diff --git a/src/utils/DirectoryUtils.js b/src/utils/DirectoryUtils.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..72e44681b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/DirectoryUtils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// Find a protocol 'instance' with a given instance_id
+// in the supplied protocols dict
+export function instanceForInstanceId(protocols, instance_id) {
+    if (!instance_id) return null;
+    for (const proto of Object.keys(protocols)) {
+        if (!protocols[proto].instances && protocols[proto].instances instanceof Array) continue;
+        for (const instance of protocols[proto].instances) {
+            if (instance.instance_id == instance_id) return instance;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+// given an instance_id, return the name of the protocol for
+// that instance ID in the supplied protocols dict
+export function protocolNameForInstanceId(protocols, instance_id) {
+    if (!instance_id) return null;
+    for (const proto of Object.keys(protocols)) {
+        if (!protocols[proto].instances && protocols[proto].instances instanceof Array) continue;
+        for (const instance of protocols[proto].instances) {
+            if (instance.instance_id == instance_id) return proto;
+        }
+    }
+}