Network router management interface with API invoked via login stream

A computer-readable medium carrying instructions to cause a programmable processor to:

• establish a secure connection between a network router and a client;
• initiate a command line interface (CLI) process on the network router;
• receive from the client a CLI command;
• and
• in response to the CLI command, accept commands encoded in accordance with an extensible markup language by replacing the CLI process with a management server process in response to the CLI command, wherein the management server process provides an extensible markup language-based application programming interface (API) to the client.

A network router management interface comprising:

• a secure protocol module that provides a secure connection between a network router and a client;
• a command line interface (CLI) module that receives CLI commands from a client;
• and
• a management server module that receives the CLI commands from the CLI module and, in response to one of the CLI commands, accepts commands encoded in accordance with an extensible markup languages,
• wherein the management server module replaces the CLI module with an extensible markup language-based application programming interface (API) to the client.

A method comprising:

• establishing a secure connection between a network router and a client;
• initiating a command line interface (CLI) process on the network router;
• receiving from the client a CLI command;
• in response to the CLI command, providing an application programming interface (API) to receive configuration requests and operational requests encoded with extensible markup language tags;
• accessing a network management interface schema that maps the extensible markup language tags to configuration and operational information associated with software modules running on the network router;
• parsing the configuration requests and the operational requests;
• accessing the corresponding configuration and operational information associated with the software modules according to the network management interface schema;
• and
• emitting replies encoded with extensible markup language tags according to the network management interface schema.

A network router comprising:

• a secure protocol module that provides a secure connection between a network router and a client;
• a command line interface (CLI) module that receives CLI commands from a client;
• and
• a management server module that, wherein, in response to one of the CLI commands, the management server module:
• receives from the client configuration requests and operational requests encoded with extensible markup language tags,
• accesses a network management interface schema that maps the extensible markup language tags to configuration and operational information associated with software modules running on the network router,
• parses the configuration requests and the operational requests,
• accesses the corresponding configuration and operational information associated with the software modules according to the network management interface schema, and
• emits replies encoded with extensible markup language tags according to the network management interface schema.