diff --git a/crud/common/sharding/sharding_func.lua b/crud/common/sharding/sharding_func.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..74ba12f12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crud/common/sharding/sharding_func.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+local errors = require('errors')
+local log = require('log')
+
+local dev_checks = require('crud.common.dev_checks')
+local utils = require('crud.common.utils')
+local cache = require('crud.common.sharding.sharding_metadata_cache')
+
+local ShardingFuncError = errors.new_class('ShardingFuncError',  {capture_stack = false})
+
+local sharding_func_module = {}
+
+local function is_callable(object)
+    if type(object) == 'function' then
+        return true
+    end
+
+    -- all objects with type `cdata` are allowed
+    -- because there is no easy way to get
+    -- metatable.__call of object with type `cdata`
+    if type(object) == 'cdata' then
+        return true
+    end
+
+    local object_metatable = getmetatable(object)
+    if (type(object) == 'table' or type(object) == 'userdata') then
+        -- if metatable type is not `table` -> metatable is protected ->
+        -- cannot detect metamethod `__call` exists
+        if object_metatable and type(object_metatable) ~= 'table' then
+            return true
+        end
+
+        -- `__call` metamethod can be only the `function`
+        -- and cannot be a `table` | `userdata` | `cdata`
+        -- with `__call` methamethod on its own
+        if object_metatable and object_metatable.__call then
+            return type(object_metatable.__call) == 'function'
+        end
+    end
+
+    return false
+end
+
+local function get_function_from_G(func_name)
+    local chunks = string.split(func_name, '.')
+    local sharding_func = _G
+
+    -- check is the each chunk an identifier
+    for _, chunk in pairs(chunks) do
+        if not utils.check_name_isident(chunk) or sharding_func == nil then
+            return nil
+        end
+        sharding_func = rawget(sharding_func, chunk)
+    end
+
+    return sharding_func
+end
+
+local function as_callable_object(sharding_func_def, space_name)
+    if type(sharding_func_def) == 'string' then
+        local sharding_func = get_function_from_G(sharding_func_def)
+        if sharding_func ~= nil and is_callable(sharding_func) == true then
+            return sharding_func
+        end
+    end
+
+    if type(sharding_func_def) == 'table' then
+        local sharding_func, err = loadstring('return ' .. sharding_func_def.body)
+        if sharding_func == nil then
+            return nil, ShardingFuncError:new(
+                    "Body is incorrect in sharding_func for space (%s): %s", space_name, err)
+        end
+        return sharding_func()
+    end
+
+    return nil, ShardingFuncError:new(
+            "Wrong sharding function specified in _ddl_sharding_func space for (%s) space", space_name
+    )
+end
+
+function sharding_func_module.extract_function_def(tuple)
+    if not tuple then
+        return nil
+    end
+
+    if tuple.sharding_func_body ~= nil then
+        return {body = tuple.sharding_func_body}
+    end
+
+    if tuple.sharding_func_name ~= nil then
+        return tuple.sharding_func_name
+    end
+
+    return nil
+end
+
+sharding_func_module.internal = {
+    as_callable_object = as_callable_object,
+    is_callable = is_callable,
+}
+
+return sharding_func_module
diff --git a/crud/common/utils.lua b/crud/common/utils.lua
index d7a629417..56c9e6939 100644
--- a/crud/common/utils.lua
+++ b/crud/common/utils.lua
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ local errors = require('errors')
 local ffi = require('ffi')
 local vshard = require('vshard')
 local fun = require('fun')
+local bit = require('bit')
 
 local schema = require('crud.common.schema')
 local dev_checks = require('crud.common.dev_checks')
@@ -17,6 +18,54 @@ local utils = {}
 
 local space_format_cache = setmetatable({}, {__mode = 'k'})
 
