1. In a chassis, a method for configuring components to implement a network diagnostic function, the method comprising: an act of receiving application instructions; an act of referring to a component mapping to identify components that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions; an act of generating mapped application instructions in accordance with the referred to component mapping; an act of referring to a component description language to identify corresponding compatible low-level instructions for configuring the identified components; and an act of sending compatible low-level instructions to the identified components to configure the identified components to implement the received application instructions.