diff --git a/lib/gems/pending/util/miq_ftp_lib.rb b/lib/gems/pending/util/miq_ftp_lib.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ddada42d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/gems/pending/util/miq_ftp_lib.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+require 'net/ftp'
+
+# Helper methods for net/ftp based classes and files.
+#
+# Will setup a `@ftp` attr_accessor to be used as the return value for
+# `.connect`, the main method being provided in this class.
+module MiqFtpLib
+  def self.included(klass)
+    klass.send(:attr_accessor, :ftp)
+  end
+
+  def connect(cred_hash = nil)
+    host = URI(uri).hostname
+
+    begin
+      _log.info("Connecting to FTP host #{host_ref}...")
+      @ftp         = Net::FTP.new(host)
+      # Use passive mode to avoid firewall issues see http://slacksite.com/other/ftp.html#passive
+      @ftp.passive = true
+      # @ftp.debug_mode = true if settings[:debug]  # TODO: add debug option
+      creds = cred_hash ? [cred_hash[:username], cred_hash[:password]] : login_credentials
+      @ftp.login(*creds)
+      _log.info("Successfully connected FTP host #{host_ref}...")
+    rescue SocketError => err
+      _log.error("Failed to connect.  #{err.message}")
+      raise
+    rescue Net::FTPPermError => err
+      _log.error("Failed to login.  #{err.message}")
+      raise
+    else
+      @ftp
+    end
+  end
+
+  def file_exists?(file_or_directory)
+    !ftp.nlst(file_or_directory.to_s).empty?
+  rescue Net::FTPPermError
+    false
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def host_ref
+    return @host_ref if @host_ref
+    @host_ref = URI(uri).hostname
+    @host_ref << " (#{name})" if respond_to?(:name)
+    @host_ref
+  end
+
+  def create_directory_structure(directory_path)
+    pwd = ftp.pwd
+    directory_path.to_s.split('/').each do |directory|
+      unless ftp.nlst.include?(directory)
+        _log.info("creating #{directory}")
+        ftp.mkdir(directory)
+      end
+      ftp.chdir(directory)
+    end
+    ftp.chdir(pwd)
+  end
+
+  def with_connection(cred_hash = nil)
+    raise _("no block given") unless block_given?
+    _log.info("Connecting through #{self.class.name}: [#{host_ref}]")
+    begin
+      connect(cred_hash)
+      yield @ftp
+    ensure
+      @ftp.try(:close) && @ftp = nil
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/manageiq-gems-pending.gemspec b/manageiq-gems-pending.gemspec
index aa53396af..27d37f617 100644
--- a/manageiq-gems-pending.gemspec
+++ b/manageiq-gems-pending.gemspec
@@ -47,4 +47,5 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.add_development_dependency "test-unit"
   s.add_development_dependency "timecop",                   "~> 0.9.1"
   s.add_development_dependency "xml-simple",                "~> 1.1.0"
+  s.add_development_dependency "ftpd",                      "~> 2.1.0"
 end
diff --git a/spec/support/contexts/with_ftp_server.rb b/spec/support/contexts/with_ftp_server.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0add97244
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/support/contexts/with_ftp_server.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+require "ftpd"
+require "tmpdir"
+require "tempfile"
+require "fileutils"
+
+class FtpSingletonServer
+  class << self
+    attr_reader :driver
+  end
+
+  def self.run_ftp_server
+    @driver     = FTPServerDriver.new
+    @ftp_server = Ftpd::FtpServer.new(@driver)
+    @ftp_server.on_exception do |e|
+      STDOUT.puts e.inspect
+    end
+    @ftp_server.start
+  end
+
+  def self.bound_port
+    @ftp_server.bound_port
+  end
+
+  def self.stop_ftp_server
+    @ftp_server.stop
+    @ftp_server = nil
+
+    @driver.cleanup
+    @driver = nil
+  end
+end
+
+class FTPServerDriver
+  attr_reader :existing_file, :existing_dir
