diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/test/InterfaceForRMIChecker.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/test/InterfaceForRMIChecker.java
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index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..738fc451363c221b83490705f14070c875cdaaac
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+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/test/InterfaceForRMIChecker.java
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2007 ETH Zuerich, CISD
+ *
+ * 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.
+ */
+
+package ch.systemsx.cisd.common.test;
+
+import java.io.Serializable;
+import java.lang.reflect.Field;
+import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+import java.lang.reflect.Modifier;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.Set;
+
+/**
+ * Helper class for checking an interface or a class to be ready for RMI. 
+ *
+ * @author Franz-Josef Elmer
+ */
+public class InterfaceForRMIChecker
+{
+    /**
+     * Asserts that the specified interface is ready for RMI. That is, for all methods
+     * the parameter types and the return type is {@link Serializable}.
+     * 
+     * @throws AssertionError if <code>interfaze</code> is not an interface or a parameter type or
+     *          a return value is not serializable.
+     */
+    public static void assertInterfaceForRMI(Class interfaze)
+    {
+        assert interfaze != null : "Unspecified interface.";
+        assert interfaze.isInterface() : "Not an interface " + interfaze;
+        
+        Set<Class> visitedClasses = new HashSet<Class>();
+        Method[] methods = interfaze.getMethods();
+        for (Method method : methods)
+        {
+            assertMethodForRMI(method, visitedClasses);
+        }
+    }
+    
+    private static void assertMethodForRMI(Method method, Set<Class> visitedClasses)
+    {
+        Class<?>[] parameterTypes = method.getParameterTypes();
+        for (Class<?> parameterType : parameterTypes)
+        {
+            assertSerializable(parameterType, visitedClasses);
+        }
+        Class<?> returnType = method.getReturnType();
+        if (Void.class.isAssignableFrom(returnType) == false)
+        {
+            assertSerializable(returnType, visitedClasses);
+        }
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Asserts that the specified class is serializable.
+     * 
+     * @throws AssertionError if <code>clazz</code> is not serializable or a non-transient non-static
+     *          attribute isn't serializable.
+     */
+    public static void assertSerializable(Class clazz)
+    {
+        assertSerializable(clazz, new HashSet<Class>());
+    }
+
+    private static void assertSerializable(Class clazz, Set<Class> visitedClasses)
+    {
+        assert clazz != null : "Unspecified class.";
+        if (clazz.isPrimitive() || visitedClasses.contains(clazz))
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+        visitedClasses.add(clazz);
+        if (clazz.isArray())
+        {
+            assertSerializable(clazz.getComponentType(), visitedClasses);
+        } else
+        {
+            assert Serializable.class.isAssignableFrom(clazz) : clazz + " does not implements java.io.Serializable";
+            Field[] fields = clazz.getDeclaredFields();
+            for (Field field : fields)
+            {
+                int modifiers = field.getModifiers();
+                boolean isNative = Modifier.isNative(modifiers);
+                boolean isStatic = Modifier.isStatic(modifiers);
+                boolean isTransient = Modifier.isTransient(modifiers);
+                if (isNative == false && isStatic == false && isTransient == false)
+                {
+                    assertSerializable(field.getType(), visitedClasses);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}