diff --git a/proxmox/src/api/mod.rs b/proxmox/src/api/mod.rs
index c1b8f2a3..223abc13 100644
--- a/proxmox/src/api/mod.rs
+++ b/proxmox/src/api/mod.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-//! Proxmox API module. This provides utilities for HTTP and command line APIs.
+//! Proxmox API module.
+//!
+//! This provides utilities to define APIs in a declarative way using
+//! Schemas. Primary use case it to define REST/HTTP APIs. Another use case
+//! is to define command line tools using Schemas. Finally, it is
+//! possible to use schema definitions to derive configuration file
+//! parsers.
 
 #[cfg(feature = "api-macro")]
 pub use proxmox_api_macro::{api, router};
@@ -8,6 +14,7 @@ pub mod const_regex;
 #[doc(hidden)]
 pub mod error;
 pub mod schema;
+pub mod section_config;
 
 #[doc(inline)]
 pub use const_regex::ConstRegexPattern;
diff --git a/proxmox/src/api/section_config.rs b/proxmox/src/api/section_config.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c6fcadab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proxmox/src/api/section_config.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,465 @@
+//! Configuration file helper class
+//!
+//! The `SectionConfig` class implements a configuration parser using
+//! API Schemas. A Configuration may contain several sections, each
+//! identified by an unique ID. Each section has a type, which is
+//! associcatied with a Schema.
+//!
+//! The file syntax is configurable, but defaults to the following syntax:
+//!
+//! ```ignore
+//! <section1_type>: <section1_id>
+//!     <key1> <value1>
+//!     <key2> <value2>
+//!     ...
+//!
+//! <section2_type>: <section2_id>
+//!     <key1> <value1>
+//!     ...
+//! ```
+
+use failure::*;
+
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::collections::HashSet;
+use std::collections::VecDeque;
+
+use serde_json::{json, Value};
+use serde::de::DeserializeOwned;
+use serde::ser::Serialize;
+
+use super::schema::*;
+use crate::try_block;
+
+/// Associates a section type name with a `Schema`.
+pub struct SectionConfigPlugin {
+    type_name: String,
+    properties: &'static ObjectSchema,
+}
+
+impl SectionConfigPlugin {
+
+    pub fn new(type_name: String, properties: &'static ObjectSchema) -> Self {
+        Self { type_name, properties }
+    }
+
+}
+
+/// Configuration parser and writer using API Schemas
+pub struct SectionConfig {
+    plugins: HashMap<String, SectionConfigPlugin>,
+
+    id_schema: &'static Schema,
+    parse_section_header: fn(&str) -> Option<(String, String)>,
+    parse_section_content: fn(&str) -> Option<(String, String)>,
+    format_section_header: fn(type_name: &str, section_id: &str, data: &Value) -> Result<String, Error>,
+    format_section_content: fn(type_name: &str, section_id: &str, key: &str, value: &Value) -> Result<String, Error>,
+}
+
+enum ParseState<'a> {
+    BeforeHeader,
+    InsideSection(&'a SectionConfigPlugin, String, Value),
+}
+
+/// Interface to manipulate configuration data
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct SectionConfigData {
+    pub sections: HashMap<String, (String, Value)>,
+    order: VecDeque<String>,
+}
+
+impl SectionConfigData {
+
+    /// Creates a new instance without any data.
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Self { sections: HashMap::new(), order: VecDeque::new() }
+    }
+
+    /// Set data for the specified section.
+    ///
+    /// Please not that this does not verify the data with the
+    /// schema. Instead, verification is done inside `write()`.
+    pub fn set_data<T: Serialize>(
+        &mut self,
+        section_id: &str,
+        type_name: &str,
+        config: T,
+    ) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let json = serde_json::to_value(config)?;
+        self.sections.insert(section_id.to_string(), (type_name.to_string(), json));
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    /// Lookup section data as json `Value`.
