diff --git a/src/common/util/byte_serdes.h b/src/common/util/byte_serdes.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00ea91f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/util/byte_serdes.h
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+#ifndef COMMON_UTIL_BYTE_SERDES_H_
+#define COMMON_UTIL_BYTE_SERDES_H_
+
+#include "common/util/byte_stream.h"
+
+#include <assert.h>
+
+HEADER_FN void
+byteser_bytes_lcrop(AbstractOutputByteStream *stream, ByteSlice bytes, size_t size, uint8_t pad_value)
+{
+	ByteSlice pad_slc = VAR_BYTE_SLICE_CONST(pad_value);
+	while (size > bytes.length) {
+		byte_stream_write(stream, pad_slc);
+		--size;
+	}
+	byte_slice_advance_inplace(&bytes, bytes.length - size);
+	if (bytes.data && bytes.length) {
+		byte_stream_write(stream, bytes);
+	}
+}
+
+HEADER_FN void
+byteser_net_integral_signed(AbstractOutputByteStream *stream, intmax_t value, size_t size)
+{
+	int8_t buf[sizeof(value)];
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(buf); ++i) {
+		buf[size - i - 1] = value & 0xFF;
+		value >>= 8;
+	}
+	byteser_bytes_lcrop(stream, VAR_BYTE_SLICE_CONST(buf), size, value < 0 ? -1 : 0);
+}
+
+HEADER_FN void
+byteser_net_integral_unsigned(AbstractOutputByteStream *stream, uintmax_t value, size_t size)
+{
+	uint8_t buf[sizeof(value)];
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(buf); ++i) {
+		buf[size - i - 1] = value & 0xFF;
+		value >>= 8;
+	}
+	byteser_bytes_lcrop(stream, VAR_BYTE_SLICE_CONST(buf), size, 0);
+}
+
+// TODO finish deserialization
+HEADER_FN bool
+bytedeser_net_integral_signed(AbstractInputByteStream *stream, intmax_t *value_ptr, size_t size)
+{
+	*value_ptr = 0;
+	int8_t buf[sizeof(*value_ptr)] = {0,};
+	int8_t dummy;
+	MutByteSlice dummy_slc = VAR_BYTE_SLICE_MUT(dummy);
+	while (size > sizeof(buf)) {
+		byte_stream_read_to(stream, dummy_slc);
+		--size;
+	}
+	MutByteSlice buf_slc = VAR_BYTE_SLICE_MUT(buf);
+	byte_slice_advance_inplace(&buf_slc.as_ByteSlice, buf_slc.length - size);
+	if (!buf_slc.data || !buf_slc.length) {
+		return true;  // Successfully read 0 bytes
+	}
+	if (byte_stream_is_end(stream)) {
+		return false;  // Failed to read bytes
+	}
+	if (byte_stream_read_to(stream, buf_slc) != buf_slc.length) {
+		return false;  // Failed to read enough bytes
+	}
+
+	assert(buf_slc.data - (uint8_t*) buf < (ssize_t) sizeof(buf));
+	int8_t sign = *(int8_t*) buf_slc.data < 0 ? -1 : 0;
+	for (int8_t *ptr = buf; (uint8_t*) ptr != buf_slc.data; ++ptr) {
+		*ptr = sign;
+	}
+
+	intmax_t value = 0;
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(buf); ++i) {
+		value <<= 8;
+		value |= 0xFF & (intmax_t) buf[i];
+	}
+	*value_ptr = value;
+	return true;
+}
+
+#endif /* end of include guard: COMMON_UTIL_BYTE_SERDES_H_ */
diff --git a/src/common/util/byte_slice.h b/src/common/util/byte_slice.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad03cb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/util/byte_slice.h
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+#ifndef COMMON_UTIL_BYTE_SLICE_H_
+#define COMMON_UTIL_BYTE_SLICE_H_
+
+#include "common/defs.h"
+
+typedef struct {
+	const uint8_t *data;
+	size_t length;
+} ByteSlice;
+
+typedef union {
+	struct {
+		uint8_t *data;
+		size_t length;
+	};
+	ByteSlice as_ByteSlice;
+} MutByteSlice;
+
+#define EMPTY_BYTE_SLICE (ByteSlice) { .data = NULL, .length = 0 }
+#define EMPTY_MUT_BYTE_SLICE (MutByteSlice) { .data = NULL, .length = 0 }
+#define VAR_BYTE_SLICE_CONST(x) (ByteSlice) { .data = (const void*) &(x), .length = sizeof(x) }
+#define VAR_BYTE_SLICE_MUT(x) (MutByteSlice) { .data = (void*) &(x), .length = sizeof(x) }
+
+HEADER_FN void
+byte_slice_advance_inplace(ByteSlice *self, size_t amount)
+{
+	if (amount >= self->length) {
+		*self = EMPTY_BYTE_SLICE;
+		return;
+	}
+	self->length -= amount;
+	self->data += amount;
+}
+
+HEADER_FN MutByteSlice
+byte_slice_alloc(size_t length)
+{
+	if (!length) {
+		return EMPTY_MUT_BYTE_SLICE;
+	}
+	uint8_t *data = T_ALLOC(length, uint8_t);
+	if (!data) {
+		return EMPTY_MUT_BYTE_SLICE;
+	}
+	return (MutByteSlice) {
+		.data = data,
+		.length = length,
+	};
+}
+
+HEADER_FN MutByteSlice
+byte_slice_free(MutByteSlice slice)
+{
+	if (slice.data) {
+		free(slice.data);
+	}
+	return EMPTY_MUT_BYTE_SLICE;
+}
+
+#endif /* end of include guard: COMMON_UTIL_BYTE_SLICE_H_ */
diff --git a/src/common/util/byte_stream.c b/src/common/util/byte_stream.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f1556b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/util/byte_stream.c
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+#include "byte_stream.h"
+
+typedef struct {
+	AbstractInputByteStream as_AbstractInputByteStream;
+	FILE *file;
+} FileInputByteStream;
+
