A programmable remote device management system for remotely controlling and/or configuring a communication network switch over a computer network. The system includes a command processing engine coupled to a user interface, a protocol translation engine, a scripting engine and to a filtering engine. The command processing engine is adapted to receive at least one switch command via the user interface and to process the switch command for providing at least one validated or otherwise processed switch command. The switch command is provided from the remote device management system to the communication network switch over the computer network. With this arrangement, a user can efficiently communicate a plurality of validated or otherwise processed control and/or configuration commands to one or more of the communication network switches from a remote location for performing a variety of network switch management operations as if similarly executed local to the communication network switch.