+    pub fn lookup_json(&self, type_name: &str, id: &str) -> Result<Value, Error> {
+        match self.sections.get(id) {
+            Some((section_type_name, config)) => {
+                if type_name != section_type_name {
+                    bail!("got unexpected type '{}' for {} '{}'", section_type_name, type_name, id);
+                }
+                Ok(config.clone())
+            }
+            None => {
+                bail!("no such {} '{}'", type_name, id);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Lookup section data as native rust data type.
+    pub fn lookup<T: DeserializeOwned>(&self, type_name: &str, id: &str) -> Result<T, Error> {
+        let config = self.lookup_json(type_name, id)?;
+        let data = T::deserialize(config)?;
+        Ok(data)
+    }
+
+    fn record_order(&mut self, section_id: &str) {
+        self.order.push_back(section_id.to_string());
+    }
+
+    /// API helper to represent configuration data as array.
+    ///
+    /// The array representation is useful to display configuration
+    /// data with GUI frameworks like ExtJS.
+    pub fn convert_to_array(&self, id_prop: &str, digest: Option<&[u8;32]>, skip: &[&'static str]) -> Value {
+        let mut list: Vec<Value> = vec![];
+
+        let digest: Value = match digest {
+            Some(v) => crate::tools::digest_to_hex(v).into(),
+            None => Value::Null,
+        };
+
+        for (section_id, (_, data)) in &self.sections {
+            let mut item = data.clone();
+            for prop in skip {
+                item.as_object_mut().unwrap().remove(*prop);
+            }
+            item.as_object_mut().unwrap().insert(id_prop.into(), section_id.clone().into());
+            if !digest.is_null() {
+                item.as_object_mut().unwrap().insert("digest".into(), digest.clone());
+            }
+            list.push(item);
+        }
+
+        list.into()
+    }
+}
+
+impl SectionConfig {
+
+    /// Create a new `SectionConfig` using the default syntax.
+    ///
+    /// To make it usable, you need to register one or more plugins
+    /// with `register_plugin()`.
+    pub fn new(id_schema: &'static Schema) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            plugins: HashMap::new(),
+            id_schema,
+            parse_section_header: SectionConfig::default_parse_section_header,
+            parse_section_content: SectionConfig::default_parse_section_content,
+            format_section_header: SectionConfig::default_format_section_header,
+            format_section_content: SectionConfig::default_format_section_content,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Create a new `SectionConfig` using a custom syntax.
+    pub fn with_custom_syntax(
+        id_schema: &'static Schema,
+        parse_section_header: fn(&str) -> Option<(String, String)>,
+        parse_section_content: fn(&str) -> Option<(String, String)>,
+        format_section_header: fn(type_name: &str, section_id: &str, data: &Value) -> Result<String, Error>,
+        format_section_content: fn(type_name: &str, section_id: &str, key: &str, value: &Value) -> Result<String, Error>,
+    ) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            plugins: HashMap::new(),
+            id_schema,
+            parse_section_header,
+            parse_section_content,
+            format_section_header,
+            format_section_content,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Register a plugin, which defines the `Schema` for a section type.
+    pub fn register_plugin(&mut self, plugin: SectionConfigPlugin) {
+        self.plugins.insert(plugin.type_name.clone(), plugin);
+    }
+
+    /// Write the configuration data to a String.
+    ///
+    /// This verifies the whole data using the schemas defined in the
+    /// plugins. Please note that `filename` is only used to improve
+    /// error messages.
