A network communication stack running on relational processing circuitry performs control and maintenance actions on records from a database server managed by repository control circuitry. The database interaction layer of the communication stack accesses the records on the database server. The database interaction layer passes the accessed records to the data processing layer for parsing and storage as tabular entries. An operator may perform manipulations on the tabular entries using a command interface generated by the command layer of the communication stack using locally-defined interface parameters that are independent of characteristics of the database server. The data processing layer recompiles manipulated entries into an altered record. The database interaction layer sends the altered record back to the database server.