diff --git a/tuned/plugins/plugin_cpu.py b/tuned/plugins/plugin_cpu.py
index 217bc9a..e3092df 100644
--- a/tuned/plugins/plugin_cpu.py
+++ b/tuned/plugins/plugin_cpu.py
@@ -75,8 +75,7 @@ class CPULatencyPlugin(base.Plugin):
 
 	def _is_cpu_online(self, device):
 		sd = str(device)
-		# CPU0 is always online
-		return sd == "cpu0" or self._cmd.read_file("/sys/devices/system/cpu/%s/online" % sd).strip() == "1"
+		return self._cmd.is_cpu_online(str(device).replace("cpu", ""))
 
 	def _instance_init(self, instance):
 		instance._has_static_tuning = True
diff --git a/tuned/profiles/functions/function_cpulist2hex.py b/tuned/profiles/functions/function_cpulist2hex.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2aacb13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tuned/profiles/functions/function_cpulist2hex.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import os
+import tuned.logs
+import base
+from tuned.utils.commands import commands
+
+log = tuned.logs.get()
+
+class cpulist2hex(base.Function):
+	"""
+	Conversion function: converts CPU list to hexadecimal CPU mask
+	"""
+	def __init__(self):
+		# arbitrary number of arguments
+		super(self.__class__, self).__init__("cpulist2hex", 0)
+
+	def execute(self, args):
+		if not super(self.__class__, self).execute(args):
+			return None
+		return self._cmd.cpulist2hex(",".join(args))
diff --git a/tuned/profiles/functions/function_cpus_online.py b/tuned/profiles/functions/function_cpus_online.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d036ba6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tuned/profiles/functions/function_cpus_online.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import os
+import tuned.logs
+import base
+from tuned.utils.commands import commands
+
+log = tuned.logs.get()
+
+class cpus_online(base.Function):
+	"""
+	Checks whether CPUs from list are online, returns list containing
+	only online CPUs
+	"""
+	def __init__(self):
+		# arbitrary number of arguments
+		super(self.__class__, self).__init__("cpus_online", 0)
+
+	def execute(self, args):
+		if not super(self.__class__, self).execute(args):
+			return None
+		cpus = ",".join(args)
+		return ",".join(filter(lambda cpu: self._cmd.is_cpu_online(cpu), cpus.split(",")))
diff --git a/tuned/profiles/functions/function_hex2cpulist.py b/tuned/profiles/functions/function_hex2cpulist.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76338f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tuned/profiles/functions/function_hex2cpulist.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import os
+import tuned.logs
+import base
+from tuned.utils.commands import commands
+
+log = tuned.logs.get()
+
+class hex2cpulist(base.Function):
+	"""
+	Conversion function: converts hexadecimal CPU mask to CPU list
+	"""
+	def __init__(self):
+		# one argument
+		super(self.__class__, self).__init__("hex2cpulist", 1)
+
+	def execute(self, args):
+		if not super(self.__class__, self).execute(args):
+			return None
+		return ",".join(self._cmd.hex2cpulist(args[0]))
diff --git a/tuned/profiles/functions/function_kb2s.py b/tuned/profiles/functions/function_kb2s.py
index 7bdb381..d5deabd 100644
--- a/tuned/profiles/functions/function_kb2s.py
+++ b/tuned/profiles/functions/function_kb2s.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ class kb2s(base.Function):
 	Conversion function: kbytes to sectors
 	"""
 	def __init__(self):
-		# 1 argument
+		# one argument
 		super(self.__class__, self).__init__("kb2s", 1)
 
 	def execute(self, args):
diff --git a/tuned/profiles/functions/function_s2kb.py b/tuned/profiles/functions/function_s2kb.py
index f7e03da..021d103 100644
--- a/tuned/profiles/functions/function_s2kb.py
+++ b/tuned/profiles/functions/function_s2kb.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ class s2kb(base.Function):
 	Conversion function: sectors to kbytes
 	"""
 	def __init__(self):
-		# 1 argument
+		# one argument
 		super(self.__class__, self).__init__("s2kb", 1)
 
 	def execute(self, args):
diff --git a/tuned/profiles/functions/functions.py b/tuned/profiles/functions/functions.py
index 335a0b9..3489cf6 100644
--- a/tuned/profiles/functions/functions.py
+++ b/tuned/profiles/functions/functions.py
@@ -43,6 +43,6 @@ class Functions():
 	def expand(self, s):
 		if s is None:
 			return s
-		r = re.compile(r'(?<!\\)\${f:([\w:\\]+)}')
+		r = re.compile(r'(?<!\\)\${f:([^}]+)}')
 		# expand functions and convert all \${f:*} to ${f:*} (unescape)
-		return re.sub(r'\\(\${f:[\w:\\]+})', r'\1', r.sub(self.sub_func, s))
+		return re.sub(r'\\(\${f:[^}]+})', r'\1', r.sub(self.sub_func, s))
diff --git a/tuned/utils/commands.py b/tuned/utils/commands.py
index dd95a13..ec3f648 100644
--- a/tuned/utils/commands.py
+++ b/tuned/utils/commands.py
@@ -59,14 +59,15 @@ class commands:
 			self._error("Writing to file %s error: %s" % (f, e))
 		return rc
 
-	def read_file(self, f, err_ret = ""):
+	def read_file(self, f, err_ret = "", no_error = False):
 		old_value = err_ret
 		try:
 			f = open(f, "r")
 			old_value = f.read()
 			f.close()
 		except (OSError,IOError) as e:
-			self._error("Reading %s error: %s" % (f, e))
+			if not no_error:
+				self._error("Reading %s error: %s" % (f, e))
 		return old_value
 
 	def replace_in_file(self, f, pattern, repl):
@@ -110,6 +111,59 @@ class commands:
 			return options.split()[0]
 		return options
 
+	# Checks whether CPU is online
+	def is_cpu_online(self, cpu):
+		scpu = str(cpu)
+		# CPU0 is always online
+		return cpu == "0" or self.read_file("/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu%s/online" % scpu, no_error = True).strip() == "1"
+
+	# Converts hexadecimal CPU mask to CPU list
+	def hex2cpulist(self, mask):
+		if mask is None:
+			return None
+		cpu = 0
+		cpus = []
+		try:
+			m = int(mask, 16)
+		except ValueError:
+			log.error("invalid hexadecimal mask '%s'" % str(mask))
+			return []
+		while m > 0:
+			if m & 1:
+				cpus.append(str(cpu))
+			m >>= 1
+			cpu += 1
+		return cpus
+
+	# Unpacks CPU list, i.e. 1-3 will be converted to 1, 2, 3
+	def unpack_cpulist(self, l):
+		rl = []
+		if l is None:
+			return l
+		ll = str(l).split(",")
+		for v in ll:
+			vl = v.split("-")
+			try:
+				if len(vl) > 1:
+					rl += range(int(vl[0]), int(vl[1]) + 1)
+				else:
+					rl.append(int(vl[0]))
+			except ValueError:
+				return None
+		return sorted(list(set(rl)))
+
+	# Converts CPU list to hexadecimal CPU mask
+	def cpulist2hex(self, l):
+		if l is None:
+			return None
+		m = 0
+		ul = self.unpack_cpulist(l)
+		if ul is None:
+			return None
+		for v in self.unpack_cpulist(l):
+			m |= pow(2, v)
+		return "0x%08x" % m
+
 	def recommend_profile(self):
 		profile = consts.DEFAULT_PROFILE
 		for f in consts.LOAD_DIRECTORIES: