Patent ID: 7441018

Claim:
A network device-implemented method comprising: concurrently storing, within a configuration database of a network device, a first set of interface configuration information and a second set of interface configuration information for a physical interface slot of the network device, wherein the first set of interface configuration information and the second set of interface configuration information specify different types of interface cards for the physical interface slot; detecting a type of interface card installed in the physical interface slot of the network device; presenting the first set of interface configuration information in a first format when the type of interface card installed in the interface slot is the type of interface card specified by the first set of interface configuration information; presenting the first set of interface configuration information in a second format when the type of interface card installed in the interface slot is not the type of interface card specified by the first set of interface configuration information; presenting the second set of interface configuration information in the first format when the type of interface card installed in the interface slot is the type of interface specified by the second set of interface configuration information; and presenting the second set of interface configuration information in the second format when the type of interface card installed in the interface slot is not the type of interface card specified by the second set of interface configuration information.