System and method for network management

A network management method, comprising:

• collecting, by automatic discovery, first information on elements in a network;
• displaying information collected as the first information on a screen;
• allowing a user to choose a first element based on the information displayed on the screen;
• registering the first element chosen by the user in a server as an object to be monitored, the monitoring being performed by means other than the automatic discovery;
• collecting, by the automatic discovery, second information on elements in the network, the elements including both registered elements and not-registered elements;
• displaying a result of comparison on the screen, the comparison being between information on the first element registered for the monitoring and the second information collected by the automatic discovery;
• allowing the user to choose a second element based on the result of comparison displayed on the screen, among (i) a not-registered and newly-discovered element, (ii) a registered and discovered element, and (iii) a registered but not-discovered element, wherein information on the registered but not-discovered element was collected in the past but not collected at present by the automatic discovery;
• and
• altering registration of elements to be subjected to the monitoring in accordance with the second element chosen by the user, wherein a chosen registered but not-discovered element being kept as registered in the server for the monitoring.