Communication management network system and method for managing a communication network

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, after a network element is physically connected to an operations system portion, adaptation information from the network element in the operations system portion, wherein the adaptation information comprises metadata defining parts of the network element manageable by the operations system portion;

processing the adaptation information in the operations system portion;

configuring at least one application in the operations system portion on a basis of the adaptation information; and

executing a management process of the network element by the operations system portion.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the adaptation information comprises identification data of the network element.

3. The method according to claim 2 , the method further comprising:

contacting, after the processing the adaptation information, a library network part;

requesting, from the library network part, additional adaptation information for the network element based on the identification data; and

receiving, from the library network part, the additional adaptation information for the network element,

wherein the configuring the at least one application of the operations system portion is based on the additional adaptation information received from the library network part.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the identification data of the network element comprises type and release information of the network element.

5. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising determining, after the processing the adaptation information, a sort of the adaptation information to distinguish whether the network element transmitted the metadata or the identification data.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein when the determining results in that the adaptation information comprises the metadata, the configuring the at least one applications of the operations system portion is based on the adaptation information from the network element.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein when the determining results in that the adaptation information comprises the identification data, the method further comprises:

contacting, after the determining the sort of adaptation information, a library network part;

requesting, from the library network part, additional adaptation information for the network element based on the identification data; and

receiving, from the library network part, the additional adaptation information for the network element,

wherein the configuring the at least one application of the operations system portion is based on the additional adaptation information received from the library network part.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the configuring includes configuring a configuration of at least one of a configuration management subcomponent, a performance management subcomponent, an accounting management subcomponent, a security management subcomponent, and a fault management subcomponent.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the configuration comprises at least one of an addition of properties needed for visualization of the network element in a user interface, limitations of an operation and maintenance protocol implementation, extensions of the operation and maintenance protocol implementation, structure of transferred configuration management data, structure and meaning of transferred performance management data, additional help texts for fault management events, and adaptations to generic operations system applications.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the configuring comprises configuring at least one of a reconfiguration of a database scheme, a modification of relevant database tables, a creation of new database tables, a modification of a graphical user interface, and a modification of a messaging system.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising requesting the adaptation information from the network element by the operations system portion after establishment of a physical connection between the network element and the operations system portion.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is implemented in a communication management network.

13. A system, comprising:

a network element; and

an operations system portion,

wherein the network element is configured to transmit adaptation information to the operations system portion, after the network element is physically connected to the operations system portion, wherein the adaptation information comprises metadata defining parts of the network element manageable by the operations system portion, and

wherein the operations system portion includes a processor configured to process the adaptation information in the operations system portion, to configure at least one application in the operations system portion based on the adaptation information, and to execute a management process of the network element.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, after physically connecting a network element to the apparatus, adaptation information from the network element, wherein the adaptation information comprises metadata defining parts of the network element manageable by the apparatus; and

a processor configured to process adaptation information, to configure at least one application in the apparatus based on the adaptation information, and to execute a management process of the network element;

wherein the adaptation information comprises identification data of the network element;

wherein the processor is further configured to determine a sort of the adaptation information to distinguish whether the metadata or the identification data are received.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to: contact a library network part being part of the communication management network system; and request, from the library network part, additional adaptation information for the network element based on the identification data comprised in the adaptation data from the network element, configure the at least one application of the apparatus based on the additional adaptation information being requested and received from the library network part.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the identification data of the network element comprises type and release information of the network element.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein when the processor determines that the adaptation information comprises the metadata, the processor is configured to configure the at least one application of the apparatus based on the adaptation information from the network element.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

contact a library network part being part of the communication management network system; and request, from the library network part, additional adaptation information for the network element based on the identification data comprised in the adaptation data from the network element, wherein when the processor determines that the adaptation information comprises the identification data, the processor is configured to configure the at least one application of the apparatus based on the additional adaptation information being requested and received from the library network part.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to configure at least one of a configuration management subcomponent, a performance management subcomponent, an accounting management subcomponent, a security management subcomponent, and a fault management subcomponent.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute a configuration comprising at least one of an addition of properties needed for visualization of the network element in a user interface, limitations of an operation and maintenance protocol implementation, extensions of the operation and maintenance protocol implementation, structure of transferred configuration management data, structure and meaning of transferred performance management data, additional help texts for fault management events, and adaptations to generic operations system applications.

21. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute at least one of a reconfiguration of a database scheme, a modification of relevant database tables, a creation of new database tables, a modification of a graphical user interface, and a modification of a messaging system.

22. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to request, from the network element, the adaptation information after establishment of a physical connection between the network element and the apparatus.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit, after the apparatus is physically connected to an operations system portion, adaptation information to the operations system portion usable by the operations system portion to configure at least one application in the operations system portion, wherein the adaptation information comprises metadata defining parts of the apparatus manageable by the operations system portion,

wherein the operations system portion is configured to execute a management process of the apparatus.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the adaptation information comprises identification data of the apparatus.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein the identification data of the apparatus comprises type and release information of the apparatus.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the adaptation information is usable to configure at least one of a configuration management subcomponent, a performance management subcomponent, an accounting management subcomponent, a security management subcomponent, and a fault management subcomponent.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26 , wherein a configuration for the at least one application comprises at least one of an addition of properties needed for the visualization of the apparatus in a user interface, limitations of an operation and maintenance protocol implementation, extensions of the operation and maintenance protocol implementation, structure of transferred configuration management data, structure and meaning of transferred performance management data, additional help texts for fault management events, and adaptations to generic operations system applications.

28. The apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein a configuration for the at least one application comprises at least one of a reconfiguration of a database scheme, a modification of relevant database tables, a creation of new database tables, a modification of a graphical user interface, and a modification of a messaging system.

29. The apparatus according to claim 23 , further comprising a processor configured to receive and process a request from the operations system portion for the adaptation information after establishment of a physical connection between the apparatus and the operations system portion.

30. A method, comprising:

transmitting, after a network element is physically connected to an operations system portion, adaptation information to the operations system portion usable by the operations system portion to configure at least one application in the operations system portion, wherein the adaptation information comprises metadata defining parts of the network element manageable by the operations system portion,

wherein the operations system portion is configured to execute a management process of the network element.

31. The method according to claim 30 , further comprising receiving and processing a request from the operations system portion for the adaptation information after establishment of a physical connection between the network element and the operations system portion.

32. A non-transistory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions configured to control a processor to perform a process, the process comprising:

receiving, after a network element is physically connected to an operations system portion, adaptation information from the network element in the operations system portion, wherein the adaptation information comprises metadata defining parts of the network element manageable by the operations system portion;

processing the adaptation information in the operations system portion; configuring at least one application in the operations system portion on a basis of the adaptation information; and

executing a management process of the network element by the operations system portion.

33. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions configured to control a processor to perform a process, the process comprising:

transmitting, after a network element is physically connected to an operations system portion, adaptation information to the operations system portion usable by the operations system portion to configure at least one application in the operations system portion, wherein the adaptation information comprises metadata defining parts of the network element manageable by the operations system portion, wherein the operations system portion is configured to execute a management process of the network element.