1. A network control system comprising: a software operating layer, stored in a non-transitory storage medium, and responsive to a plurality of function calls wherein the software operating layer uses a logical application programming interface (API) in runtime responsive to the plurality of function calls; an appliance having a physical user interface capable of generating directly at least some of the function calls during the runtime using key press routine mapped to the logical API to access the function calls; and a client having a virtual user interface configured to invoke at least some of the function calls during the runtime using the logical API to operate the appliance; wherein the virtual user interface is configured to invoke at least one function call that the physical user interface cannot generate directly.