Arrangement and equipment for handling not-compatible messages between a management system and network elements controlled by the management system

An arrangement for handling messages, concerning the management of network elements, in a system including a management system and network elements controlled by the management system, the arrangement comprising:

• network elements, wherein the network elements use message formats incompatible with a message format used by a management system,
• a message, transferred between the management system and a network element controlled by the management system, is routed to a conversion element storing conversion data for conversions to be performed between the message formats used by the network elements and management system, wherein conversion element information needed for converting the message is selected from said conversion data on the basis of the network element indicated in the message,
• the information selected is used to convert the message into a format compatible with a message format of a receiver, and
• the converted message is transmitted to the receiver.

A method for handling messages in a system including a network management system and network elements controlled by the network management system, the method comprising:

• maintaining conversion data in a conversion element,
• routing messages which are in different formats to the conversion element, and
• in the conversion element,
• selecting information from conversion data on the basis of the network element indicated in the message,
• using the selected information for converting the message into a message format compatible with the message format used by a receiver of the message, and
• transmitting the converted message to the receiver.