A system, apparatus and device are described for collecting, aggregating and monitoring network management information from a plurality of network devices in a network management system. User-definable configuration information are utilized, which contain an operational specification on what to collect, aggregate and monitor, scheduled, e.g., at desired times or intervals. Network devices on the network are identified, then queried. Data are acquired in accordance with instructions contained in the operational specification. Transformations are performed and the data periodically monitored for compliance with specific threshold conditions. Notifications are generated whenever a threshold condition has been met. Data is stored to a database and aggregated to generate trending information. Data stored in the database can be subsequently removed automatically based on aging or other user-specified criteria. The data are rendered to a display for viewing by the user using device-specific GUI attributes.