Patent ID: 8085808

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving an update to information for configuring a network device and an identification of a plurality of network devices intended to receive said update; providing said update to a directory subsystem to modify previously stored information for configuring a network device; sending a notification in response to said update to at least a subset of said plurality of network devices intended to receive said update; receiving a request for information for configuring a network device from a requesting device, said requesting device being one said plurality of network devices intended to receive said update, said request being generated in response to said notification, said request being in a first protocol format, where said first protocol format comprises an extensible markup language (XML) format; retrieving said information from said directory subsystem, said information being in a second protocol format and including information from said update, said second protocol format comprises a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) format; converting said information from said second protocol format to said first protocol format; and transmitting said information in said first protocol format to the requesting device in response to said request.