diff --git a/swh/core/tests/server_testing.py b/swh/core/tests/server_testing.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e801a3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/core/tests/server_testing.py
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2015-2018  The Software Heritage developers
+# See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
+# License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
+# See top-level LICENSE file for more information
+
+import abc
+import aiohttp
+import multiprocessing
+import socket
+import time
+
+from urllib.request import urlopen
+
+
+class ServerTestFixtureBaseClass(metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
+    """Base class for http client/server testing implementations.
+
+    Override this class to implement the following methods:
+    - process_config: to do something needed for the server
+      configuration (e.g propagate the configuration to other part)
+    - define_worker_function: define the function that will actually
+      run the server.
+
+    To ensure test isolation, each test will run in a different server
+    and a different folder.
+
+    In order to correctly work, the subclass must call the parents
+    class's setUp() and tearDown() methods.
+
+    """
+    def setUp(self):
+        super().setUp()
+        self.start_server()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        self.stop_server()
+        super().tearDown()
+
+    def url(self):
+        return 'http://127.0.0.1:%d/' % self.port
+
+    def process_config(self):
+        """Process the server's configuration.  Do something useful for
+        example, pass along the self.config dictionary inside the
+        self.app.
+
+        By default, do nothing.
+
+        """
+        pass
+
+    @abc.abstractmethod
+    def define_worker_function(self, app, port):
+        """Define how the actual implementation server will run.
+
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def start_server(self):
+        """ Spawn the API server using multiprocessing.
+        """
+        self.process = None
+
+        self.process_config()
+
+        # Get an available port number
+        sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+        sock.bind(('127.0.0.1', 0))
+        self.port = sock.getsockname()[1]
+        sock.close()
+
+        worker_fn = self.define_worker_function()
+
+        self.process = multiprocessing.Process(
+            target=worker_fn, args=(self.app, self.port)
+        )
+        self.process.start()
+
+        # Wait max 5 seconds for server to spawn
+        i = 0
+        while i < 500:
+            try:
+                urlopen(self.url())
+            except Exception:
+                i += 1
+                time.sleep(0.01)
+            else:
+                return
+
+    def stop_server(self):
+        """ Terminate the API server's process.
+        """
+        if self.process:
+            self.process.terminate()
+
+
+class ServerTestFixture(ServerTestFixtureBaseClass):
+    """Base class for http client/server testing (e.g flask).
+
+    Mix this in a test class in order to have access to an http server
+    running in background.
+
+    Note that the subclass should define a dictionary in self.config
+    that contains the server config.  And an application in self.app
+    that corresponds to the type of server the tested client needs.
+
+    To ensure test isolation, each test will run in a different server
+    and a different folder.
+
+    In order to correctly work, the subclass must call the parents
+    class's setUp() and tearDown() methods.
+    """
+    def process_config(self):
+        # WSGI app configuration
+        for key, value in self.config.items():
+            self.app.config[key] = value
+
+    def define_worker_function(self):
+        def worker(app, port):
+            return app.run(port=port, use_reloader=False)
+
+        return worker
+
+
+class ServerTestFixtureAsync(ServerTestFixtureBaseClass):
+    """Base class for http client/server async testing (e.g aiohttp).
+
+    Mix this in a test class in order to have access to an http server
+    running in background.
+
+    Note that the subclass should define an application in self.app
+    that corresponds to the type of server the tested client needs.
+
+    To ensure test isolation, each test will run in a different server
+    and a different folder.
+
+    In order to correctly work, the subclass must call the parents
+    class's setUp() and tearDown() methods.
+
+    """
+    def define_worker_function(self):
+        def worker(app, port):
+            return aiohttp.web.run_app(app, port=int(port),
+                                       print=lambda *_: None)
+
+        return worker