Patent ID: 8190723

Claim:
A method comprising machine-implemented steps of: receiving a syntax information for a command help syntax of a network device; sending a seed command to the network device; receiving and storing a response from the network device; creating and storing information identifying a set of commands that the network device supports, based on the response, in a database of command knowledge; repeating the following steps (i) through (iii) for each command of the set of commands that the network device supports until the information in the database represents all commands and parameters that the network device supports: (i) determining and sending to the network device one or more command requests containing the each command that cause the network device to respond with additional information defining supported commands, said one or more command requests include a valid Internet Protocol (IP) address for an interface of a wireless access point in response to determining that said each command allows configuring the interface; (ii) creating and storing additional information identifying additional commands or parameters supported by the network device, based on responses from the network device to the one or more command requests, in the database; and (iii) upon determining that a first set of additional information received in response to a first command request containing the each command is the same as a second set of additional information received in response to a second command request containing the each command, wherein the second command request includes a parameter from the first set of additional information, performing the steps of (a) storing in the database of command knowledge information that indicates that an unlimited parameter list exists for the each command; and (b) discontinuing the repeating for the each command; detecting a response that indicates when a previously issued command has caused the network device to change command context; and storing information defining subsequent commands and parameters in a different context in the database of command knowledge, wherein the machine-implemented steps are performed by one or more computing devices comprising one or more processors.