+typedef struct {
+	AbstractOutputByteStream as_AbstractOutputByteStream;
+	FILE *file;
+} FileOutputByteStream;
+
+static size_t
+file_steam_read(AbstractInputByteStream *self, MutByteSlice buf)
+{
+	return fread(buf.data, 1, buf.length, DOWNCAST(FileInputByteStream, AbstractInputByteStream, self)->file);
+}
+
+static bool
+file_steam_is_end(AbstractInputByteStream *self)
+{
+	FILE *file = DOWNCAST(FileInputByteStream, AbstractInputByteStream, self)->file;
+	return (feof(file) || ferror(file)) ? true : false;
+}
+
+static void
+file_steam_write(AbstractOutputByteStream *self, ByteSlice bytes)
+{
+	fwrite(bytes.data, 1, bytes.length, DOWNCAST(FileOutputByteStream, AbstractOutputByteStream, self)->file);
+}
+
+static void
+file_input_stream_destroy(AbstractInputByteStream *self)
+{
+	free(self);
+}
+
+static void
+file_output_stream_destroy(AbstractOutputByteStream *self)
+{
+	free(self);
+}
+
+AbstractInputByteStream *file_as_input_byte_stream(FILE *file)
+{
+	if (!file) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	FileInputByteStream *self = T_ALLOC(1, FileInputByteStream);
+	if (self == NULL) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	*self = (FileInputByteStream) {
+		.as_AbstractInputByteStream = {
+			.read = &file_steam_read,
+			.is_end = &file_steam_is_end,
+			.destroy = &file_input_stream_destroy,
+		},
+		.file = file,
+	};
+	return &self->as_AbstractInputByteStream;
+}
+
+AbstractOutputByteStream *file_as_output_byte_stream(FILE *file)
+{
+	if (!file) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	FileOutputByteStream *self = T_ALLOC(1, FileOutputByteStream);
+	if (self == NULL) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	*self = (FileOutputByteStream) {
+		.as_AbstractOutputByteStream = {
+			.write = &file_steam_write,
+			.destroy = &file_output_stream_destroy,
+		},
+		.file = file,
+	};
+	return &self->as_AbstractOutputByteStream;
+}
diff --git a/src/common/util/byte_stream.h b/src/common/util/byte_stream.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26b8ac5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/util/byte_stream.h
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+#ifndef COMMON_UTIL_BYTE_STREAM_H_
+#define COMMON_UTIL_BYTE_STREAM_H_
+
+#include "common/util/byte_slice.h"
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+typedef struct abstract_input_byte_stream AbstractInputByteStream;
+typedef struct abstract_output_byte_stream AbstractOutputByteStream;
+
+struct abstract_input_byte_stream {
+	size_t (*read)(AbstractInputByteStream *self, MutByteSlice buf);
+	bool (*is_end)(AbstractInputByteStream *self);
+	void (*destroy)(AbstractInputByteStream *self);
+};
+
+struct abstract_output_byte_stream {
+	void (*write)(AbstractOutputByteStream *self, ByteSlice bytes);
+	void (*destroy)(AbstractOutputByteStream *self);
+};
+
+// file is borrowed, not moved
+AbstractInputByteStream *file_as_input_byte_stream(FILE *file);
+AbstractOutputByteStream *file_as_output_byte_stream(FILE *file);
+
+HEADER_FN size_t
+byte_stream_read_to(AbstractInputByteStream *stream, MutByteSlice buf)
+{
+	if (!stream->read) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+	return stream->read(stream, buf);
+}
+
+HEADER_FN MutByteSlice
+byte_stream_read_alloc(AbstractInputByteStream *stream, size_t amount)
+{
+	if (!stream->read) {
+		return EMPTY_MUT_BYTE_SLICE;
+	}
+	MutByteSlice buf = byte_slice_alloc(amount);
+	if (!buf.data) {
+		return EMPTY_MUT_BYTE_SLICE;
+	}
+	size_t actual = stream->read(stream, buf);
+	if (actual < buf.length) {
+		buf.length = actual;
+	}
+	return buf;
+}
+
+HEADER_FN bool
+byte_stream_is_end(AbstractInputByteStream *stream)
+{
+	if (!stream->read) {
+		return true;
+	}
+	if (!stream->is_end) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	return stream->is_end(stream);
+}
+
+HEADER_FN void
+byte_stream_write(AbstractOutputByteStream *stream, ByteSlice bytes)
+{
+	if (!stream->write) {
+		return;
+	}
+	return stream->write(stream, bytes);
+}
+
+HEADER_FN void
+input_byte_stream_destroy(AbstractInputByteStream *stream)
+{
+	if (!stream->destroy) {
+		free(stream);
+		return;
+	}
+	stream->destroy(stream);
+}
+
+HEADER_FN void
+output_byte_stream_destroy(AbstractOutputByteStream *stream)
+{
+	if (!stream->destroy) {
+		free(stream);
+		return;
+	}
+	stream->destroy(stream);
+}
+
+#endif /* end of include guard: COMMON_UTIL_BYTE_STREAM_H_ */
diff --git a/src/server/main.c b/src/server/main.c
index 89d9c9c..1d09335 100644
--- a/src/server/main.c
+++ b/src/server/main.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include "common/util/hash_table.h"
+#include "common/util/byte_serdes.h"
 
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)