1. A computer-implemented method comprising: building a protocol-independent query translatable across one or more port monitors, wherein each of the one or more port monitors has its own protocol-associated communication dialect, and wherein the query is configured to discover one or more properties or capabilities of a device, and wherein the query itself identifies the one or more properties or capabilities and is structured using a schema that comprises multiple nodes arranged in a hierarchical structure, wherein individual nodes are associated with the device's properties or data values, wherein one property node comprises a device information node that pertains to data that is associated with the device, and wherein the device information node comprises a child manufacturer node associated with a device manufacturer; and communicating the query to the device.