diff --git a/pkg/api/helpers.go b/pkg/api/helpers.go
index 4705e11f..faa7df7c 100644
--- a/pkg/api/helpers.go
+++ b/pkg/api/helpers.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package api
 
 import (
 	"crypto/md5"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
@@ -429,6 +430,14 @@ func NodeSelectorRequirementsAsSelector(nsm []NodeSelectorRequirement) (labels.S
 }
 
 const (
+	// TolerationsAnnotationKey represents the key of tolerations data (json serialized)
+	// in the Annotations of a Pod.
+	TolerationsAnnotationKey string = "scheduler.alpha.kubernetes.io/tolerations"
+
+	// TaintsAnnotationKey represents the key of taints data (json serialized)
+	// in the Annotations of a Node.
+	TaintsAnnotationKey string = "scheduler.alpha.kubernetes.io/taints"
+
 	// SeccompPodAnnotationKey represents the key of a seccomp profile applied
 	// to all containers of a pod.
 	SeccompPodAnnotationKey string = "seccomp.security.alpha.kubernetes.io/pod"
@@ -463,8 +472,26 @@ const (
 	// an object (e.g. secret, config map) before fetching it again from apiserver.
 	// This annotation can be attached to node.
 	ObjectTTLAnnotationKey string = "node.alpha.kubernetes.io/ttl"
+
+	// AffinityAnnotationKey represents the key of affinity data (json serialized)
+	// in the Annotations of a Pod.
+	// TODO: remove when alpha support for affinity is removed
+	AffinityAnnotationKey string = "scheduler.alpha.kubernetes.io/affinity"
 )
 
+// GetTolerationsFromPodAnnotations gets the json serialized tolerations data from Pod.Annotations
+// and converts it to the []Toleration type in api.
+func GetTolerationsFromPodAnnotations(annotations map[string]string) ([]Toleration, error) {
+	var tolerations []Toleration
+	if len(annotations) > 0 && annotations[TolerationsAnnotationKey] != "" {
+		err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(annotations[TolerationsAnnotationKey]), &tolerations)
+		if err != nil {
+			return tolerations, err
+		}
+	}
+	return tolerations, nil
+}
+
 // AddOrUpdateTolerationInPod tries to add a toleration to the pod's toleration list.
 // Returns true if something was updated, false otherwise.
 func AddOrUpdateTolerationInPod(pod *Pod, toleration *Toleration) (bool, error) {
@@ -548,6 +575,19 @@ func (t *Taint) ToString() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%v=%v:%v", t.Key, t.Value, t.Effect)
 }
 
+// GetTaintsFromNodeAnnotations gets the json serialized taints data from Pod.Annotations
+// and converts it to the []Taint type in api.
+func GetTaintsFromNodeAnnotations(annotations map[string]string) ([]Taint, error) {
+	var taints []Taint
+	if len(annotations) > 0 && annotations[TaintsAnnotationKey] != "" {
+		err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(annotations[TaintsAnnotationKey]), &taints)
+		if err != nil {
+			return []Taint{}, err
+		}
+	}
+	return taints, nil
+}
+
 // SysctlsFromPodAnnotations parses the sysctl annotations into a slice of safe Sysctls
 // and a slice of unsafe Sysctls. This is only a convenience wrapper around
 // SysctlsFromPodAnnotation.
@@ -596,6 +636,21 @@ func PodAnnotationsFromSysctls(sysctls []Sysctl) string {
 	return strings.Join(kvs, ",")
 }
 
+// GetAffinityFromPodAnnotations gets the json serialized affinity data from Pod.Annotations
+// and converts it to the Affinity type in api.
+// TODO: remove when alpha support for affinity is removed
+func GetAffinityFromPodAnnotations(annotations map[string]string) (*Affinity, error) {
+	if len(annotations) > 0 && annotations[AffinityAnnotationKey] != "" {
+		var affinity Affinity
+		err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(annotations[AffinityAnnotationKey]), &affinity)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return &affinity, nil
+	}
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
 // GetPersistentVolumeClass returns StorageClassName.
 func GetPersistentVolumeClass(volume *PersistentVolume) string {
 	// Use beta annotation first