diff --git a/pkg/storage/donut/erasure/erasure.go b/pkg/storage/donut/erasure/erasure.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5a2d7d0e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/storage/donut/erasure/erasure.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package erasure
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+
+	"github.com/minio-io/minio/pkg/storage/donut/erasure/erasure1"
+)
+
+type EncoderTechnique int
+
+const (
+	// Vandermonde matrix type
+	Vandermonde EncoderTechnique = iota
+	// Cauchy matrix type
+	Cauchy
+)
+
+// Write latest donut format
+func Write(target io.Writer, key string, part uint8, length uint32, k, m uint8, technique EncoderTechnique, data io.Reader) error {
+	var versionedTechnique erasure1.EncoderTechnique
+	switch {
+	case technique == Vandermonde:
+		versionedTechnique = erasure1.Vandermonde
+	case technique == Cauchy:
+		versionedTechnique = erasure1.Cauchy
+	default:
+		errors.New("Unknown encoder technique")
+	}
+	return erasure1.Write(target, key, part, length, k, m, versionedTechnique, data)
+}
+
+// Read any donut format
+func Read(reader io.Reader) (io.Reader, error) {
+	// when version2 is created, create a method in version2 that can transform version1 structure to version2
+	return nil, errors.New("Not Implemented")
+}
diff --git a/pkg/storage/donut/erasure/erasure1/erasure.go b/pkg/storage/donut/erasure/erasure1/erasure.go
index 5cfe885b2..a40da6844 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/donut/erasure/erasure1/erasure.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/donut/erasure/erasure1/erasure.go
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ import (
 	"encoding/gob"
 	"errors"
 	"io"
+	"strconv"
+)
+
+const (
+	Version = uint32(1)
 )
 
 // DataHeader represents the structure serialized to gob.
@@ -84,7 +89,7 @@ func Write(target io.Writer, key string, part uint8, length uint32, k, m uint8,
 	encoder.Encode(header)
 
 	// write version
-	binary.Write(target, binary.LittleEndian, uint32(1))
+	binary.Write(target, binary.LittleEndian, uint32(Version))
 
 	// write encoded header
 	if _, err := io.Copy(target, &headerBuffer); err != nil {
@@ -96,3 +101,18 @@ func Write(target io.Writer, key string, part uint8, length uint32, k, m uint8,
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// Read an erasure block
+func ReadHeader(reader io.Reader) (dataHeader DataHeader, err error) {
+	versionArray := make([]byte, 4)
+	if err := binary.Read(reader, binary.LittleEndian, versionArray); err != nil {
+		return dataHeader, err
+	}
+	version := binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(versionArray)
+	if version > Version || version == 0 {
+		return dataHeader, errors.New("Unknown version: " + strconv.FormatUint(uint64(version), 10))
+	}
+	decoder := gob.NewDecoder(reader)
+	err = decoder.Decode(&dataHeader)
+	return dataHeader, err
+}
diff --git a/pkg/storage/donut/erasure/erasure1/erasure_test.go b/pkg/storage/donut/erasure/erasure1/erasure_test.go
index 8111aeab8..37a1a3af4 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/donut/erasure/erasure1/erasure_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/donut/erasure/erasure1/erasure_test.go
@@ -66,3 +66,25 @@ func (s *MySuite) TestSingleWrite(c *C) {
 	c.Assert(actualData.Bytes(), DeepEquals, []byte(testData))
 	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
 }
+
+func (s *MySuite) TestReadWrite(c *C) {
+	var testBuffer bytes.Buffer
+	testData := "Hello, World"
+	testHeader := DataHeader{
+		Key:              "testobj",
+		ChunkIndex:       1,
+		OriginalLength:   uint32(len(testData)),
+		EncoderK:         8,
+		EncoderM:         8,
+		EncoderTechnique: Cauchy,
+	}
+
+	err := Write(&testBuffer, testHeader.Key, testHeader.ChunkIndex, testHeader.OriginalLength, testHeader.EncoderK, testHeader.EncoderM, testHeader.EncoderTechnique, bytes.NewBufferString(testData))
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+
+	header, err := ReadHeader(&testBuffer)
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	c.Assert(header, DeepEquals, testHeader)
+	c.Assert(testBuffer.Len(), Equals, len(testData))
+	c.Assert(testBuffer.Bytes(), DeepEquals, []byte(testData))
+}