+
+  def initialize
+    create_tmp_dir
+  end
+
+  def authenticate(username, password)
+    username == "ftpuser" && password == "ftppass"
+  end
+
+  def file_system(_user)
+    Ftpd::DiskFileSystem.new(@ftp_dir)
+  end
+
+  def cleanup
+    FileUtils.remove_entry(@ftp_dir)
+  end
+
+  def create_existing_file(size = 0)
+    @existing_file ||= Tempfile.new("", @ftp_dir).tap { |tmp| tmp.puts "0" * size }
+  end
+
+  # Create a dir under the @ftp_dir, but only return the created directory name
+  def create_existing_dir
+    @existing_dir ||= Dir.mktmpdir(nil, @ftp_dir).sub("#{@ftp_dir}/", "")
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def create_tmp_dir
+    @ftp_dir = Dir.mktmpdir
+  end
+end
+
+shared_context "with ftp server", :with_ftp_server do
+  before(:all) { FtpSingletonServer.run_ftp_server }
+  after(:all)  { FtpSingletonServer.stop_ftp_server }
+
+  # HACK:  Avoid permission denied errors with `ftpd` starting on port 21, but
+  # our FTP lib always assuming that we are using the default port
+  #
+  # The hack basically sets the default port for `Net::FTP` to the bound port
+  # of the running server
+  before(:each) do
+    stub_const("Net::FTP::FTP_PORT", FtpSingletonServer.bound_port)
+  end
+
+  let(:valid_ftp_creds) { { :username => "ftpuser", :password => "ftppass" } }
+
+  def existing_ftp_file(size = 0)
+    FtpSingletonServer.driver.create_existing_file(size)
+  end
+
+  def existing_ftp_dir
+    FtpSingletonServer.driver.create_existing_dir
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/util/miq_ftp_lib_spec.rb b/spec/util/miq_ftp_lib_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..21792c5d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/util/miq_ftp_lib_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+require 'util/miq_ftp_lib'
+require 'logger' # probably loaded elsewhere, but for the below classes
+
+class FTPKlass
+  include MiqFtpLib
+
+  attr_accessor :uri
+
+  def self.instance_logger
+    Logger.new(File::NULL) # null logger (for testing)
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def _log
+    self.class.instance_logger
+  end
+end
+
+class OtherFTPKlass
+  include MiqFtpLib
+
+  attr_accessor :uri
+
+  def _log
+    private_log_method
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def private_log_method
+    Logger.new(File::NULL) # null logger (for testing)
+  end
+
+  def login_credentials
+    %w(ftpuser ftppass)
+  end
+end
+
+shared_examples "connecting" do |valid_cred_hash|
+  let(:cred_hash) { valid_cred_hash }
+
+  before { subject.uri = "ftp://localhost" }
+
+  it "logs in with valid credentials" do
+    expect { subject.connect(cred_hash) }.not_to raise_error
+  end
+
+  it "sets the connection to passive" do
+    subject.connect(cred_hash)
+    expect(subject.ftp.passive).to eq(true)
+  end
+
+  context "with an invalid ftp credentials" do
+    let(:cred_hash) { { :username => "invalid", :password => "alsoinvalid" } }
+
+    it "raises a Net::FTPPermError" do
+      expect { subject.connect(cred_hash) }.to raise_error(Net::FTPPermError)
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+shared_examples "with a connection" do |valid_cred_hash|
+  let(:cred_hash) { valid_cred_hash }
+  let(:error_msg) { "no block given" }
+
+  before do
+    subject.uri = "ftp://localhost"
+    allow(subject).to receive(:_).with(error_msg).and_return(error_msg)
+  end
+
+  def with_connection(&block)
+    subject.send(:with_connection, cred_hash, &block)
+  end
+
+  def get_socket(ftp)
+    ftp.instance_variable_get(:@sock).instance_variable_get(:@io)
+  end
+
+  it "passes the ftp object to the block" do
+    with_connection do |ftp|
+      expect(ftp).to         be_a(Net::FTP)
+      expect(subject.ftp).to be(ftp)
+    end
