code: public static byte[] serialize(Object obj) {
      return org.apache.heron.api.utils.Utils.serialize(obj);
    }
docs: /*
  private static Object normalizeConf(Object conf) {
  if(conf==null) return new HashMap();
  if(conf instanceof Map) {
  Map confMap = new HashMap((Map) conf);
  for(Object key: confMap.keySet()) {
  Object val = confMap.get(key);
  confMap.put(key, normalizeConf(val));
  }
  return confMap;
  } else if(conf instanceof List) {
  List confList =  new ArrayList((List) conf);
  for(int i=0; i<confList.size(); i++) {
  Object val = confList.get(i);
  confList.set(i, normalizeConf(val));
  }
  return confList;
  } else if (conf instanceof Integer) {
  return ((Integer) conf).longValue();
  } else if(conf instanceof Float) {
  return ((Float) conf).doubleValue();
  } else {
  return conf;
  }
  }