Method and system of providing improved network management data between a plurality of network elements and a management system for increasing a flow and decreasing an amount of data transfer

A network element having a set of data templates, said set comprising:

• for each port of said network element at least one data template describing for each said port an internal connectivity capability between a plurality of protocol layers, each protocol layer associated with a termination point of an individual port type corresponding to each said port of said network element, and
• at least one data template describing for a plurality of ports of said network element, for at least one protocol layer, an internal connectivity capability within said at least one protocol layer between said plurality of ports of said network element.

A network controller having a plurality of sets of data templates, each set of data templates associated with a network element, each said set comprising:

• for each port of said network element at least one data template describing
• for each said port an internal connectivity capability between a plurality of protocol layers, each protocol layer associated with a termination point of an individual port type corresponding to each said port of said network element, and
• at least one data template describing for a plurality of ports of said network element, for at least one protocol layer, an internal connectivity capability within said at least one protocol layer between said plurality of ports.

In a network comprising a plurality of network elements and at least one element controller for controlling a plurality of network elements, a method of enabling a network manager to discover the internal connection capabilities of each network element, comprising the steps of:

• said network manager requesting each element controller to provide information on capabilities of a network element,
• said network element providing a set of data templates for each network element connected to said element controller to said network manager, each data template of said set of data templates comprising at least one data template describing for a port of said network element an internal connectivity capability between a plurality of protocol layers, each protocol layer associated with a termination point of an individual port type corresponding to said port of said network element,
• wherein said element controller provides said set of data templates of all network elements associated with said element controller within a single message to said network manager.

A management system for managing a network element comprising a plurality of physical resources arranged into a plurality of pre-configured structures each of a pre-configured structure type, said management system comprising data storage means for storing:

• at least one predefined data template which describes functional resources which are predefined according to a predetermined multilayered communications protocol, and a plurality of reference data, each said reference data relating to a said pre-configured structure to at least one said data template, wherein each said data template is provided in a computer-readable medium for providing data in a computer-readable form, the template describing the functionality capabilities and internal physical constraints of a network element, the template comprising:
• a plurality of descriptions of the internal architectural configuration of said network element comprising a set of rules describing adaptation of data between protocol layers, each rule coupled to a set of rules describing exit and entry to a said protocol layer, each description being referenced to each other by means of a set of inter-end point connection rules.

A data representation provided in a computer-readable medium for providing data in a computer-readable form, the representation describing the functionality capabilities and internal physical constraints of a network element, the representation comprising:

• a plurality of descriptions of the internal architectural configuration of said network element, each description comprising a set of rules describing adaptation of data between protocol layers, each rule coupled to a set of rules describing exit and entry to said protocol layer, each description being referenced to each other by means of a set of inter-end point connection rules.