diff --git a/log_helpers b/log_helpers
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..274294e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/log_helpers
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# set -x 
+
+if [ ${log_helpers_sourced:-1} = "1" ]; then
+    readonly log_helpers_sourced=${BASH_SOURCE[0]}
+else
+    printf "$loh_helpers_sourced already sourced\n" &>2
+    return 0
+fi 
+
+readonly DEBUG=0
+readonly INFO=1
+readonly WARN=2
+readonly CRIT=3
+readonly FATAL=4
+readonly MAX_DEBUG_LEVEL=5
+
+log_level=0
+
+set_dbg_level () {
+    if [ $1 < $MAX_DEBUG_LEVEL ]; then
+        log_level=$1
+    fi
+}
+
+dbg_level () {
+    return $log_level
+}
+
+log() {
+    local log_file=/var/log/update_controller.log
+    if [ -f "$log_file" ]; then
+        touch $log_file
+    fi
+
+    if [[ "$(wc -l < $log_file)" > "100000" ]]; then
+        # remove first line
+        sed -e 1d -i $log_file
+    fi
+    local msg="$(date +'%Y-%m-%d_%T'): $*"
+    printf "$msg\n" >&2
+    printf "$msg\n" >> $log_file
+}
+
+log_debug() {
+    if [ $log_level = $DEBUG ]; then
+        log "DEBUG $*"
+    fi
+}
+
+log_info() {
+    if [ $log_level -le $INFO ]; then
+        log "INFO  $*"
+    fi
+}
+
+log_warn() {
+    if [ $log_level -le $WARN ]; then
+        log "WARN  $*"
+    fi
+}
+
+log_crit() {
+    if [ $log_level -le $CRIT ]; then
+        log "CRIT  $*"
+    fi
+}
+
+log_fatal() {
+    if [ $log_level -le $FATAL ]; then
+        log "FATAL  $*"
+        log "exiting ..."
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
+# log "test message1" "test message2"