1. In a client network device, a program routine execution layer external to a command line interface (CLI)-based application program and adapted to provide an interface between the CLI-based application program and a remote network device, the program routine execution layer further adapted to: receive at least one predefined CLI-based command selected by the CLI-based application program, the predefined CLI-command defined externally to the CLI-based application program; transmit the received at least one predefined CLI-based command to the remote network device to obtain data corresponding to the remote network device; receive a CLI-based response from the remote network device wherein the CLI-based response includes the data corresponding to the remote network device; extract a subset of the received data from the CLI-based response based on predetermined instructions; and reconfigure the extracted subset of data into a predetermined format, wherein the CLI-based application program is adapted to query the reconfigured extracted subset of data to obtain the data corresponding to the remote network device.