What is "CLI" and "SDM"?

CLI is the the Command Line Interface which a command based interface used to configer the Cisco Appliances and Devices "and its being used almost in all cisco products like routers, switches and firewalls etc.....".

SDM is the Security Device Manager Software which is the GUI interface used to configure Cisco Routers "only routers".

Command Line Interface and Security Device Manager

CLI (Command line interface ) user can configure devices by using CLI interface CISCO switches,

router ,controller ,ASA firewall, HP etc.... and CDM Cisco security device manager (CDM) using for configuring cisco security devices....

CLI is the the Command Line Interface which a command based interface used to configer the Cisco Appliances and Devices "and its being used almost in all cisco products like routers, switches and firewalls etc.....".

SDM is a graphic application used to configure CISCO routers , but CLI is a command line way used to configure cisco routers

CLI (command line interface) is a user interface to a computer's operating system, Cisco applications in which the user responds to a visual prompt by typing in a command on a specified line, receives a response back from the system

Cisco Security Device Manager (CDM) is a Security Dashboard feature contacts the Cisco IPS Alerts Center to obtain the list of the top threats, and the IPS signatures for these threats when the signatures are available. Because the URL to the Cisco IPS Alerts Center has changed, Cisco SDM will not successfully contact the center.

Une interface en ligne de commande (couramment abrégé CLI en anglais) est une interface homme-machine dans laquelle la communication entre l'utilisateur et l'ordinateur s'effectue en mode texte :

• l'utilisateur tape une ligne de commande, c'est-à-dire du texte au clavier pour demander à l'ordinateur d'effectuer une opération ;
• l'ordinateur affiche du texte correspondant au résultat de l'exécution des commandes tapées ou à des questions qu'un logiciel pose à l'utilisateur.(SDM) est un outil Web de gestion des périphériques facile à utiliser. Il est conçu pour configurer les fonctions de réseau local, de réseau étendu et de sécurité sur les routeurs doté du logiciel Cisco IOS.

In Simple

We can say CLI Command Line Interface (like Command Prompt, Telnet, Tera Term Access also we can call it , but SDM is like GUI interface like no need to type the whole process few typeing & rest of the thing just click

SDM is a Software from Cisco Company wiht GUI interface  

A command-line interface (CLI) is a means of interacting with a computer program where the user (or client) issues commands to the program in the form of successive lines of text (command lines).

1. CLI is the the Command Line Interface which a command based interface used to configer the Cisco Appliances and Devices "and its being used almost in all cisco products like routers, switches and firewalls etc.....".

SDM is the Security Device Manager Software which is the GUI interface used to configure Cisco Routers "only routers