diff --git a/perl-xCAT/xCAT/Utils.pm b/perl-xCAT/xCAT/Utils.pm
index be032cf17..df95807da 100644
--- a/perl-xCAT/xCAT/Utils.pm
+++ b/perl-xCAT/xCAT/Utils.pm
@@ -5972,4 +5972,25 @@ sub setupAIXconserver
     return $rc;
 }
 
+sub getTypeOfHcp
+{
+    my $class        = shift;
+    my $hcp        = shift;
+    
+    my $nodetypetab = xCAT::Table->new( 'nodetype');
+
+    xCAT::MsgUtils->message('E', "Failed to open table 'nodetype'.") if ( ! $nodetypetab);
+    my $nodetype_hash    = $nodetypetab->getNodeAttribs( $hcp,[qw(nodetype)]);
+    my $nodetype    = $nodetype_hash->{nodetype};
+    if ( !$nodetype) {
+	xCAT::MsgUtils->message('E', "Not found the $hcp\'s  nodetype");	
+        return undef;
+    }
+    return $nodetype;    
+    
+}
+
+
+
+
 1;