+  end
+
+  it "closes the ftp connection after the block is finished" do
+    ftp_instance = subject.connect(cred_hash)
+    # stub further calls to `#connect`
+    expect(subject).to receive(:connect).and_return(ftp_instance)
+
+    with_connection { |ftp| }
+    expect(subject.ftp).to          eq(nil)
+    expect(ftp_instance.closed?).to eq(true)
+  end
+
+  it "raises an error if no block is given" do
+    expect { with_connection }.to raise_error(RuntimeError, error_msg)
+  end
+end
+
+describe MiqFtpLib do
+  subject { FTPKlass.new }
+
+  describe "when included" do
+    it "has a `ftp` accessor" do
+      ftp_instance = Net::FTP.new
+      subject.ftp  = ftp_instance
+
+      expect(subject.ftp).to eq ftp_instance
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "#connect", :with_ftp_server do
+    context "with credentials hash" do
+      subject { FTPKlass.new }
+
+      include_examples "connecting", :username => "ftpuser", :password => "ftppass"
+    end
+
+    context "with login_credentials method" do
+      subject { OtherFTPKlass.new }
+
+      include_examples "connecting"
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "#with_connection", :with_ftp_server do
+    context "with credentials hash" do
+      subject { FTPKlass.new }
+
+      include_examples "with a connection", :username => "ftpuser", :password => "ftppass"
+    end
+
+    context "with login_credentials method" do
+      subject { OtherFTPKlass.new }
+
+      include_examples "with a connection"
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "#file_exists?", :with_ftp_server do
+    let(:existing_file) { File.basename(existing_ftp_file) }
+
+    subject             { FTPKlass.new.tap { |ftp| ftp.uri = "ftp://localhost" } }
+    before              { subject.connect(valid_ftp_creds) }
+
+    it "returns true if the file exists" do
+      expect(subject.file_exists?(existing_file)).to eq(true)
+    end
+
+    it "returns false if the file does not exist" do
+      expect(subject.file_exists?("#{existing_file}.fake")).to eq(false)
+    end
+  end
+
+  # Note:  Don't use `file_exists?` to try and test the directory existance.
+  # Most FTP implementations will send the results of `nlst` as the contents of
+  # a directory if a directory is given.
+  #
+  # In our current implementation, this will return a empty list if the
+  # directory is empty, thus causing the check to fail.  Testing against the
+  # `ftp.nlst(parent_dir)` will make sure the directory in question is included
+  # in it's parent.
+  describe "#create_directory_structure", :with_ftp_server do
+    subject             { OtherFTPKlass.new.tap { |ftp| ftp.uri = "ftp://localhost" } }
+    before              { subject.connect(valid_ftp_creds) }
+
+    it "creates a new nested directory" do
+      new_dir    = "foo/bar/baz"
+      parent_dir = File.dirname(new_dir)
+
+      expect(subject.ftp.nlst(parent_dir).include?("baz")).to eq(false)
+      subject.send(:create_directory_structure, new_dir)
+      expect(subject.ftp.nlst(parent_dir).include?("baz")).to eq(true)
+    end
+
+    context "to an existing directory" do
+      it "creates the nested directory without messing with the existing" do
+        existing_dir = existing_ftp_dir
+        new_dir      = File.join(existing_ftp_dir, "foo/bar/baz")
+        parent_dir   = File.dirname(new_dir)
+
+        expect(subject.ftp.nlst.include?(existing_dir)).to      eq(true)
+        expect(subject.ftp.nlst(parent_dir).include?("baz")).to eq(false)
+
+        subject.send(:create_directory_structure, new_dir)
+        expect(subject.ftp.nlst.include?(existing_dir)).to      eq(true)
+        expect(subject.ftp.nlst(parent_dir).include?("baz")).to eq(true)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end