+    pub fn write(&self, filename: &str, config: &SectionConfigData) -> Result<String, Error> {
+
+        try_block!({
+            let mut list = VecDeque::new();
+
+            let mut done = HashSet::new();
+
+            for section_id in &config.order {
+                if config.sections.get(section_id) == None { continue };
+                list.push_back(section_id);
+                done.insert(section_id);
+            }
+
+            for (section_id, _) in &config.sections {
+                if done.contains(section_id) { continue };
+                list.push_back(section_id);
+            }
+
+            let mut raw = String::new();
+
+            for section_id in list {
+                let (type_name, section_config) = config.sections.get(section_id).unwrap();
+                let plugin = self.plugins.get(type_name).unwrap();
+
+                if let Err(err) = parse_simple_value(&section_id, &self.id_schema) {
+                    bail!("syntax error in section identifier: {}", err.to_string());
+                }
+                if section_id.chars().any(|c| c.is_control()) {
+                    bail!("detected unexpected control character in section ID.");
+                }
+                 if let Err(err) = verify_json_object(section_config, &plugin.properties) {
+                    bail!("verify section '{}' failed - {}", section_id, err);
+                }
+
+                if !raw.is_empty() { raw += "\n" }
+
+                raw += &(self.format_section_header)(type_name, section_id, section_config)?;
+
+                for (key, value) in section_config.as_object().unwrap() {
+                    raw += &(self.format_section_content)(type_name, section_id, key, value)?;
+                }
+            }
+
+            Ok(raw)
+        }).map_err(|e: Error| format_err!("writing '{}' failed: {}", filename, e))
+    }
+
+    /// Parse configuration data.
+    ///
+    /// This verifies the whole data using the schemas defined in the
+    /// plugins. Please note that `filename` is only used to improve
+    /// error messages.
+    pub fn parse(&self, filename: &str, raw: &str) -> Result<SectionConfigData, Error> {
+
+        let mut state = ParseState::BeforeHeader;
+
+        let test_required_properties = |value: &Value, schema: &ObjectSchema| -> Result<(), Error> {
+            for (name, optional, _prop_schema) in schema.properties {
+                if *optional == false && value[name] == Value::Null {
+                    return Err(format_err!("property '{}' is missing and it is not optional.", name));
+                }
+            }
+            Ok(())
+        };
+
+        let mut line_no = 0;
+
+        try_block!({
+
+            let mut result = SectionConfigData::new();
+
+            try_block!({
+                for line in raw.lines() {
+                    line_no += 1;
+
+                    match state {
+
+                        ParseState::BeforeHeader => {
+
+                            if line.trim().is_empty() { continue; }
+
+                            if let Some((section_type, section_id)) = (self.parse_section_header)(line) {
+                                //println!("OKLINE: type: {} ID: {}", section_type, section_id);
+                                if let Some(ref plugin) = self.plugins.get(&section_type) {
+                                    if let Err(err) = parse_simple_value(&section_id, &self.id_schema) {
+                                        bail!("syntax error in section identifier: {}", err.to_string());
+                                    }
+                                    state = ParseState::InsideSection(plugin, section_id, json!({}));
+                                } else {
+                                    bail!("unknown section type '{}'", section_type);
+                                }
+                            } else {
+                                bail!("syntax error (expected header)");
+                            }
+                        }
+                        ParseState::InsideSection(plugin, ref mut section_id, ref mut config) => {
+
+                            if line.trim().is_empty() {
+                                // finish section
+                                test_required_properties(config, &plugin.properties)?;
+                                result.set_data(section_id, &plugin.type_name, config.take())?;
+                                result.record_order(section_id);
+
+                                state = ParseState::BeforeHeader;
+                                continue;
+                            }
+                            if let Some((key, value)) = (self.parse_section_content)(line) {
+                                //println!("CONTENT: key: {} value: {}", key, value);
+
+                                if let Some((_optional, prop_schema)) = plugin.properties.lookup(&key) {
+                                    match parse_simple_value(&value, prop_schema) {
+                                        Ok(value) => {
+                                            if config[&key] == Value::Null {
