diff --git a/xCAT-server/lib/perl/xCAT/PasswordUtils.pm b/xCAT-server/lib/perl/xCAT/PasswordUtils.pm
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7064daca5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xCAT-server/lib/perl/xCAT/PasswordUtils.pm
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package xCAT::PasswordUtils;
+my $ipmiuser = "USERID"; # default username to apply if nothing specified
+my $ipmipass = "PASSW0RD"; # default password to apply if nothing specified
+my $bladeuser = "USERID"; # default username to apply if nothing specified
+my $bladepass = "PASSW0RD"; # default password to apply if nothing specified
+sub getIPMIAuth {
+	my %args = @_;
+	my $noderange = $args{noderange};
+	my $ipmihash = $args{ipmihash};
+	my $mphash = $args{mphash};
+        my $tmp;
+	my %authmap;
+        unless ($ipmihash) { #in the event that calling code does not pass us a prefetched set of values, pull it ourselves
+		my $ipmitab = xCAT::Table->new('ipmi',-create=>0);
+		if ($ipmitab) { $ipmihash = $ipmitab->getNodesAttribs($noderange,['username','password']); }
+	}
+        unless ($mphash) { 
+		my $mptab = xCAT::Table->new('mp',-create=>0);
+		if ($mptab) { $mphash = $mptab->getNodesAttribs($noderange,['mpa','id']); }
+	}
+	my $passtab = xCAT::Table->new('passwd');
+	if ($passtab) {
+		($tmp)=$passtab->getAttribs({'key'=>'ipmi'},'username','password');
+		if (defined($tmp)) { 
+			$ipmiuser = $tmp->{username};
+			$ipmipass = $tmp->{password};
+		}
+		($tmp)=$passtab->getAttribs({'key'=>'blade'},'username','password');
+		if (defined($tmp)) { 
+			$bladeuser = $tmp->{username};
+			$bladepass = $tmp->{password};
+		}
+	}
+	my $mpatab;
+        if ($mphash) { $mpatab = xCAT::Table->new('mp',-create=>0); }
+	my %mpaauth;
+	foreach $node (@$noderange) {
+		$authmap{$node}->{username}=$ipmiuser;
+		$authmap{$node}->{password}=$ipmipass;
+		if ($mphash and ref $mphash->{$node} and $mphash->{$node}->[0]->{mpa}) { #this appears to be a Flex or similar config, tend to use blade credentials
+			if ($bladeuser) { $authmap{$node}->{username}=$bladeuser; }
+			if ($bladepass) { $authmap{$node}->{password}=$bladepass; }
+			my $mpa = $mphash->{$node}->[0]->{mpa};
+			if (not $mpaauth{$mpa} and $mpatab) { 
+				my $mpaent = $mpatab->getNodeAttribs($mpa,[qw/username password/],prefetchcache=>1);
+				if (ref $mpaent and $mpaent->[0]->{username}) { $mpaauth{$mpa}->{username} = $mpaent->[0]->{username} }
+				if (ref $mpaent and $mpaent->[0]->{password}) { $mpaauth{$mpa}->{password} = $mpaent->[0]->{password} }
+				 $mpaauth{$mpa}->{checked} = 1;  #remember we already looked this up, to save lookup time even if search was fruitless
+			}
+			if ($mpaauth{$mpa}->{username}) {  $authmap{$node}->{username} = $mpa->{username} }
+			if ($mpaauth{$mpa}->{password}) {  $authmap{$node}->{password} = $mpa->{password} }
+		} 
+		unless (ref $ipmihash and ref $ipmihash->{$node}) { 
+			next;
+		}
+		if ($ipmihash->{$node}->[0]->{username}) {   $authmap{$node}->{username}=$ipmihash->{$node}->[0]->{username} }
+		if ($ipmihash->{$node}->[0]->{password}) {   $authmap{$node}->{username}=$ipmihash->{$node}->[0]->{password} }
+	}
+}
+