLogLocator(fileId, offset, logManager);
+    }
+
+    public static List<String> getLogFiles(final LogManagerProperties logManagerProperties) {
+        File logDir = new File(logManagerProperties.getLogDir());
+        String[] logFiles = new String[0];
+        List<String> logFileCollection = new ArrayList<String>();
+        if (logDir.exists()) {
+            logFiles = logDir.list(new FilenameFilter() {
+                public boolean accept(File dir, String name) {
+                    if (name.startsWith(logManagerProperties.getLogFilePrefix())) {
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                    return false;
+                }
+            });
+        }
+        for (String logFile : logFiles) {
+            logFileCollection.add(logFile.substring(logManagerProperties.getLogFilePrefix().length() + 1));
+        }
+        Collections.sort(logFileCollection, new Comparator<String>() {
+            @Override
+            public int compare(String arg0, String arg1) {
+                return Integer.parseInt(arg0) - Integer.parseInt(arg1);
+            }
+        });
+        return logFileCollection;
+    }
+
+    public static long getFileId(String logFilePath, LogManagerProperties logManagerProperties) {
+        String logFileName = logFilePath;
+        if (logFilePath.contains(File.separator)) {
+            logFileName = logFilePath.substring(logFilePath.lastIndexOf(File.separator));
+        }
+        return Long.parseLong(logFileName.substring(logFileName.indexOf(logManagerProperties.getLogFilePrefix())));
+    }
+
+    public static String getLogFilePath(LogManagerProperties logManagerProperties, long fileId) {
+        return logManagerProperties.getLogDir() + File.separator + logManagerProperties.getLogFilePrefix() + "_"
+                + fileId;
+    }
+
+    public static LogicalLogLocator getDummyLogicalLogLocator(ILogManager logManager) {
+        LogicalLogLocator logicalLogLocator = new LogicalLogLocator(-1, null, -1, logManager);
+        return logicalLogLocator;
+    }
+
+    /*
+     * given a lsn, get the offset within the log file where the corresponding
+     * log record is (to be) placed.
+     */
+    public static long getFileOffset(ILogManager logManager, long lsn) {
+        return lsn % logManager.getLogManagerProperties().getLogPartitionSize();
+    }
+
+    /*
+     * given a lsn, get the file id that contains the log record.
+     */
+    public static long getFileId(ILogManager logManager, long lsn) {
+        return lsn / logManager.getLogManagerProperties().getLogPartitionSize();
+    }
+}
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