add helper methods.

src/DotNetCore.CAP/IStorage.cs

 using System.Threading;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using DotNetCore.CAP.Dashboard;
 
 namespace DotNetCore.CAP
 {
@@ -12,5 +13,9 @@ namespace DotNetCore.CAP
         /// Initializes the storage. For example, making sure a database is created and migrations are applied.
         /// </summary>
         Task InitializeAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken);
+
+        IMonitoringApi GetMonitoringApi();
+
+        IStorageConnection GetConnection();
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file

src/DotNetCore.CAP/IStorageConnection.cs

@@ -63,5 +63,15 @@ namespace DotNetCore.CAP
         /// Creates and returns an <see cref="IStorageTransaction"/>.
         /// </summary>
         IStorageTransaction CreateTransaction();
+
+
+        //-------------------------------------------
+        long GetSetCount(string key);
+
+        List<string> GetRangeFromSet(string key, int startingFrom, int endingAt);
+
+        MessageData GetJobData( string jobId);
+
+        StateData GetStateData(string jobId);
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file

src/DotNetCore.CAP/Infrastructure/Helper.cs

 using System;
 using System.ComponentModel;
+using System.Globalization;
 using System.Reflection;
 using Newtonsoft.Json;
 
@@ -49,6 +50,22 @@ namespace DotNetCore.CAP.Infrastructure
             return Epoch.AddSeconds(value);
         }
 
+        public static string SerializeDateTime(DateTime value)
+        {
+            return value.ToString("o", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
+        }
+
+        public static DateTime DeserializeDateTime(string value)
+        {
+            long timestamp;
+            if (long.TryParse(value, out timestamp))
+            {
+                return FromTimestamp(timestamp);
+            }
+
+            return DateTime.Parse(value, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind);
+        }
+
         public static bool IsController(TypeInfo typeInfo)
         {
             if (!typeInfo.IsClass)