+-- copy from LuaJIT lj_char.c
+local lj_char_bits = {
+    0,
+    1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  3,  3,  3,  3,  3,  1,  1,
+    1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,
+    2,  4,  4,  4,  4,  4,  4,  4,  4,  4,  4,  4,  4,  4,  4,  4,
+    152,152,152,152,152,152,152,152,152,152,  4,  4,  4,  4,  4,  4,
+    4,176,176,176,176,176,176,160,160,160,160,160,160,160,160,160,
+    160,160,160,160,160,160,160,160,160,160,160,  4,  4,  4,  4,132,
+    4,208,208,208,208,208,208,192,192,192,192,192,192,192,192,192,
+    192,192,192,192,192,192,192,192,192,192,192,  4,  4,  4,  4,  1,
+    128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,
+    128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,
+    128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,
+    128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,
+    128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,
+    128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,
+    128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,
+    128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128,128
+}
+
+local LJ_CHAR_IDENT = 0x80
+local LJ_CHAR_DIGIT = 0x08
+
+local LUA_KEYWORDS = {
+    ['and'] = true,
+    ['end'] = true,
+    ['in'] = true,
+    ['repeat'] = true,
+    ['break'] = true,
+    ['false'] = true,
+    ['local'] = true,
+    ['return'] = true,
+    ['do'] = true,
+    ['for'] = true,
+    ['nil'] = true,
+    ['then'] = true,
+    ['else'] = true,
+    ['function'] = true,
+    ['not'] = true,
+    ['true'] = true,
+    ['elseif'] = true,
+    ['if'] = true,
+    ['or'] = true,
+    ['until'] = true,
+    ['while'] = true,
+}
+
 function utils.table_count(table)
     dev_checks("table")
 
@@ -606,4 +655,40 @@ function utils.merge_options(opts_a, opts_b)
     return fun.chain(opts_a or {}, opts_b or {}):tomap()
 end
 
+local function lj_char_isident(n)
+    return bit.band(lj_char_bits[n + 2], LJ_CHAR_IDENT) == LJ_CHAR_IDENT
+end
+
+local function lj_char_isdigit(n)
+    return bit.band(lj_char_bits[n + 2], LJ_CHAR_DIGIT) == LJ_CHAR_DIGIT
+end
+
+function utils.check_name_isident(name)
+    dev_checks('string')
+
+    -- sharding function name cannot
+    -- be equal to lua keyword
+    if LUA_KEYWORDS[name] then
+        return false
+    end
+
+    -- sharding function name cannot
+    -- begin with a digit
+    local char_number = string.byte(name:sub(1,1))
+    if lj_char_isdigit(char_number) then
+        return false
+    end
+
+    -- sharding func name must be sequence
+    -- of letters, digits, or underscore symbols
+    for i = 1, #name do
+        local char_number = string.byte(name:sub(i,i))
+        if not lj_char_isident(char_number) then
+            return false
+        end
+    end
+
+    return true
+end
+
 return utils
diff --git a/test/unit/sharding_metadata_test.lua b/test/unit/sharding_metadata_test.lua
index ece8d793d..875fac6d8 100644
--- a/test/unit/sharding_metadata_test.lua
+++ b/test/unit/sharding_metadata_test.lua
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 local t = require('luatest')
+local ffi = require('ffi')
 local sharding_metadata_module = require('crud.common.sharding.sharding_metadata')
 local sharding_key_module = require('crud.common.sharding.sharding_key')
+local sharding_func_module = require('crud.common.sharding.sharding_func')
 local cache = require('crud.common.sharding.sharding_metadata_cache')
 local utils = require('crud.common.utils')
 
