diff --git a/src/main/java/org/leolo/nrdatad/ConfigurationManager.java b/src/main/java/org/leolo/nrdatad/ConfigurationManager.java
index 687054b..5855223 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/leolo/nrdatad/ConfigurationManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/leolo/nrdatad/ConfigurationManager.java
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ public final class ConfigurationManager {
     Logger logger = LogManager.getLogger();
     Properties prop = new Properties();
 
+    private boolean hasCachedEthAddress = false;
+    private String cachedEthAddress = null;
+
     private DatabaseManager databaseManager;
 
     public DatabaseManager getDatabaseManager() {
@@ -124,4 +127,33 @@ public final class ConfigurationManager {
     public void forEach(BiConsumer<? super Object, ? super Object> action) {
         prop.forEach(action);
     }
+
+    //Special handling for getting the ethernet address
+    public String getEthAddress(){
+        if(hasCachedEthAddress){
+            return cachedEthAddress;
+        }
+        String addr = prop.getProperty("uuid.ethAddr");
+        if (addr == null){
+            //There are no ethernet address available. Return null
+            hasCachedEthAddress = true;
+            return null;
+        }
+        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+        for(char ch:addr.toCharArray()){
+            if(ch>='0'&&ch<='9'){
+                sb.append(ch);
+            }else if ((ch >= 'a' && ch <= 'f') ||(ch>='A'&&ch<='F')) {
+                sb.append(Character.toLowerCase(ch));
+            }
+        }
+        if(sb.length()==12){
+            cachedEthAddress = sb.toString();
+            hasCachedEthAddress = true;
+            return cachedEthAddress;
+        }else{
+            hasCachedEthAddress=true;
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/leolo/nrdatad/util/UUIDUtil.java b/src/main/java/org/leolo/nrdatad/util/UUIDUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..995b771
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/org/leolo/nrdatad/util/UUIDUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package org.leolo.nrdatad.util;
+
+import java.util.UUID;
+
+public class UUIDUtil {
+
+    public static UUID getNextUUID(){
+        return  null;
+    }
+
+}