diff --git a/library/Icinga/Common/DataExtractor.php b/library/Icinga/Common/DataExtractor.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ed77115a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/library/Icinga/Common/DataExtractor.php
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Icinga\Common;
+
+trait DataExtractor
+{
+    /**
+     * Extract data from array to this class's properties
+     *
+     * Unknown properties (no matching setter) are ignored
+     *
+     * @param array $data
+     *
+     * @return $this
+     */
+    public function fromArray(array $data)
+    {
+        foreach ($data as $name => $value) {
+            $func = 'set'. ucfirst($name);
+            if (method_exists($this, $func)) {
+                $this->$func($value);
+            }
+        }
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get this class's structure as array
+     *
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function toArray()
+    {
+        return [];
+    }
+}