For effective management it is necessary to have methods by which management applications can periodically retrieve large volumes of information from network devices. In this work we examine the issues related to standardsbased bulk-information retrieval and then propose a technique that extends the limits of periodic bulk-retrieval. The impact of the technique is demonstrated using a prototype implementation with special emphasis on network monitoring, traffic management and security management by comparing with the widely used RMON technology. We then discuss the problems of monitoring in a mobile environment in the context of the newly defined IETF standards track mobile IPv6 management information base (MIPv6MIB) and show how the bulk retrieval technique can be used to provide a mechanism for reliable monitoring in a mobile environment.