The network processor supports the following types of cartridges:

• Base cartridges: provide support for simple device interactions and simple functionality, such as configlets and audits

• Core cartridges: provide a rich set of configuration and audit functionality across a variety of services

• Service cartridges: provide support for one or more specific IP Service Activator services for a specific vendor. Service cartridges must be deployed as extensions to either a base or core cartridge. They deploy services based on information provided from configuration policies, or from IP Service Activator objects.

• Configuration management cartridges: provide support for configuration management services

A vendor cartridge is a combination of a base or core cartridge with a number of service cartridges.

A configuration policy provides a schema-validated HTML GUI input mechanism for services implemented in service cartridges.