@@ -249,3 +251,155 @@ g.test_is_part_of_pk_negative = function()
     local res = is_part_of_pk(space_name, index_parts, sharding_key_as_index_obj)
     t.assert_equals(res, false)
 end
+
+g.test_as_callable_object_func_body = function()
+    local sharding_func_def = {body = 'function(key) return key end'}
+
+    local callable_obj, err = sharding_func_module.internal.as_callable_object(sharding_func_def,
+                                                                              'space_name')
+    t.assert_equals(err, nil)
+    t.assert_equals(type(callable_obj), 'function')
+    t.assert_equals(callable_obj(5), 5)
+end
+
+g.test_as_callable_object_G_func = function()
+    local some_module = {
+        sharding_func = function(key) return key % 10 end
+    }
+    local module_name = 'some_module'
+    local sharding_func_def = 'some_module.sharding_func'
+    rawset(_G, module_name, some_module)
+
+    local callable_obj, err = sharding_func_module.internal.as_callable_object(sharding_func_def,
+                                                                              'space_name')
+    t.assert_equals(err, nil)
+    t.assert_equals(callable_obj, some_module.sharding_func)
+
+    rawset(_G, module_name, nil)
+end
+
+g.test_as_callable_object_func_body_negative = function()
+    local sharding_func_def = {body = 'function(key) return key'}
+
+    local callable_obj, err = sharding_func_module.internal.as_callable_object(sharding_func_def,
+                                                                              'space_name')
+    t.assert_equals(callable_obj, nil)
+    t.assert_str_contains(err.err,
+            'Body is incorrect in sharding_func for space (space_name)')
+end
+
+g.test_as_callable_object_G_func_not_exist = function()
+    local sharding_func_def = 'some_module.sharding_func'
+
+    local callable_obj, err = sharding_func_module.internal.as_callable_object(sharding_func_def,
+                                                                              'space_name')
+    t.assert_equals(callable_obj, nil)
+    t.assert_str_contains(err.err,
+            'Wrong sharding function specified in _ddl_sharding_func space for (space_name) space')
+end
+
+g.test_as_callable_object_G_func_keyword = function()
+    local sharding_func_def = 'and'
+    rawset(_G, sharding_func_def, function(key) return key % 10 end)
+
+    local callable_obj, err = sharding_func_module.internal.as_callable_object(sharding_func_def,
+                                                                             'space_name')
+    t.assert_equals(callable_obj, nil)
+    t.assert_str_contains(err.err,
+            'Wrong sharding function specified in _ddl_sharding_func space for (space_name) space')
+
+    rawset(_G, sharding_func_def, nil)
+end
+
+g.test_as_callable_object_G_func_begin_with_digit = function()
+    local sharding_func_def = '5incorrect_name'
+    rawset(_G, sharding_func_def, function(key) return key % 10 end)
+
+    local callable_obj, err = sharding_func_module.internal.as_callable_object(sharding_func_def,
+                                                                              'space_name')
+    t.assert_equals(callable_obj, nil)
+    t.assert_str_contains(err.err,
+            'Wrong sharding function specified in _ddl_sharding_func space for (space_name) space')
+
+    rawset(_G, sharding_func_def, nil)
+end
+
+g.test_as_callable_object_G_func_incorrect_symbol = function()
+    local sharding_func_def = 'incorrect-name'
+    rawset(_G, sharding_func_def, function(key) return key % 10 end)
+
+    local callable_obj, err = sharding_func_module.internal.as_callable_object(sharding_func_def,
+                                                                              'space_name')
+    t.assert_equals(callable_obj, nil)
+    t.assert_str_contains(err.err,
+            'Wrong sharding function specified in _ddl_sharding_func space for (space_name) space')
+
+    rawset(_G, sharding_func_def, nil)
+end
+
+g.test_as_callable_object_invalid_type = function()
+    local sharding_func_def = 5
+
+    local callable_obj, err = sharding_func_module.internal.as_callable_object(sharding_func_def,
+                                                                              'space_name')
+    t.assert_equals(callable_obj, nil)
+    t.assert_str_contains(err.err,
+            'Wrong sharding function specified in _ddl_sharding_func space for (space_name) space')
+end
+
+g.test_is_callable_func = function()
+    local sharding_func_obj = function(key) return key end
+
+    local ok = sharding_func_module.internal.is_callable(sharding_func_obj)
+    t.assert_equals(ok, true)
+end
+
+g.test_is_callable_table_positive = function()
+    local sharding_func_table = setmetatable({}, {
+        __call = function(_, key) return key end
+    })
+
+    local ok = sharding_func_module.internal.is_callable(sharding_func_table)
+    t.assert_equals(ok, true)
+end
+
+g.test_is_callable_table_negative = function()
+    local sharding_func_table = setmetatable({}, {})
+
+    local ok = sharding_func_module.internal.is_callable(sharding_func_table)
+    t.assert_equals(ok, false)
+end
+
+g.test_is_callable_userdata_positive = function()
+    local sharding_func_userdata = newproxy(true)
+    local mt = getmetatable(sharding_func_userdata)
+    mt.__call = function(_, key) return key end
+
+    local ok = sharding_func_module.internal.is_callable(sharding_func_userdata)
+    t.assert_equals(ok, true)
+end
+
+g.test_is_callable_userdata_negative = function()
+    local sharding_func_userdata = newproxy(true)
+    local mt = getmetatable(sharding_func_userdata)
+    mt.__call = {}
+
+    local ok = sharding_func_module.internal.is_callable(sharding_func_userdata)
+    t.assert_equals(ok, false)
+end
+
+g.test_is_callable_cdata = function()
+    ffi.cdef[[
+        typedef struct
+        {
+            int data;
+        } test_check_struct_t;
+    ]]
+    ffi.metatype('test_check_struct_t', {
+        __call = function(_, key) return key end
+    })
+    local sharding_func_cdata = ffi.new('test_check_struct_t')
+
+    local ok = sharding_func_module.internal.is_callable(sharding_func_cdata)
+    t.assert_equals(ok, true)
+end