Abstract: A method for remote management of network elements is disclosed. The method comprises communicating existing software version information from one or more network elements, checking the existing software version information against current software version information, and provisioning those network elements containing outdated software versions by communicating a current software version to those network elements. In addition, the communication of the existing software version information from the one or more network elements and the communication of the current software versions to the network elements may be accomplished using a simple network management protocol (SNMP).

Abstract: A customer premises gateway (CPG) for providing access and control of one or more devices located at a customer premise and coupled to the CPG through one or more physical interfaces is disclosed. The CPG comprises one or more processors in communication with each other. The one or more processors are programmed for associating an application programming interface (API) specific to a particular device with an Internetworking protocol, Transport protocol, software driver, and hardware driver. The processors are also programmed for querying a particular device and retrieving API specification information from the device using the API specific to the device, and generating a Markup-Language-type page for the device in accordance with the API specification information for the device for displaying accessible or controllable parameters of the device. The CPG also includes memory for storing the API specification information corresponding to the one or more devices.