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In terms of usability, network management software based on command line interfaces (CLI) is efficient but error prone. With GUIs, a new generation of security tools emerged and were adopted by young system administrators. Though usability has improved, it has been argued that CLI-based software tends to support better user performance. Incorporating CLI advantages into graphical versions (or vice versa) remains a challenge. This paper presents a quantitative study regarding system administrators' practices and preferences regarding GUIs and CLIs and reports on initial results of a usability evaluation performed on proposed interfaces that are informed by our study. Personalization features are particularly appreciated by network administrators, which suggests possible strategies for graphical interface designs that improve user experience while maintaining the positive aspects of CLI-based software.
Murillo et al. (Wed,) studied this question.