A method of reducing traffic on a data network, comprising: reading an indicator of whether a last attempted communication with a network device was successful; performing discovery of said network device at each time specified by a first recurring schedule in response to said indicator indicating that said last attempted communication with said network device was successful, and at each time specified by a second recurring schedule in response to said indicator indicating that said last attempted communication with said network device was not successful, wherein said performing comprises: selecting: a first descriptor of a discoverable feature of the network device as a selected descriptor, and a first condition as a selected condition, in response to said indicator indicating that said last attempted communication with said network device was successful, and a second descriptor of a discoverable feature of the network device as said selected descriptor, and a second condition as said selected condition, in response to said indicator indicating that said last attempted communication with said network device was not successful, the first and second conditions being constraints on when a network management performs a discovery for a respective descriptor, wherein said selected condition, when TRUE, indicates that said selected descriptor should be included in a request to said network device; determining that said selected condition is TRUE; adding said selected descriptor to said request in response to said determining that said selected condition is TRUE; and sending said request to said network device. reading an indicator of whether a last attempted communication with a network device was successful; performing discovery of said network device at each time specified by a first recurring schedule in response to said indicator indicating that said last attempted communication with said network device was successful, and at each time specified by a second recurring schedule in response to said indicator indicating that said last attempted communication with said network device was not successful, selecting: a first descriptor of a discoverable feature of the network device as a selected descriptor, and a first condition as a selected condition, in response to said indicator indicating that said last attempted communication with said network device was successful, and a second descriptor of a discoverable feature of the network device as said selected descriptor, and a second condition as said selected condition, in response to said indicator indicating that said last attempted communication with said network device was not successful, the first and second conditions being constraints on when a network management performs a discovery for a respective descriptor, wherein said selected condition, when TRUE, indicates that said selected descriptor should be included in a request to said network device; a first descriptor of a discoverable feature of the network device as a selected descriptor, and a first condition as a selected condition, in response to said indicator indicating that said last attempted communication with said network device was successful, and a second descriptor of a discoverable feature of the network device as said selected descriptor, and a second condition as said selected condition, in response to said indicator indicating that said last attempted communication with said network device was not successful, determining that said selected condition is TRUE; adding said selected descriptor to said request in response to said determining that said selected condition is TRUE; and sending said request to said network device.