+                                                config[key] = value;
+                                            } else {
+                                                bail!("duplicate property '{}'", key);
+                                            }
+                                        }
+                                        Err(err) => {
+                                            bail!("property '{}': {}", key, err.to_string());
+                                        }
+                                    }
+                                } else {
+                                    bail!("unknown property '{}'", key)
+                                }
+                            } else {
+                                bail!("syntax error (expected section properties)");
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+
+                if let ParseState::InsideSection(plugin, section_id, config) = state {
+                    // finish section
+                    test_required_properties(&config, &plugin.properties)?;
+                    result.set_data(&section_id, &plugin.type_name, config)?;
+                    result.record_order(&section_id);
+                }
+
+                Ok(())
+
+            }).map_err(|e| format_err!("line {} - {}", line_no, e))?;
+
+            Ok(result)
+
+        }).map_err(|e: Error| format_err!("parsing '{}' failed: {}", filename, e))
+    }
+
+    fn default_format_section_header(type_name: &str, section_id: &str, _data: &Value) -> Result<String, Error> {
+        Ok(format!("{}: {}\n", type_name, section_id))
+    }
+
+    fn default_format_section_content(
+        _type_name: &str,
+        section_id: &str,
+        key: &str,
+        value: &Value,
+    ) -> Result<String, Error> {
+
+        let text = match value {
+            Value::Null => { return Ok(String::new()) }, // return empty string (delete)
+            Value::Bool(v) => v.to_string(),
+            Value::String(v) => v.to_string(),
+            Value::Number(v) => v.to_string(),
+            _ => {
+                bail!("got unsupported type in section '{}' key '{}'", section_id, key);
+            },
+        };
+
+        if text.chars().any(|c| c.is_control()) {
+            bail!("detected unexpected control character in section '{}' key '{}'", section_id, key);
+        }
+
+        Ok(format!("\t{} {}\n", key, text))
+    }
+
+    fn default_parse_section_content(line: &str) -> Option<(String, String)> {
+
+        if line.is_empty() { return None; }
+        let first_char = line.chars().next().unwrap();
+
+        if !first_char.is_whitespace() { return None }
+
+        let mut kv_iter = line.trim_start().splitn(2, |c: char| c.is_whitespace());
+
+        let key = match kv_iter.next() {
+            Some(v) => v.trim(),
+            None => return None,
+        };
+
+        if key.len() == 0 { return None; }
+
+        let value = match kv_iter.next() {
+            Some(v) => v.trim(),
+            None => return None,
+        };
+
+        Some((key.into(), value.into()))
+   }
+
+    fn default_parse_section_header(line: &str) -> Option<(String, String)> {
+
+        if line.is_empty() { return None; };
+
+        let first_char = line.chars().next().unwrap();
+
+        if !first_char.is_alphabetic() { return None }
+
+        let mut head_iter = line.splitn(2, ':');
+
+        let section_type = match head_iter.next() {
+            Some(v) => v.trim(),
+            None => return None,
+        };
+
+        if section_type.len() == 0 { return None; }
+
+        let section_id = match head_iter.next() {
+            Some(v) => v.trim(),
+            None => return None,
+        };
+
+        Some((section_type.into(), section_id.into()))
+    }
+}
+
+// cargo test test_section_config1 -- --nocapture
+#[test]
+fn test_section_config1() {
+
+    let filename = "storage.cfg";
+
+    //let mut file = File::open(filename).expect("file not found");
+    //let mut contents = String::new();
+    //file.read_to_string(&mut contents).unwrap();
+
+    const PROPERTIES: ObjectSchema = ObjectSchema::new(
+        "lvmthin properties",
+        &[
+            ("content", true, &StringSchema::new("Storage content types.").schema()),
+            ("thinpool", false, &StringSchema::new("LVM thin pool name.").schema()),
+            ("vgname", false, &StringSchema::new("LVM volume group name.").schema()),
+        ],
+    );
+
+    let plugin = SectionConfigPlugin::new("lvmthin".to_string(), &PROPERTIES);
+
+    const ID_SCHEMA: Schema = StringSchema::new("Storage ID schema.")
+        .min_length(3)
+        .schema();
+
+    let mut config = SectionConfig::new(&ID_SCHEMA);
+    config.register_plugin(plugin);
+
+    let raw = r"
+
+lvmthin: local-lvm
+        thinpool data
+        vgname pve5
+        content rootdir,images
+
+lvmthin: local-lvm2
+        thinpool data
+        vgname pve5
+        content rootdir,images
+";
+
+    let res = config.parse(filename, &raw);
+    println!("RES: {:?}", res);
+    let raw = config.write(filename, &res.unwrap());
+    println!("CONFIG:\n{}", raw.unwrap());
+
+
+}