Patent ID: 7483965

Claim:
A method comprising: storing current configuration data for a network device in a first database on the network device; providing a management interface to a plurality of clients via which the clients enter text-based commands; receiving from each of a first portion of the plurality of clients a respective command that directs the network device to enter a first configuration mode specified by the command; placing the network device in the first configuration mode specified by the command by creating a second database on the network device that stores a copy of the configuration data of the first database and allowing the first portion of the plurality of clients to access the second database and edit the configuration data of the second database simultaneously; receiving from each of a second portion of the plurality of clients a respective command that directs the network device to enter a second configuration mode specified by the command; placing the network device in the second configuration mode specified by the command by creating, for each of clients of the second portion of the plurality of clients, a respective private database on the network device that stores a copy of the configuration data of the first database and allowing the second portion of the plurality of clients to edit the respective private databases such that each of the private databases is edited by only one of the clients of the second portion of the plurality of clients; and comparing the edited configuration data of the second database or one of the plurality of private databases to the configuration data of the first database to generate a configuration patch that lists any differences between the edited configuration data of the second database or one of the plurality of private databases and the configuration data of the first database.