An architecture for a management information system includes a backend that services information requests from a front end. The backend retrieves data from management information base(s) (MIBs) and prepares a response to the information requests. The backend maintains a cache of data recently retrieved from the MIBs and uses the cache to retrieve data, instead of making additional requests to the MIBs. The responses may be prepared from cache data only, MIB data only, or a combination of both. The back end is preferably maintained on a same segment of a network as the MIBs. Multiple MIBs may be queried from the back end, and the backend may coordinate with back ends on other segments of the network.