System for simultaneous viewing and editing of multiple network device configurations

Abstract

A network configuration development environment is disclosed. In particular, an editor configured to interface with multiple network devices simultaneously, to view and adjust their device configuration settings, is provided. The network configuration development environment allows a system administrator to manage configuration definitions (e.g., run-time or start-up device configuration parameters) relative to a plurality of network devices simultaneously to achieve correctness and appropriate consistency for each of those devices in a network infrastructure. The network development environment may include an ability to apply changes directly to one or more network devices or to apply changes to stored 'configuration files' that are associated with individual devices. Changes to stored configurations may be applied automatically, for example, within a maintenance window for the network, in a controlled manner with a 'roll-back' capability in the event of failure or unexpected result as a consequence of the automatically applied changes.